棋盤與勝負
紅方先行，目標是將死或困斃對方將帥。將帥必須留在九宮，且不能在同一直線無子相隔。
容易出錯的規則
- 馬走日，但相鄰直線格被佔時會蹩腿。
- 象走田，但象眼被佔不能走，且不能過河。
- 炮不吃子時像車；吃子時中間必須恰好隔一子。
- 兵卒過河前只能前進，過河後可橫走但不能後退。
開局原則
先出馬、炮並打通車路；不要重複移動同一枚子，也不要在沒有收益時過早進兵。
對電腦思考
人機模式會偏好將軍、吃子與阻止直接威脅。玩家每一步前應先檢查對方下一手的將軍與捉子。
開局的三個原則
象棋開局不必背棋譜，先守住三條原則就能避開多數速敗：先出動大子（車、馬、炮比兵卒重要得多）、不要過早出車以外的子去追吃、當頭炮出現時立刻考慮補士角或跳馬應對。新手最常見的失分，是把兵一路推上去卻讓後方的士象散開，結果對方一個車就長驅直入。
子力的實際價值
- 車：全盤最強，價值約等於兩個馬或炮。沒有把握別隨意換車。
- 炮：開局中期威力大，因為需要炮架，殘局價值下降。
- 馬：與炮相反，棋盤越空越強，殘局常比炮好用。
- 士象：不能過河，但缺一個士就可能被重炮或馬後炮直接將死，不要輕易送掉。
殘局最該記住的一件事
殘局的勝負常常取決於誰先把子力集中到對方九宮附近，而不是誰多一個兵。手上還有車與一個過河兵時，先把兵送到底線附近變成「老兵」，配合車幾乎就能形成殺勢。反過來，防守方要記得把士象擺回原位——完整的士象能擋住相當多種常見殺法。
Board and victory
Red moves first. The goal is to checkmate or stalemate the opposing general. Generals stay in their palaces and may not face each other on an open file.
Commonly misunderstood rules
- A horse moves in an L but can be blocked at its first orthogonal step.
- An elephant moves two diagonally, can be blocked at the midpoint and cannot cross the river.
- A cannon moves like a rook but needs exactly one intervening piece to capture.
- Soldiers move forward before crossing and may move sideways afterward, never backward.
Opening principles
Develop horses and cannons and open lines for the rooks. Avoid moving the same piece repeatedly or advancing soldiers without a purpose.
Playing the AI
The computer favors checks, captures and stopping immediate threats. Before each move, inspect the opponent’s next possible check or attack.
Three opening principles
You do not need memorised openings to avoid most fast losses — three principles cover it: develop your major pieces first (chariots, horses and cannons matter far more than pawns), avoid chasing captures with anything but a chariot too early, and answer a central cannon immediately, either by advancing an advisor or jumping a horse. The usual beginner mistake is pushing pawns up one file while the advisors and elephants scatter behind, leaving a single enemy chariot a clear road in.
What the pieces are actually worth
- Chariot: the strongest piece on the board, worth roughly two horses or cannons. Do not trade one off without a reason.
- Cannon: powerful in the opening and middlegame because it needs a screen; its value falls in the endgame as the board empties.
- Horse: the opposite — stronger as the board empties, and often better than a cannon in endgames.
- Advisors and elephants: they cannot cross the river, but losing one advisor can expose you to a direct mate. Do not give them away cheaply.
The one thing to remember in endgames
Endgames are usually decided by who concentrates force near the opponent's palace first, not by who is a pawn ahead. With a chariot and a pawn across the river, push the pawn toward the back rank — a pawn there, supported by a chariot, is close to a winning attack on its own. Defending, put the advisors and elephants back in position: an intact defensive formation blocks a surprising number of standard mating patterns.