Xiangqi is played on a 9x10 board divided by a river. Red moves first. Each piece has unique movement rules: the General (G) stays in its palace; Advisors (A) move diagonally within the palace; Elephants (E) leap two squares diagonally but cannot cross the river; Horses (H) move one orthogonal then one diagonal and can be blocked; Chariots (R) slide any distance orthogonally; Cannons (C) move like Chariots but capture only by jumping over exactly one piece; Soldiers (S) advance one step, and after crossing the river can also move sideways. The two Generals can never face each other on an open file. The player who leaves their opponent with no legal moves wins. Stalemate is a loss, not a draw.