📐 Dark Chess Starting Setup (32 Face-Down Tiles)
Dark Chess (Banqi 暗棋) is played on half of a Xiangqi board (4x8 grid). All 32 Xiangqi pieces are shuffled face-down at the start!
🎴 Turn 1: Flip or Move
On your turn, you can either FLIP a face-down tile or MOVE/CAPTURE with a face-up piece of your color.
🎨 Color Assignment
The first face-down piece flipped determines your color for the rest of the game!
🧩 Dark Chess Piece Hierarchy (Rank Order)
Higher rank pieces capture lower rank pieces. But beware the Soldier's unique immunity!
General (帥 Shuài / 將 Jiàng) - Rank 1
Highest Rank PieceGeneral captures ALL pieces EXCEPT the enemy Soldier (兵/卒)!
Soldier Beats General (兵剋帥)
The lowest rank Soldier (兵/卒) CAN capture the highest rank General (帥/將)! This circular rock-paper-scissors mechanic makes endgames extremely strategic.
📜 Common Questions & Special Mechanics
How does the Cannon (炮/包) move and capture in Dark Chess?
When moving to an empty square, Cannon moves 1 square orthogonally. But to CAPTURE, Cannon can jump over EXACTLY ONE piece (face-up or face-down) at ANY distance along a straight line!
Can a Cannon capture a General?
Yes! When capturing via a Screen jump, Cannon can capture ANY piece regardless of rank, including the General!
Can pieces move backward in Dark Chess?
Yes! All pieces (including Soldiers) can move 1 step orthogonally in all 4 directions (up, down, left, right) on the 4x8 grid.
⚡ Hidden Information Tactics
🕵️ Safe Tile Flipping
Flip face-down tiles adjacent to your own high-rank pieces so you can immediately capture any enemy piece revealed!
💣 Cannon Screen Traps
Set up Cannon jump lines across unrevealed tiles to surprise and sniper opponent pieces across the board.