Chinese Chess

Born on the riverbank between two palaces — a map of strategy that has settled Chinese teahouses for centuries.

• Material

  Lacquered wood board, river line carved between two palaces; disks of hardwood or plastic with painted generals.

• Occasion

  Teahouses, park benches, family New Year tables — often with tea and commentary from neighbors.

• Pace

  Slow opening, sharp middlegame; games can last an afternoon or finish in a fierce ten minutes.

Xiangqi maps a war story onto a grid: Chuhe and Hanjie split the board, cannons leap, elephants stay home. What you feel as "rules" began as a portable battlefield for merchants and scholars who wanted strategy without a full army.