"Chinese Chess for the casual and curious"
Welcome to the home of Qianhong Xiangqi, my freeware Chinese Chess game for Windows.
The name Qianhong ("chyen hOng") means "Light Red". It is a play on the name of IBM's "Deep Blue" Chess computer and refers to this program's weak computer AI.
Although the built-in AI is weak, this game allows separate AI engines to be "plugged in". This lets you combine stronger AI engines with some of this program's nicer features: stylish graphics; a simple, intuitive user interface; and standard Chinese Chess file support. Qianhong also allows you to play against other players via peer-to-peer networking.
This may not be your typical Xiangqi software; it has slowly evolved since mid 2001 (and has been a guinea pig for various programming experiments). Since other Chinese Chess programs are usually more sophisticated (and expensive), I would call this game "Chinese Chess for the casual and curious."
What is Xiangqi?
 Xiangqi, or Chinese Chess,
is one of the oldest and most popular board games in the world.
Both Xiangqi and International Chess evolved from the original chess game of India called Chanturanga.
The name Xiangqi ("shEang chE") is Mandarin for "Elephant Chess" or "Picture Game",
depending on how you interpret it.
Chinese Chess uses pieces similar to those of International Chess. However, the variations
in the pieces, their movements, and the board layout make Xiangqi an exciting and challenging
alternative to its cousin.
Site last updated: December 31, 2007
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