THE CHINESE GAME OF CHESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13651, 21 July 1906, Page 7

THE CHINESE GAME OF CHESS

Though the game of chess owes its origin to the natives of India, there is a similar game played among the Celestials which resembles it closely, and has been in vogue among them from time immemorial. There is a striking difference between the games, both in the appearance of the board and the manner of the play. The pieces also are entirely dissimilar in shape. Beautiful carved ivory chessmen have for many ycais been brought West by visitors to China, but these are not used in their own game. Tho chess men used by the Chinese in their game resemble our draughts men in shape, the difference between each piece being a word engraved upon each. Their board, UUo ours, has sixty-four squares, but the men. are placed upon the'intersections of the lines, and not on the squares formed (hereby. The two halves of tlio board are divided by a space called the "river," which certain pieces are prohibited from crossing. Like our game, the number of pieces.is sixteen, but tho order of arrangement is somewhat different.

The pieces answering to our pawns aro called soldiers. These are allowed lo advance in a straight line only til! they have crossed the enemy's river into the. enemy's country. Then they move like our castles, but only one square at a time. They are permitted lo capture pieces only in a straight, line. Tlio cannons are their support. These pieces are exactly equivalent, to our caslles. They may cross the. liver, and are allowed to capture anything in their lino of march. The chariots possess the same power as the cannon. The horses are equivalent to our knights, except that in moving they are blocked if anything stands on the original angio which must be passed in the move. Tho horses may also cross the river. Tho elephant, which takes the place of our bishop, can move diagonally, but onlytwo squares at a tims. Still more limited are tho powers of the king ami the attendant scholars. They are strictly confined to tho four squares which constitute the citadel, against which all the attacks are directed. The king cannot be taken, and can move but one square at a time. A piece must be interposed or the king removed when checked. A failure to do this is checkmate. The scholar can move onlv on the diagonal lines. There is much of the "fox and geese" about this game, but in view of its great antiquity and tho almost positive conclusion that it owes nothing to outside influence, tlj|) similarity it bears to tho Western game is at leastcarious.