📜 How to Play Janggi (Rules & Movement)

  • No River: Unlike Chinese Xiangqi, the Janggi board does not have a central river. Both sides can roam freely across the entire board.
  • King (漢 Han / 楚 Cho): Starts directly at the center of the palace (3×3 fortress). Moves along the orthogonal and diagonal lines of the palace.
  • Guards (士 Sa): Follow the King's movement strictly inside the palace along both orthogonal and diagonal pathways.
  • Roving Elephants (象 Sang): Move 1 step orthogonally, then 2 steps diagonally outward (a 2×3 jump). Both intermediate intersections must be empty! Unlike Xiangqi, Janggi elephants cross deep into enemy territory as terrifying offensive weapons.
  • Horses (馬 Ma): Move 1 orthogonal + 1 diagonal step (L-shape). Blocked if an adjacent orthogonal point is occupied.
  • Cannons (包 Po): Move and capture by jumping over exactly one intervening piece. Unique Janggi Canon Rules: Cannons cannot jump over another cannon, cannot capture another cannon, and can move diagonally along the palace diagonal tracks!
  • Soldiers (卒 Jol / 兵 Byeong): Move 1 step forward or 1 step sideways from the very first turn. Soldiers can also follow diagonal palace tracks!
  • Passing (한수 쉼): If a player has no advantageous moves, they may legally pass their turn!

🏛️ History & Cultural Heritage of Janggi

Janggi (장기) evolved in Korea during the Three Kingdoms period and reached its peak in the Joseon Dynasty. Traditional Korean literature and folk paintings (Minhwa) frequently depict village elders engrossed in spirited Janggi matches beneath shade trees or in traditional sarangbang rooms.

While sharing ancestral roots with Chinese Xiangqi, Janggi reflects distinct Korean tactical warfare traditions: fierce palace-interior skirmishes, flexible board-wide elephant cavalry raids, and pragmatic tactical turn-passing.

💡 Janggi Tactical Wisdom

1. Utilize the Palace Diagonals Both your King, Guards, Soldiers, and even Chariots and Cannons can utilize the diagonal tracks inside both palaces for surprise cross-angle strikes!
2. Unleash the Elephants Early Janggi elephants are long-range offensive behemoths. Infiltrate enemy lines along the outer flanks to demolish enemy chariot lines.
3. Never Cannon on Cannon Keep in mind that cannons are completely impotent against each other. Never rely on a cannon to jump over another cannon.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Cho (楚) and Han (漢)?
Cho (Green/Blue) represents the kingdom of Chu and traditionally moves first. Han (Red) represents Han and moves second.
What happens if both players pass repeatedly?
If both players pass consecutively, the match enters a score assessment (Jeomsuje) based on piece values or ends in a mutual draw.