Xiangqi: 4 Players

This is a four handed version of the abstract game Xiangqi, the latter also known as Chinese chess.

In the tradition game, the board is divided in half by a line called the river. In the four player version, one might call this a sea. Then each player uses a standard set of pieces set up on their half of a standard board. (Hence only two sets of standard pieces are needed. Ownership of pieces is marked by their orientation since they would read as right-side-up to the controlling player.) Where the river would normally be is extended into a large empty square. Pieces cross but do not go onto this space, the sea. Lines of the board extend across the sea no differently than across the river as far as players opposite each other are concerned. The lines of movement connect to players at either side's boards as if the board on which a player's pieces begin were rotated toward the player on either side. Play is clockwise and otherwise the standard rules of xiangqi apply in all instances.

If at the start of a player's turn, the player's "king" (to use Western terminology for simplicity) is checkmated-- whether by a single player's pieces or pieces of multiple players in combination-- that player is immediately eliminated from the game. Only the "king" is taken from the board but that player's turn is thereafter skipped. Remaining pieces may be taken but do not otherwise move. The last remaining player wins.

This is a game intended primarily for DIY play. Two sets of pieces are needed along with four half-boards. These can be printed from files on BGG or fashioned using multiple sets from the traditional game.

To play a 3 player variant, one of the 4 half-boards is simply not used. A 2 player variant would be the traditional game.