Question 1

How does a game of Banqi start?

Accepted Answer

All 32 pieces are shuffled face down across a 4×8 grid. Whoever flips the very first tile of the game is assigned whichever colour that piece turns out to be — the other player automatically gets the opposite colour.

Question 2

What can I do on my turn?

Accepted Answer

Either flip any face-down tile, or move one of your own revealed pieces one step into an adjacent empty tile, or capture an adjacent enemy piece if the rank allows it.

Question 3

What's the rank order, and what's the exception?

Accepted Answer

From strongest to weakest: General, Advisor, Elephant, Chariot, Horse, Cannon, Soldier. The one exception is the soldier, which is the only piece that can capture the general — and the general can never capture a soldier back.

Question 4

How does the cannon capture?

Accepted Answer

Differently from every other piece. A cannon must jump over exactly one other piece — of either colour, face up or face down — in a straight line, and captures whatever sits immediately beyond it. Rank doesn't matter for a cannon's capture.

Question 5

How do I win?

Accepted Answer

Capture every one of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move on their turn — a flip is always available while face-down tiles remain, so this usually happens once the board is fully revealed and your opponent's remaining pieces are boxed in.

Dark Chess (Banqi)

Sitting notes

Quick rules