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[DhtmlXQ_adddate]2026-06-20 02:43:57[/DhtmlXQ_adddate]
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[DhtmlXQ_title]001-op-ldz-c010101-General-introduction[/DhtmlXQ_title]
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[DhtmlXQ_remark]GM Liu DianZhong[/DhtmlXQ_remark]
[DhtmlXQ_author]jim xqinenglish[/DhtmlXQ_author]
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[DhtmlXQ_comment0]Tổn luồi ||||Jim: GM Liu DianZhong has authored a series of 5 books which he feels are essentials to learn in XiangQi. I think it can be quite daunting for even intermediate players but the contents of the books are of the highest quality and everybody, new or old would be able to learn something.||In his series of books, book two is concerned with opening theory.||He starts the book off with some basic background knowledge and do's and don't before introducing the opening systems one by one. ||PS: This were the moves given in GM Hu RongHua's classic on the Sandwiched Horse Defense. In this board, he discusses why the traditional SAH was faulty. His comments will be intertwined with the opening section from GM Liu's book.||||Chapter 1: How to master the opening||Section 1: Basic Principles of XiangQi opening theory.[/DhtmlXQ_comment0]
[DhtmlXQ_comment1]Section 1: Basic Principles of XiangQi opening theory.||1a. General Introduction||Many people have described XiangQi as a miniature game of war, and believe that it had been derived in ancient times from war itself.||Every game of XiangQi has its preparation stage, contact (where the troops fight head on) stage and ending stage.||For purposes of study and analysis, XiangQi players and analysts alike have divided the game into three sections: the opening, the midgame and the endgame.||The opening stage of the game is the preparatory stage of the game and has an immediate effect on the midgame, which comes after the opening. A bad opening could cost the game even in the midgame. ||Many regard the opening as the fundamental stage in the game. Therefore, even beginners new to the game, players with a definite level of skill or XiangQi experts who make their living out of the game, all view the opening as one of the most important things in the game itself.[/DhtmlXQ_comment1]
[DhtmlXQ_comment2]1b. General Intoduction||||In the opening stage, both players start the game with a pre-determined strategy and plan, adjusting as necessary as the game progresses. Once stationary chess pieces are slowly moved and deployed so that the entire army makes substantial functional improvements. Important positions are contested. The ability to knit these individual moves seamlessly into one big functional unit is very important as the troops go head on in the midgame. Whether you continue to attack incessantly or take the necessary precautionary defensive measures in midgame are very much dependent on what you do in the opening.[/DhtmlXQ_comment2]
[DhtmlXQ_comment3]1c. General Intoduction||||Therefore, the goals of the opening can be simply summarised in the following:||1) proactive maneuvering of the chess pieces (increase efficiency)||2) take control of the important positions on the board||3) have a stable and solid formation||4) prevent the opponent from achieving the above mentioned goals.||It is inevitable after maneuvering of the pieces that clashes will occur, which is why it is KEY to try to achieve control of the game. This is often repeated with the phrase "爭奪先手" or controlling the lead in the game".[/DhtmlXQ_comment3]
[DhtmlXQ_comment4]2a. What is encompassed in the study of openings||||The first move played starts the opening. And the end of the opening marks the beginning of the midgame. Unfortunately, there are no clear boundaries or rules to mark the transition of the opening to the midgame. This is because there are so many different types of opening and so many variations in XiangQi such that the degree of complexity is different in all of them. Because of this complexity, it would be impractical to assign an arbitrary move to denote the end of the opening.||However, it is generally accepted that after 10-15 moves by each side, the opening is generally toward the end and would mark the beginning of the midgame.[/DhtmlXQ_comment4]
[DhtmlXQ_comment5]2b. What is encompassed in the study of openings||||How do you judge if an opening stage is finished or near its end? There are 4 key points to note:||1) Both players would have played or developed their major pieces (cannon, horse and chariot) out, and the chariot would have moved at least 2-3 times.||2) The basic formation is basically set. For example, one side would have chosen the pawn ranked chariot, the rib filed chariot , and the cannon, horses, pawns, advisors and elephants have all been moved to specific positions and have formed a definite formation.||3) Both sides would have more or less shown their intentions for attack and defense and also started to counter each other's opening precisely.||4) Chess pieces from both sides have started to make contact.||These four key points are a good guide to determine if the game has entered the final stages of the opening or is already the start of the midgame.[/DhtmlXQ_comment5]
[DhtmlXQ_comment6]2c. What is encompassed in the study of openings||||There are many things to study in the opening. Many theories to explore and many tactics to master. ||The study of opening technique has reached new heights in modern day Xiangqi. There are two main reasons for this phenomena.||First and foremost, very popular (past and present) or currently very fashionable openings have been played by so many people over time to such an extent that that basic formations or patterns can be distinguished and identified. When these patterns or formations emerge, one can focus solely on these formations or variations for intensive and systematic study, thereby greatly increasing the depth and scope of that particular opening/variation. This has been one of the major breakthroughs in the study of opening theory. (Jim: this would be equivalent to tabia in international chess.)[/DhtmlXQ_comment6]
[DhtmlXQ_comment7]2d. What is encompassed in the study of openings||||The second reason is that for less commonly played openings, the room for improvement or study is much greater. There is a higher potential for finding new important variations. That is why there are still many players who would try to improve on these less played openings and their collective effort have breathed life into them. Sometimes the same variation would be given much new life just by the the appearance of a new subvariation.||That is why the study of openings in XiangQi has exploded in the past few decades. Many new variations and opening systems have been found and discussed. The depth and scope of these openings have also greatly increased.[/DhtmlXQ_comment7]
[DhtmlXQ_comment8]3a. Classification of openings in XiangQi||||The first move has perhaps the greatest impact on one's game. XiangQi openings are basically categorized according to what Red makes for the first move. In general, there are four main opening moves for red:||the cannon (C2=5 mostly)||the horse (H2+3 mostly)||the pawn (P7+1/P3+1 mostly)||and the elephant (E3+5 mostly).||||GM Hu: playing the elephant and advisor was quite passive and was a mark of the older forms of the Sandwiched Horse Defense. This often led to situations whereby black would be on the receiving end of things.。[/DhtmlXQ_comment8]
[DhtmlXQ_comment9]3b. Classification of openings in XiangQi||||As red starts the game by default, he has the choice to choose the opening, and he would usually play one of the above mentioned moves.||Black counters red's opening for his first move and that would be known as black's counter. Commonly played counters would include the Screen Horse Defense, Same Direction Cannons, Sandwiched Horse Defense, Single Horse Defense for red's central cannon opening. If red chose to start the game with the pawn opening, the Thundering Cannon Cannon, Elephant, Horse, Cross Palace Cannon or Pawn counter etc would be used.||The openings can be further subclassified according the major subvariations. For example, the Central Cannon vs Screen Horse Defense opening system, can be further subclassified into Central Cannon with 7th Pawn Advancement vs Screen Horse Defense, Central Cannon with 3rd Pawn Advancement vs Screen horse defense etc[/DhtmlXQ_comment9]
[DhtmlXQ_comment10]3c. Classification of openings in XiangQi||||Further classification of these subvariations would lead to the various openings that we use today. For example, one of the most commonly played openings would be the Central Cannon with 7th Pawn Advancement with Pawn Ranked Chariot vs the Screen Horse Defense with 7th Pawn Advancement with Edge Cannon for Chariot Exchange variation. ||Another commonly played opening would be the 57 Cannons vs Screen Horse Defense with 7th Pawn Advancement etc...[/DhtmlXQ_comment10]
[DhtmlXQ_comment11]3d. Classification of openings in XiangQi||||In view of these innate differences, some Xq players have chosen to classify different openings according to their character. ||For example, many Xq players have chosen to categorize openings using some or all of the following terms:||a) rapid attack opening 急攻型||b) slow attack opening 緩攻型||c) bilateral attack opening 對攻型||d) steadfast opening 穩健型||e) trendy opening 新潮型||f) rare openings 冷門型||g) popular opening 流行型||h) scattered opening 散手型. ||Jim: Actually, there were many more descriptive words/phrases to describe openings by their character than the above mentioned ones. ||For example, 防禦型開局 = defensive opening , 反彈型開局 = Rebound Opening (an opening whereby it is defensive at first but quickly takes on a more offensive stance, eg sandwiched horse defense), 對稱型 = symmetrical opening, 內線布局 = closed door opening ( an opening whereby you do not attack at first, but sets up your opening and wait for the opponent's chess pieces to come into your territory before you use various tactics to skin them alive.).[/DhtmlXQ_comment11]
[DhtmlXQ_comment12]3e. Classification of openings in XiangQi||||Openings are described in such a manner for subjective reasons. Some openings are classified so because a certain critical move would force the game into a specific direction or have an effect on the pace of the game. To distinguish these characteristics, they would be labeled thus.||However, as play progresses, the character of the opening would change so it could be a combination of the above few. So, this classification would also have its flaws and it is up to the reader to discern which classification is best. ||Lastly, there is another classification system which is more concerned with a particular player's habits in playing a particular opening. It has its practical advantages and is very very precise.||||Jim: For example, the games that GM Hu RongHua played can be categorized as his habits of playing the opening. They have been studied to such an extent that many later opening systems were developed, targetted at his way of play. Opening repertoire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_chess#O) would be the international chess equivalent.[/DhtmlXQ_comment12]
[DhtmlXQ_comment13]3f. Classification of openings in XiangQi||Jim: Lastly, there is a classification system that is more systematic thus far: the ECCO system. ECCO is the acronym for Encyclopedia of Chinese Chess Openings, which was made based on the ECO system for international chess. This classification has yet to caught on but at least I am using it for my site. ||||GM Hu: By sacrificing the central pawn, red chooses to advance his chariot to the opponent's pawn rank, which would complement his attack by the horse and cannon on the central file.||This is the key thinking in red's opening.||As can be seen, red has achieved his pre-set goals and can be judged as successful in his opening.[/DhtmlXQ_comment13]
[DhtmlXQ_comment14]4. A brief history of XiangQi openings||||The history of XiangQi openings is basically the same as the history of XiangQi itself. It can be simply divided into three eras.||||A) the infant stage||In the late Northern Song dynasty, XiangQi finally took to its current form. From this period of time till the late Ming Dynasty, the main opening for red was the central cannon. "The 18 variations of the Golden Roc" or <<金鵬十八變>> (later to be collected and assimilated into <<適情雅趣>> or "An Elegant Pastime Manual" as it is known on my site) basically evolved around the same direction cannons (ranked chariot vs filed chariot, filed chariot vs ranked chariot), and the big and small variations of the opposite direction cannons. Both were basically central cannon openings in essence. There were also limited discussion on the central cannon vs the single horse defense, the central cannon vs the elephant eyed horse 中炮對轉角馬, the horse opening vs the central cannon, the elephant vs the central cannon etc.||The general conclusion was that the central cannon was invincible, both as a red and black opening. Indeed, a verse from a poem was as such: "起炮在中宮,比諸局較雄" (loosely translated would be " Placing the cannon at the center to start the game would be better than most other moves"). ||At this stage, the study of openings were more concerned with checkmate technique and simple tactics. It was quite primitive and simple by today's standards.[/DhtmlXQ_comment14]
[DhtmlXQ_comment15]4. A brief history of XiangQi openings||||B) the developmental stage||||This stage can be said to have started in the Qing dynasty and ended before the founding of modern day China in the 1950's. The battle of XiangQi was now focused on the central cannon vs the screen horse defense. There was supporters for each opening and their argument went back and forth for centuries. The most influential book on this opening was Wang ZaiYue's Plum Flower Manual (<<沒花譜>> 清 王再越), which was the first major publication to show that the screen horse defense was able to defeat the mighty central cannon. Although the cc vs sch opening was the most often discussed opening, it also spurned interest in other openings.||By this time, the level of play of XiangQi had greatly improved, and coupled with the innate characteristics of the screen horse defense, tactical play was more favored and complex variations soon appeared. One of the most striking difference was that instead of checkmate kills, play became more subtle and defensive, unlike the aggressive nature of the Ming dynasty manuals.||Toward the late Qing dynasty (last 19th century to 1930's), professional XiangQi players started to appear and this had a profound impact on XiangQi. The records of the games that they had played could attest to this. During the publications around this period, it could be seen that there were newer forms of central cannon vs screen horse defense which would serve as the basics of today's openings. The depth of these openings were greatly increased too. ||The foundations for the study of XiangQi openings were now firmly laid.[/DhtmlXQ_comment15]
[DhtmlXQ_comment16]4. A brief history of XiangQi openings||||C) Prosperous stage||After China was unified, the Sports Department of the People's Republic of China listed XiangQi as an official sporting event and organized annual championships. This pushed XiangQi to new heights.||Growing from the foundations laid in the previous stage, XiangQi players and analysts alike pumped in more effort, breathing more life into the openings. Variation and subvariations appeared one after another and they also became much more exquisite.||Although the central cannon vs screen horse defense opening was still the main opening played, the same direction cannons, the opposited direction cannons, the sandwiched horse defense, the three step tiger, the pawn opening, the elephant opening, the horse opening etc had their place in competition and often set trends at one time or another. There is a sense of excitement and vibrancy as many new worlds were opened.||In this era, the emphasis was on the rules and theory of the openings. After much effort from professionals and amateurs alike, there was an explosion in the volume of XiangQi openings. Substantial advancements were also seen in basic opening tenets and the study of XiangQi openings was more scientifically oriented and practical.[/DhtmlXQ_comment16]
[DhtmlXQ_comment17]5a. XiangQi Opening Strategies||||In XiangQi, strategy 戰略 refers to the plan you start your game with. ||XiangQi has its origins in ancient wars, and that is why XiangQi strategy has so many similarities to actual warfare.||In the ancient times, Sun Tzu's Art of War was perhaps the best book ever published to demonstrate the strategy of XiangQi. ||For example, "先為不可勝,以待敵之可勝" , "利於不敗之地,而不失敵之敗也", "不戰而屈人之兵", "必以全爭於天下,故兵不頓而利可全","故上兵伐謀" etc ...||( Jim: sorry, out of my league...I know what they mean but just cannot translate it well enough so that the gist is not lost ...). All these simple, yet brilliant military strategems, still guide players in XiangQi today.[/DhtmlXQ_comment17]
[DhtmlXQ_comment18]Jim: Take a break and let's return to the game.||||Black is forced to protect the pawn. Click on the variation below to see what would happen.[/DhtmlXQ_comment18]
[DhtmlXQ_comment19]5b. XiangQi Opening Strategies||In a nutshell, the main strategy in XiangQi is to preserve oneself long enough for the chance to defeat your opponent to appear"保存自己,力爭勝敵". It is the ultimate goal to achieve.||Protecting and preserving yourself is to prevent your opponent from winning and is a pre-requisite of winning your opponent. And the best way to preserve yourself would be to win! They may sound contradictory but they are each side of the coin. ||In the evolution of XiangQi openings, especially in its current stage, the concept of the whole game is deeply embedded in modern day players. ||Beginners should start their journey of XiangQi with this in mind.[/DhtmlXQ_comment19]
[DhtmlXQ_comment20]5c. XiangQi Opening Strategies||||At the same time, we advocate "being aggressive" as being part of the strategy for beginners. Try not to give up on any tiny chance of winning the game. This is especially important for the young beginner as it would bestow courage and dispel the fear of losing and instil the determination to win. ||In this way, whether you are attacking aggressively or playing exquisitely in stand-offs, you will gain much both tactically and pyschologically. The foundations laid here will pay dividends.[/DhtmlXQ_comment20]
[DhtmlXQ_comment21]5d. XiangQi Opening Strategies||||Strategical thinking in XiangQi is the ultimate guide to lead you through the game, and is a reflection of the rules and patterns of the game. ||Strategy should always take precedence over tactics or the various ways that one can win. Strategy is adaptive and thus would bestow longevity to your game.||In another words, strategy would determine what tactics to use and the tactics employed should follow the general strategic considerations.||As the opening is but one section of a game of XiangQi, study of XiangQi opening strategy is more of theoretical discipline. ||Jim: Whew...the end....||The GM follows this wordy section with clear concise examples of theory and practical examples.||Back to the board...[/DhtmlXQ_comment21]
[DhtmlXQ_comment22]If black did not advance the pawn, red would simply play H7+5 and black would still be in deep trouble.[/DhtmlXQ_comment22]
[DhtmlXQ_comment25]At this point in the game, red's chess pieces are very active with much room to maneuver.[/DhtmlXQ_comment25]
[DhtmlXQ_comment27]And all of red's pieces are well developed with much space to move.[/DhtmlXQ_comment27]
[DhtmlXQ_comment1_29]And red would notbe far away from victory.[/DhtmlXQ_comment1_29]
[DhtmlXQ_comment2_21]And red would be prepared to move H8+7 or C8+1 ...etc. There would be many options for red to choose from. It is clear that red has the obvious advantage.[/DhtmlXQ_comment2_21]
[DhtmlXQ_comment3_19]no no no![/DhtmlXQ_comment3_19]
[DhtmlXQ_comment3_22]And red would be in deep trouble instead![/DhtmlXQ_comment3_22]
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