Orthodox Opening Systems in Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

As in International Chess, the opening in Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) is one of the most commonly discussed topics by both amateurs and professionals alike. It is also one of the first and foremost topics that newcomers to Xiangqi want to learn. But, the Xiangqi opening is very different from the openings in International Chess. Then there is the language barrier.

To begin with, English literature on the topic is scarce. Chinese literature on the topic is abundant but other than a few general opening books; most are treatises on specific variations and sub-variations. It would be very easy for the newcomer to Xiangqi to be overwhelmed.

The Webmaster has done several articles and videos that have covered the fundamentals of opening theory in Xiangqi. It would be a good place to start.

In this article, the Webmaster would introduce the basic orthodox opening systems that are seen in tournaments and over-the-board play. They would also represent the various opening tabiat that is frequently encountered in Xiangqi. It was written to introduce the commonly played opening systems in general.

The ECCO classification by Huang Chen and his team would also be used. Huang Chen's work is tremendous, and like before, the Webmaster would like to express his gratitude for his work. He is also a very nice and helpful man whom the Webmaster has corresponded several times. The Introduction to ECCO can be found at the following URL. (1)

Please note that it would be impossible to learn all there is to know about the Xiangqi opening in such a short article. The details of each of the major opening systems will not be presented, and the variations and sub-variations will not be discussed. Instead, this article would focus on showing the newcomer some of the most commonly played ORTHODOX opening systems in Xiangqi. Unorthodox or irregular openings would be discussed in another article.

In this article, the major orthodox opening systems would be presented as such:

Table of Contents

Some simple statistics
Central Cannon and its counters	Same Direction Cannons Opening System   Opposite Direction Cannon Opening Systems    Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense Opening System   Central Cannon vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense Opening System     Central Cannon vs. Single Horse Defense System
Other Cannon Openings	Cross Palace Cannon Opening  Palcorner Cannon Opening
Pawn Opening
Elephant Opening
Horse Opening

 

1) Some Simple Statistics

There has been limited data in this aspect. The biggest and most credible source that the Webmaster has been able to find would again be by Huang Chen. In 2005, Huang Chen and his group published a simple analysis of the games that used to build ECCO. It is reported that their database had a sample size of 8197 games that were played before 2004. The data can be found at the following URL. (2) (1)

The Central Cannon accounted for 61% of all the games played in their database. And the Screen Horse Defense was the favorite counter such that the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense Opening System would account for 31% of the games in their database. The Pawn Opening accounted for 20% of all games in their database. Coming in at third place was the Elephant Opening at 12%.

To date, the Webmaster estimates that while the Central Cannon is still king with about half of all games played, it has slightly lost ground, and the Pawn Opening has gained some ground, taking the second place firmly in hand. The Webmaster would estimate that about a third of all games played in the major tournaments would be the Pawn Opening for Red. This estimate is based on years of uploading Xiangqi boards and the files that the Webmaster has. Moreover, after 2005, Chinese National Individual Xiangqi champions like Hong Zhi, Zheng Weitong, and even Wang Tianyi recently have made the Pawn Opening their opening of choice. They have also managed great success with the Pawn Opening.

The number popularity of the openings would fluctuate as some variations would become fashionable while others would fall into disuse.

2) Central Cannon and its counters

a) Same Direction Cannons Opening System 顺炮/顺手炮

The Same Direction Cannons (SDC) is one of the traditional opening systems that go way back to the Southern Song Dynasty. One of the earliest two games that are still extant from Shi Lin Guang Ji, from the Southern Song Dynasty started with the Same Direction Cannons.

Red would start with C2=5, and Black would counter with C8=5, which is on the ipsilateral side of the board.

As both players start with the Central Cannon, the Same Direction Cannons is considered to be a very aggressive opening system whereby early confrontation of the troops is often seen, and there is little margin for error. The Same Direction Cannons would later become the standard of play during the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. The Eighteen Stances of the Golden Roc, Secret in the Tangerine, and Wang's Plum Flower Manual have all dedicated sections to the opening system, making it one of the earliest opening systems in Xiangqi. The infamous Horse Sacrifice for the kill in thirteen moves was also a Same Direction Cannons opening and was one of the earliest flying daggers in Xiangqi openings. (3)

Note: A flying dagger 飞刀 (fēi dāo), is the Xiangqi equivalent of an opening novelty.

After the first four plies ( 1. C2=5 C8=5, 2. H2+3 H8+7), the next important issue to consider would be the development of the chariots for both colors.

For Red, there are three major options for the development of the right Chariot:

• R1=2 for the Filed Chariot,
• R1+1 for the Ranked Chariot, and
• Not to develop the chariot at all for the deferred chariot variation.

Black would then choose how he would develop his left chariot in response:

• If Red played, R1=2, Black would most often play R9+1 à Same Direction Cannons: Field Chariot vs. Ranked Chariot.
• Black could also choose NOT to develop his chariot but play P7+1 or H2+3 à Same Direction Cannons: Filed Chariot vs. Deferred Chariot.
• If Red played R1+1, Black would usually counter with R9=8. à Same Direction Cannons: Ranked Chariot vs. Filed Chariot.
• If Red chose NOT to develop his chariot, Black would usually choose to develop his chariot as a filed chariot R9=8. à Same Direction Cannons: Deferred Chariot vs. Filed Chariot.

In the 1960s, there was another major breakthrough in the Same Direction Cannons, whereby it was advocated that both players develop all their horses as proper horses. There was also the addition of the Deferred Chariot variation in the 1970s.

In a nutshell, the major variations include:

Major Same Direction Cannons Classification

English	Chinese	ECCO tags
Same Direction Cannons: Filed Chariot vs. Ranked Chariot	顺炮直车对横车 (shùn pào zhí jū duì héng jū)	D2x
Same Direction Cannons: Ranked Chariot vs. Filed Chariot	顺炮横车对直车 (shùn pào héng jū duì zhí jū)	D0x
Same Direction Cannons: Filed Chariot vs. Deferred Chariot	顺炮直车对缓开车 (shùn pào zhí jū duì huǎn kāi jū)	D1x
Same Direction Cannons: Deferred Chariot vs. Filed Chariot	顺炮缓开车对直车(shùn pào huǎn kāi jū duì zhí jū)	D0x

Same Direction Cannons: Filed Chariot

Red would choose to develop his right chariot as a filed chariot. Black would be forced to develop his left chariot as a ranked chariot or choose the deferred chariot variations. There has been much evolution to the opening system. Still, the current consensus would be that both players should develop their horses as proper horses, whereby the central files of both colors would be fortified. It would often lead to complicated and volatile situations, whereby there was little room for error.

Same Direction Cannons: Ranked Chariot

By developing the right chariot as a ranked chariot, Red would emphasize on adding pressure on Black's right flank slightly later in the game. The ranked chariot is usually developed as R1+1, R1=6, and then R6+5, whereby Red would try to concentrate his forces on Black's right flank. Red's R1=6 would be known as 横车过宫 (héng jū guò gōng) or Cross-Palace Ranked Chariot.

To counter Red's aggression, Black would have many different ways of countering.

Same Direction Cannons: Deferred Chariot

This variation would be a relatively modern variation that has grown into a major opening system of its own. Red would slow the pace down and choose to develop his left flank or right Horse with P3+1.

 

 

b) Opposite Direction Cannons Opening System

The other game that was given in Shi Lin Guang Ji started with the Opposite Direction Cannons. Instead of countering with C8=5, Black would counter with C2=5, which would be contralateral to Red's Central Cannon. This opening system was also very volatile, and there was a very high tendency for the game to become a flank attack on the weak side for both colors. Some players find the Opposite Direction Cannons even more aggressive than the Same Direction Cannons. (4)

Like the Same Direction Cannons, there is plenty of mention and study in the ancient manuals.

However, compared to the Same Direction Cannons, Red's first move initiative was too much for Black to overcome in the Opposite Direction Cannons, and the opening system was slowly neglected. In the twentieth century, it was given new life by changing the order of the moves such that Black would try to form a cannon blockade or simply develop his left flank BEFORE playing C2=5 for the Opposite Direction Cannons.

In a nutshell, there are four major opening systems concerning the Opposite Direction Cannons:

• Opposite Direction Cannons: Major Variation 大列手炮 (dà liè shǒu pào)
• Opposite Direction Cannons: Minor Variation 小列手炮 (xiǎo liè shǒu pào)
• Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons: 半途列炮 (bàn tú liè pào)/后补列炮(hòu bǔ liè pào) can be further divided into Left Cannon Blockade with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons 左炮封车转半途列炮 (zuǒ pào fēng jū zhuǎn bàn tú liè pào) and Left Three Step Tiger with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons 左三步虎转半途列炮 (zuǒ sān bù hǔ zhuǎn bàn tú liè pào).

Note:

1) There are three Chinese names for the Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons: 半途列炮/后补列炮/现代列炮. The last Chinese name would simply mean "Modern Day Opposite Direction Cannons." Amongst the three names, the first two are most commonly seen in Chinese literature.

2) For the Left Cannon Blockade with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons, there are also several Chinese names. In Grandmaster Liu Dianzhong's book for beginners, the Chinese name given was 中炮两头蛇对三步虎转列炮 (zhōng pào liǎng tóu shé duì sān bù hǔ zhuǎn liè pào). It would be a more accurate description, but the translated English name would be: Central Cannon with Double Headed Snake Pawns vs. Three Step Tiger with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons. It would be too long. Instead, the name used in ECCO would be used instead: Left Three Step Tiger with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons (左三步虎转半途列炮zuǒ sān bù hǔ zhuǎn bàn tú liè pào) (3 p. 153) 

3) The Major Variation of the Opposite Direction Cannons has been gradually phased out and is very seldom seen. Red's first move initiative would often be too much for Black to handle.

Major Opposite Direction Cannons Variations

English	Chinese	ECCO tags
Opposite Direction Cannons: Major Variation	大列手炮 (dà liè shǒu pào)	D5x
Opposite Direction Cannons: Minor Variation	小列手炮 (xiǎo liè shǒu pào)	D5x
Left Cannon Blockade with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons	左炮封车转半途列炮 (zuǒ pào fēng jū zhuǎn bàn tú liè pào)	D3x
Left Three Step Tiger with Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons	左三步虎转半途列炮 (zuǒ sān bù hǔ zhuǎn bàn tú liè pào)	D4x

 

 

 

c) Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense

By far, the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense opening system is the most commonly seen and popular opening system in Xiangqi. The Screen Horses would consolidate the central file.

Using the Screen Horses to defend against Central Cannon has been proven over the centuries to be a viable counter. As for the Cannon-Horse Debate, Xiangqi players have been going at it for the past few centuries to determine which was superior, the Central Cannon, or the Screen Horse Defense. Wang Zaiyue is to be credited with popularizing the Screen Horse Defense in his Plum Flower Manual by Wang. However, the earliest and still extant mention would be from the Secret in the Tangerine.

This opening system is also very complicated and is the biggest reason for the Webmaster's having procrastinated so many years in writing the article. The terminology is confusing, and there are simply too many ways to reach the same position. Different treatises have placed different emphasis on the same position as they are discussed in different ways. The following notes were culminated from many different treatises and also opening books. The book by GM Liu Dianzhong is used primarily as the 'backbone' whereby refinements to his classification have been done.

In a nutshell, the following factors are to be considered in this opening system:

• Development of the Chariots for both colors (as Ranked Chariots, Filed Chariots, or Filed and Ranked chariots),
• Developing the left Red Horse, as a Proper Horse or Edge Horse.
• Development of the left Red cannon as 56 Cannons, 57 Cannons, 58 Cannons, 59 Cannons, Riverbank Cannon (C8+2) or Pawn Ranked Cannon (C8+4)
• Development of the Pawns. Advancing the Pawn on the 3^rd file would lead to drastically different situations then when advancing the Pawn on the 7^th Red could also choose to attack by pushing the central Pawn forward.
• Development of the Elephant and Advisors.

One of the most commonly used classifications is based on which Pawn does Red choose to advance. The Pawn mentioned here would either be the Pawn on the 3^rd or 7^th file. Attacks along the central file by pushing the central Pawn forward are also seen in certain variations. There is less emphasis on the edge pawns.

In Grandmaster Liu Dianzhong's book, thirteen different major orthodox openings systems were mentioned, and countless variations and sub-variations. (3) The Webmaster has seen other classifications with other commonly played variations in other books with similar presentations. (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Generally speaking, the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense Opening system is categorized into three major systems:

• Red pushing the 7^th Pawn,
• Red pushing the 3^rd Pawn,
• Red NOT pushing the 7^th or 3^rd Pawn (advances central pawn or edge pawn)

The following is a very short summary of frequently seen Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense opening variations. There are many treatises dedicated to each opening variation and its sub-variations, as mentioned in the tables. For example, the Webmaster has seen treatises dedicated to sub-sub-sub variations of some of the opening systems listed below.

Red pushing the 7^th Pawn 中炮进七兵

Major Variations in the 7th Pawn Advancement Family of the Screen Horse Defense

Chinese Name	English Name	Abbreviation/ Notes	ECCO Tag
中炮进七兵过河车对屏风马平炮兑车 zhōng pào jìn qī bīng guò hé jū duì píng fēng mǎ píng pào duì jū	Central Cannon with 7th Pawn Advancement and Pawn Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with Edge Cannon for Chariot Exchange Variation	Edge Cannon for Chariot Exchange Variation	C4x (C40-C49)
中炮进七兵过河车对屏风马平右士象 zhōng pào jìn qī bīng guò hé jū duì píng fēng mǎ yòu shì xiàng	Central Cannon with 7th Pawn Advancement and Pawn Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with Right Advisor and Elephant Variation	Screen Horse Defense with Right Advisor and Elephant Variation	C31 C32
中炮进七兵过河车对屏风马横车 zhōng pào jìn qī bīng guò hé jū duì píng fēng mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with 7th Pawn Advancement and Pawn Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with Right Ranked Chariot	Screen Horse Defense with Right Ranked Chariot Variation	C33
中炮进七兵过河车对屏风马左马盘河 zhōng pào jìn qī bīng guò hé jū duì píng fēng mǎ jìn qī bīng zuǒ mǎ pán hé	Central Cannon with Pawn Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with Left Riverbank Horse Variation.	Left Riverbank Horse Variation	C35-C39
中炮巡河炮对屏风马 zhōng pào xún hé pào duì píng fēng mǎ	Central Cannon with Riverbank Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense		C80-C86
中炮七路马对屏风马   zhōng pào qī lù mǎ duì píng fēng mǎ	Central Cannon with 7th Filed Horse Variation vs. Screen Horse Defense		C01-C04
五七炮进七兵对屏风马 wǔ qī pào jìn qī bīng duì píng fēng mǎ	57 Cannons with 7th Pawn Advancement vs. Screen Horse Defense		C68

 

Red pushing the 3^rd Pawn 中炮进三兵

Major Variations in the 3rd Pawn Advancement Family of the Screen Horse Defense

Chinese Name	English Name	Abbreviation/ Notes	ECCO Tag
五八炮三兵对屏风马 wǔ bā pào jìn sān bīng duì píng fēng mǎ	58 Cannons with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Screen Horse Defense		C90-C98
五七炮进三兵对屏风马 wǔ qī pào jìn sān bīng duì píng fēng mǎ	57 Cannons with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Screen Horse Defense		C70-C78
五六炮进三兵对屏风马 wǔ liù pào jìn sān bīng duì píng fēng mǎ	56 Cannons with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Screen Horse Defense	Note: ECCO tags vary because of the order of moves.	C50 – C56
中炮进三兵对屏风马 （其他） zhōng pào jìn sān bīng duì píng fēng mǎ	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Screen Horse Defense (Others)

 

Red NOT pushing the 7^th or 3^rd Pawn (advances central pawn or edge pawn)

Opening Variations Where Red does not advance the 3rd or 7th Pawn

Chinese Name	English Name	Abbreviation	ECCO Tag
五七炮对屏风马7卒 wǔ qī pào duì píng fēng mǎ jìn qī zú	57 Cannons vs. Screen Horse Defense with 7th Pawn Advancement.		C60-C67
中炮边马对屏风马进7卒 zhōng pào biān mǎ duì píng fēng mǎ jìn qī zú	Central Cannon with Edge Horse vs. Screen Horse Defense with 7th Pawn Advancement	Note: ECCO tags are defined by the development of cannons.	C50 -C56 for 56 Cannons and C60-C67
中炮直横车对屏风马两头蛇 zhōng pào zhí héng jū duì píng fēng mǎ liǎng tóu shé	Central Cannon with Filed and Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with Double Headed Snake Pawns Variation.	Screen Horse Defense with Double Headed Snake Pawns	C20-C25
中炮急进过河车对屏风马7卒 zhōng pào jí jìn guò hé jū duì píng fēng mǎ jìn qī zú	Central Cannon with Rapid Pawn Ranked Chariot vs. Screen Horse Defense with 7th Pawn Advancement		C17-C25

 

As can be seen, the classification of the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense is very complex. The major sub-variations have not been listed.

 

 

The Webmaster recommends watching the matches that he has uploaded to Youtube, which are arranged in the order of opening systems. Watch a few videos with the same ECCO tag, and you will have a rough idea of the tabia of any particular opening system.

Please also note that the fundamentals of the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense Opening system can apply to other similar opening systems. If you can learn this opening system well (it would be impossible to master it), you would be made for life.

 

d) Central Cannon vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense

This opening system has gained much popularity over the past four decades. The legendary Grandmaster Hu Ronghua is attributed to this groundbreaking opening system, and he has published a short but very important treatise on the topic.

The key move for the Sandwiched Horse Defense is the palcorner cannon that is played on the second move. It would discourage Red from developing his left Horse as a proper horse and thus slow the pace of Red's development. The Sandwiched Horse Defense also packs a powerful counterpunch,

The issues to consider when playing this opening system is similar to that of the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Defense system.

• Development of the Chariots for both colors. There are three types to choose from: Ranked Chariots, Filed Chariots, or Filed and Ranked chariots. The development of the Red's left chariot and Black's left chariot would be important issues.
• Development of the left Red Horse, either as a Proper Horse or Edge Horse. As for Black, the Horse beside the palcorner cannon is also important as it would be a congenital weakness in the Sandwiched Horse Defense.
• Development of the left Red cannon as 56 Cannons, 57 Cannons, 58 Cannons, 59 Cannons, Riverbank Cannon (C8+2), or Pawn Ranked Cannon (C8+4).
• Development of the Pawns. Advancing the Pawn on the 3^rd file would lead to drastically different situations then when advancing the Pawn on the 7^th Red could also choose to attack by pushing the central Pawn forward.
• Development of the Elephant and Advisors. The left elephant and right elephant variation of the Sandwiched Horse Defense would lead to dramatically different situations.

Like the Central Cannon vs. Screen Horse Opening system, the classification for the Central Cannon vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense is primarily based on which Pawn would Red choose to develop early in the game:

• Red pushing the 7^th Pawn,
• Red pushing the 3^rd Pawn,
• Red NOT pushing the 7^th or 3^rd Pawn (advances central pawn or edge pawn)

Unfortunately, the ECCO tags do not necessarily reflect this classification.

The following table is a slightly modified classification based on Grandmaster Hu Ronghua's Sandwiched Horse Defense Treatise. The treatise remains one of the classics of all time. (10)

Red pushing the 7^th Pawn (Central Cannon vs. Sandwiched Horse Classification)

Classification System Used in Hu Ronghua's Sandwiched Horse Defense Treatise

Chinese Name/Hanyu Pinyin	English Name
中炮进三兵对反宫马右象 Zhōng pào jìn sān bīng duì fǎn gōng mǎ yòu xiàng	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense and Right Elephant Variation
五六炮进三兵對反宮馬右象 wǔ liù pào jìn sān bīng duì fǎn gōng mǎ yòu xiàng	56 Cannons with Left side horse variation vs Sandwiched Horse Defense.
中炮进三路兵对反宫马左象 Zhōng pào jìn sān bīng duì fǎn gōng mǎ zuǒ xiàng	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense and Left Elephant Variation
中炮进三路兵对反宫马横车 Zhōng pào jìn sān bīng duì fǎn gōng mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot Variation
中炮横车七路马对反宫马 Zhōng pào héng jū qī lù mǎ duì fǎn gōng mǎ	Central Cannon with Ranked Chariot and7th Filed Horse vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense
五六炮正马对反宫马 wǔ liù pào zhèng mǎ duì fǎn gōng mǎ	56 Cannons with Left Proper Horse vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense
中炮对反宫马先进7卒 Zhōng pào duì fǎn gōng mǎ xiān jìn qī zú	Central Cannon vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense with Early 7th Pawn Advancement
中炮进七兵对反宫马右象 Zhōng pào jìn qī bīng duì fǎn gōng mǎ yòu xiàng	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense and Right Elephant Variation
中炮进七兵过河车对反宫马右象 Zhōng pào jìn qī bīng guò hé jū duì fǎn gōng mǎ yòu xiàng	Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Sandwiched Horse Defense and Right Elephant Variation

 

 

 

e) Central Cannon vs. Single Horse Defense Opening Systems

The Single Horse Defense got its name because only one Horse was protecting the central Pawn. The other Horse would be developed as an edge horse.

This opening system has waned in popularity since the 1950s as remarkable advances in the Screen Horse and Sandwiched Horse Defense systems were seen. However, the rising popularity of the Pawn Opening in the 1990s has allowed the principles of this opening system to be applied to the Pawn vs. Thundering Defense Opening System. Thee opening system has its supporters too. For example, the late Feng Jingru was known for playing only the Single Horse Defense as Black against Red's Central Cannon.

The classification of this opening system is relatively simpler than compared to that of the Screen Horse or Sandwiched Horse Defense. Similar forms of attack by Red are used. In a nutshell, the most important issue would be the development of Red's Right chariot and Black's Left Chariot. For Red, developing the right chariot as a filed chariot is advocated, while it has been proven many times that Black would fare much better if he developed his left chariot as a ranked chariot. Therefore, the simplest classification for this opening system would be:

• Central Cannon vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot.

The ECCO tags are B10 – B14.

The following classification was found in a treatise dedicated to the Single Horse Defense. Unfortunately, it is slightly old, having published in 1997. There was another earlier treatise devoted to the Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot variation that was published in 1986 by the same author.

Classification from Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot Treatise by Dong Zhixin (11) (12)

Single Horse Defense Classification used in Treatise

Chinese Name	English Name
中炮直车七路马对单提马横车Zhōng pào zhí jū qī lù mǎ duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and 7th Filed Horse vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮直车七路马对单提马直车Zhōng pào zhí jū qī lù mǎ duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and 7th Filed Horse vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮直车巡河炮对单提马横车Zhōng pào zhí jū xún hé pào duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Riverbank Cannon vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五七炮直车对单提马横车wǔ qī pào zhí jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	57 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五七炮直车对单提马直车 wǔ qī pào zhí jū duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	57 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
五八炮直车对单提马横车 wǔ bā pào zhí jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	58 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五九炮直车对单提马横车 wǔ jiǔ pào zhí jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	58 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五九炮直车对单提马直车 wǔ jiǔ pào zhí jū duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	59 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮直车盘头马对单提马横车 zhōng pào zhí jū pán tóu mǎ duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and Central Linked Horses vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮直车盘头马对单提马直车 zhōng pào zhí jū pán tóu mǎ duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and Central Linked Horses vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮巡河车对单提马横车 Zhōng pào xún hé jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Riverbank Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮巡河车对单提马直车 Zhōng pào xún hé jū duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Riverbank Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮骑河车对单提马横车Zhōng pào qí hé jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Cross-riverbank Rank Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮直车进三兵对单提马横车 Zhōng pào zhí jū jìn sān bīng duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and 3rd Pawn Advancement vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮直车进三七兵对单提马横车 Zhōng pào zhí jū jìn sān qī bīng duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and 3rd and 7th Pawn Advancement vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮直车进五七兵对单提马横车 Zhōng pào zhí jū jìn qī wǔ qī bīng duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot and 5th and 7th Pawn Advancement vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮急打空头对单提马横车 zhōng pào jí dǎ kōng tóu duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Early Capture of Enemy Central Pawn vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五六炮直车对单提马横车 wǔ liù pào zhí jū duì duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	56 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
五六炮直车对单提马直车wǔ liù pào zhí jū duì duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	56 Cannons with Filed Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮横车对单提马横车 zhōng pào héng jū duì dān tí mǎ héng jū	Central Cannon with Ranked Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Ranked Chariot
中炮横车对单提马直车 zhōng pào héng jū duì dān tí mǎ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Ranked Chariot vs. Single Horse Defense with Filed Chariot
中炮横车对左单提马横车与直车 zhōng pào héng jū duì zuǒ dān tí mǎ héng jū yǔ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Ranked Chariot vs. Left Single Horse Defense with Filed and Ranked Chariots
中炮直车对左单提马横车与直车 zhōng pào zhí jū duì zuǒ dān tí mǎ héng jū yǔ zhí jū	Central Cannon with Filed Chariot vs. Left Single Horse Defense with Filed and Ranked Chariots

 

 

f) Other Central Cannon Counters

There are not many other ORTHODOX Central Cannon Counters other than the five opening systems mentioned above. In fact, there are only two counters:

• Left Three Step Tiger
• Left Cannon Blockade

The Left Three Step Tiger would usually transposition back into the Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons or other variations of the Screen Horse Defense. The Left Cannon Blockade would usually transposition to the Deferred Opposite Direction Cannons or one of the variations of the Screen Horse Defense.

Please note that the Three Step Tiger Counter can be divided into the Left Three Step Tiger and the Right Three Step Tiger. The former is considered to be orthodox while the latter is seldom played and usually deemed unfit or incapable of dealing with Red's Central Cannon.

3) Other Cannon Openings: Cross Palace Cannon and Palcorner Cannon Opening

There are only two orthodox cannon opening systems other than the Central Cannon: the Cross Palace Cannon and the Palcorner Cannon.

By default, the Cross Palace Cannon is given as C2=6, and the Palcorner Cannon is given as C2=4. Both cannon openings are considered to be orthodox, and their popularity has waned and waxed over the years.

There are five major counters to the Cross Palace Cannon: (13)

Five major counters to the Cross Palace Cannon

Chinese Name	English Name	ECCO Tag
过宫炮对左中炮 guò gōng pào duì zuǒ zhōng pào	Cross Palace Cannon vs. Left Central Cannon	A63-A65
过宫炮对横车 guò gōng pào duì héng jū	Cross Palace Cannon vs. Left Ranked Chariot	A62
过宫炮对飞象 guò gōng pào duì fēi xiàng	Cross Palace Cannon vs. Elephant Opening	A60
过宫炮对进马 guò gōng pào duì jìn mǎ	Cross Palace Cannon vs. Horse Opening	A61
过宫炮对挺兵 guò gōng pào duì tǐng bīng	Cross Palace Cannon vs. Pawn Opening	A60

 

There are more counters to the Palcorner Cannon Opening. The following is a list of the counters. (14)

Chinese Name	English Name	ECCO Tag
仕角炮对右中炮 shì jiǎo pào duì yòu zhōng pào	Palcorner Cannon vs. Right Central Cannon	A41-A53
仕角炮对进７卒 shì jiǎo pào duì jìn qī zú	Palcorner Cannon vs. 7th Pawn Advancement	A54
仕角炮对进左马 shì jiǎo pào duì zuǒ mǎ	Palcorner Cannon vs. Left Proper Horse	A51
仕角炮对进横车 shì jiǎo pào duì zuǒ héng jū	Palcorner Cannon vs. Left Ranked Chariot	A50
仕角炮对进左边马 shì jiǎo pào duì zuǒ biān mǎ	Palcorner Cannon vs. Left Edge Horse	A50
仕角炮对进右马 shì jiǎo pào duì yòu mǎ	Palcorner Cannon vs. Right Proper Horse	A50
仕角炮对飞象 shì jiǎo pào duì fēi xiàng	Palcorner Cannon vs. Elephant Opening	A50
仕角炮对黑平肋炮 shì jiǎo pào duì hēi píng lèi pào	Palcorner Cannon vs. Same Direction Palcorner Cannon	A50
仕角炮对进3卒 shì jiǎo pào duì jìn sān zú	Palcorner Cannon vs. 3rd Pawn Advancement	A50
仕角炮对左中炮 shì jiǎo pào duì zuǒ zhōng pào	Palcorner Cannon vs. Left Central Cannon	A50

Note: Although there were twelve chapters in Huang Qichang's book, the most commonly seen counters by Black would be the Right Central Cannon, Left Proper Horse, and 7^th Pawn Advancement. Indeed, these three counters accounted for over two-thirds of the treatise, while the remaining nine counters accounted for one third.

 

 

As Red would play the Palcorner Cannon as the first move, it can transposition into the Sandwiched Horse Defense or Single Horse Defense as Red and these two variations are most commonly seen. Black's counters would mostly target this strategy.

 

4) Pawn Opening

There is a very elegant name to this opening in Chinese called 仙人指路 xiān rén zhǐ lù. Translated, it would mean a deity pointing the way. There were some interesting translations in the early English literature like Deity's pointer, predicting prophet et cetera. The Webmaster chose to translate it as Angel's Pawn initially but has since reverted to simply using the Pawn Opening.

The Pawn opening is, by default, the opening system played by playing P7+1 as the first move. P3+1 is also called the same thing, but the vast majority of opening treatises in China on the topic use P7+1 by default.

Theoretically, if P1+1, P5+1, or P9+1 were played as the first move, these opening moves could also be called the pawn opening, but it is not so. Instead, moving P1+1 is called the One Horned Monster 独角兽, P9+1 the Nine Tailed Tortoise Opening, and P5+1 is called the Vanguard Opening (急先锋 jí xiān fēng). Throughout the years of translation, the Webmaster has only seen the use of 急先锋 to describe P5+1. There were no other articles or dictionaries that defined P5+1. (15)  

Anyway, P5+1 is occasionally seen whereby Red would almost always eventually play the Central Cannon with Central Linked Horses Variation. Together with the Nine-tailed Tortoise and One Horned Monster, these three 'pawn openings' are not considered to be orthodox. The only orthodox pawn opening would be P7+1 or P3+1, and P7+1 is usually given by default. Unfortunately, the ECCO system chose to define the first move as P3+1 by default, and that is why some of the names used in ECCO would contain terms that are mirror images. Hopefully, one day these corrections will be made.

As P7+1 is played, Red would not have revealed his opening formation. He could go for the various variations with the Central Cannon with 7^th Pawn Advancement or even Screen Horse Defense/Sandwiched Horse Defense/Single Horse Defense with 7^th Pawn Advancement variations. It would leave the enemy guessing. The versatility of this Red opening has made it so popular that it has seen major growth in usage in tournaments.

As for Black, there are a few major counters against Red's P7+1:

• C2=3 for the Thundering Cannon Defense or simply Thundering Defense
• P7+1 for Pawn vs. Pawn Opening
• E3+5 (by default) Pawn vs. Elephant Opening
• H8+7 (by default) Pawn vs. Horse Opening

There are other counters like using the Central Cannon or the Golden Hooked Cannons, but the consensus is that they are considered to be unorthodox.

Pawn Opening and its Major Counters

Chinese Name	English Name	ECCO Tag
仙人指路对卒底炮 xiān rén zhǐ lù duì zú dǐ pào	Pawn Opening vs. Thunder Cannon Defense	E10-E17, E20-E27, E30-E38
进兵对起马 jìn bīng duì qǐ mǎ	Pawn vs. Horse Opening	E06-E09
对兵局 duì bīng jú	Pawn vs. Pawn Opening	E40-E48
仙人指路对飞象 xiān rén zhǐlù duì fēi xiàng	Pawn vs. Elephant Opening	E01-E02

By far, the Thundering Defense (1. P7+1 C2=3) is the most commonly seen counter, whereby Black would target Red's P7+1 immediately. However, because C2=3 was played, Black would not be able to develop his right Horse as a proper hose. Hence, it would be impossible for Black to choose to play the Screen Horse Defense or Sandwiched Horse Defense. As a result, Red would often continue with C2=5 as the second move, and the situation on the board would transposition back into the variations of the Central Cannon with 7^th Pawn Advancement. In essence, Black would usually play variations of the Single Horse Defense.

This major variation would be called Pawn Opening with Right Central Cannon vs. Thundering Defense with Left Elephant Counter in Chinese. The Webmaster would like to remind the reader that ECCO has chose to define the first move as P3+1 so that the ECCO definition would become Pawn Opening with Left Central Cannon vs. Thundering Defense with Right Elephant Counter. They are essentially the same thing.

The advancements in Pawn opening have been so great that many treatises and books have appeared over the past few years to discuss it.

 

 

5) Elephant Opening

The Elephant Opening was considered to be inferior in the ancient manuals but was made popular by Grandmaster Hu Ronghua half a century ago. Today, it has become a mainstream opening. It has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years, mainly due to the success of Grandmaster Wang Tianyi using the opening to achieve ridiculous winning percentages.

By playing E3+5, by default, Red would choose to fortify his defenses and adopt a wait and see attitude on how to attack. As it would be impossible for Red to play Central Cannon at this point, Red's attacking formations would include the Screen Horse Defense, the Sandwiched Horse Defense, and also the Single Horse Defense. Compared to the Central Cannon, it is more of a subtle opening.

There are several major counters to the Elephant Opening. The following table is a slightly modified list of Elephant Openings and their counters. (16) 

Elephant Opening and its Major Variations

Chinese Name	English Name	ECCO Tag
飞相对左过宫炮 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ guò gōng pào	Elephant Opening vs. Left Cross Palace Cannon	A30-A34
飞相对右过宫炮 fēi xiàng duì yòu guò gōng pào	Elephant Opening vs. Right Cross Palace Cannon	A35
飞相对右士角炮 fēi xiàng duì yòu shì jiǎo pào	Elephant Opening vs. Right Palcorner Cannon	A21-A26
飞相对左士角炮 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ shì jiǎo pào	Elephant Opening vs. Left Palcorner Cannon	A20
飞相对右正马 fēi xiàng duì yòu zhèng mǎ	Elephant Opening vs. Right Proper Horse	A14-A16
飞相对左正马 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ zhèng mǎ	Elephant Opening vs. Left Proper Horse	A13
顺相局 shùn xiàng jú	Same Direction Elephants	A11
逆相局 nì xiàng jú	Opposite Direction Elephants	A12
飞相对挺7卒 fēi xiàng duì tǐng qī zú	Elephant Opening vs. 7th Pawn Advancement	A37-A38
飞相对挺3卒 fēi xiàng duì tǐng sān zú	Elephant Opening vs. 3rd Pawn Advancement	A39
飞相对右边马 fēi xiàng duì yòu bian mǎ	Elephant Opening vs. Right Edge Horse	A10
飞相对左边马 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ bian mǎ	Elephant Opening vs. Left Edge Horse	A10
飞相对左中炮  fēi xiàng duì zuǒ zhōng pào	Elephant Opening vs. Left Central Cannon	A27-A28
飞相对右中炮  fēi xiàng duì yòu zhōng pào	Elephant Opening vs. Right Central Cannon	A29
飞相对右卒底炮 fēi xiàng duì yòu zú dǐ pào	Elephant Opening vs. Right Thundering Cannon	A10
飞相对左卒底炮 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ zú dǐ pào	Elephant Opening vs. Left Thundering Cannon	A10
飞相对右金钩炮 fēi xiàng duì yòu jīn gōu pào	Elephant Opening vs. Right Golden Hooked Cannon	A10
飞相对金钩炮 fēi xiàng duì zuǒ jīn gōu pào	Elephant Opening vs. Left Golden Hooked Cannon	A10

 

Although there were so many opening systems that were listed one of the treatises on the Elephant Opening, the most commonly seen counters are (random order):

• Left Central Cannon
• Left Cross Palace Cannon
• 7^th Pawn Advancement
• Right Palcorner Cannon.

The beginner is advised to go through these opening systems if they are interested in the Elephant Opening.

 

6) Horse Opening

Although the Horse Opening is considered to be an orthodox opening, it is seldom seen in actual play. The Horse Opening is defined as playing H2+3, by default, as the first move. As Red's opening formation has yet to be defined, Red can transposition into any of the Central Cannon, Screen Horse Defense (as Red), Sandwiched Horse Defense (as Red), Three Step Tiger, Cross Palace Cannon et cetera and other less commonly seen opening formations. It would give the Horse Opening very much versatility.

As for Black, since Red played H2+3 and he had not defined his attacking formation, Black would most often counter with P7+1 to limit the development of the Red Horse. Black would then counter Red's attacking formation accordingly. Most of the resultant attacking and defensive formations would be transpositioned any one of the major opening systems listed above in this article.

Generally speaking, this opening is very subtle, and it would be more of a test on the player's skill in the midgame and endgame phase.

The following is a list of the contents of a rare treatise on the topic of the Horse Opening. The Webmaster has made some slight modifications. (17)

Horse Opening and its Major Counters

Chinese Name	English Name	ECCO Tag
进马对挺7卒 jìn mǎ duì tǐng qī zú	Horse Opening vs. 7th Pawn Advancement	A41-A44
进马对挺3卒 jìn mǎ duì tǐng sān zú	Horse Opening vs. 3rd Pawn Advancement	A40
进马对进马 jìn mǎ duì jìn mǎ	Horse vs. Horse Opening	A40
进马对飞左象 jìn mǎ duì fēi zuǒ xiàng	Horse Opening vs. Left Elephant	A40
进马对飞右象 jìn mǎ duì fēi yòu xiàng	Horse Opening vs. Right Elephant	A40
进马对左中炮 jìn mǎ duì zuǒ zhōng pào	Horse Opening vs. Left Central Cannon	A40
进马对右中炮 jìn mǎ duì yòu zhōng pào	Horse Opening vs. Right Central Cannon	A40
进马对金钩炮 jìn mǎ duì jīn gōu pào	Horse Opening vs. Left Golden Hook Cannons Note: There were no Right Golden Hook Cannons in the treatise.	A40
进马对右过宫炮 jìn mǎ duì yòu guò gōng pào	Horse Opening vs. Right Cross Palace Cannon	A40
进马对左过宫炮 jìn mǎ duì zuǒ guò gōng pào	Horse Opening vs. Left Cross Palace Cannon	A40
进马对左卒底炮 jìn mǎ duì zú dǐ pào	Horse Opening vs. Left Thundering Cannon Note: There was no Right Thundering Cannon in the treatise.	A40

 

As can be seen from the ECCO tags, the Horse vs. 7^th Pawn Advancement opening would account for nearly all of the important variations in this opening system. Red would adopt the Screen Horse/Single Horse/Sandwiched Horse/Three Step Tiger formation as Red.

 

 

 

References

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2. —. 当代中国象棋开局的发展趋势(图表). 象棋百科全书网 (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). [Online] Jan 2005. [Cited: Aug 7, 2020.] http://www.xqbase.com/ecco/opentrend.htm.

3. 刘, 殿中. 象棋新编课程 象棋布局精要. 北京 : 北京体育大学出版社, 2000. 7-81051-486-5/G.416.

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8. 王, 贵龙. 象棋名词术语手册. 呼和浩特 : 远方出版社, 2000. 7-80595-652-9.

9. 屠, 景明 and 杨, 柏伟. 象棋词典. 上海 : 上海文华出版社, 2009. 978-7-80740-339-5/G。475.

10. 胡, 荣华. 夹炮屏风 反宫马布局研究. Hong Kong and Singapore : 香港业余象棋协会 新加坡北斗象棋研究会, 1983.

11. 董, 志新. 单提马横车集. 北京 : 人民体育出版社, 1986. 7015.2319.

12. —. 中炮对单提马. 成都 : 蜀蓉棋艺出版社, 1997. 7-80548-544-5/G.545.

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15. 象棋博弈大師. 中國象棋開局布陣23步妙著走法，大開眼界，收藏學習了. 每日頭條. [Online] Aug 28, 2018. [Cited: Aug 9, 2020.] https://kknews.cc/news/e3rvo8z.html.

16. 金, 启昌, 刘, 海亭 and 阳, 辅. 现在布局丛书 飞相局. 成都 : 蜀蓉棋艺出版社, 1998. 7-80548-583-6/G.584.

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18. 上下講棋. 中國象棋各種布局特點（中）篇. 每日頭條. [Online] Dec 12, 2016. [Cited: Aug 5, 2020.] https://kknews.cc/news/l8qmbj9.html.

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