---
title: Janggi
slug: janggi
board: "9×10"
players: "2"
parent: xiangqi
win: "Checkmate the opponent's General"
special: Cannon must jump to both move and capture. No river. Bikjang draw rule. Passing always legal.
engine:
  topology:
    type: grid
    rows: 10
    cols: 9
  players: [red, black]
  setup: "rhea1aehr/4k4/1c5c1/p1p1p1p1p/9/9/P1P1P1P1P/1C5C1/4K4/RHEA1AEHR"
---

## Janggi (Korean Chess)

Janggi (장기) is the Korean form of chess, descended from the same historical lineage as Xiangqi but evolved independently into a distinct game. Key differences include no river, a different Elephant movement path, and a Cannon that must jump a screen piece to both move and capture. Ancient public domain origin: no copyright concern.

{{svg:janggi-board.svg "Janggi — starting position (inner elephant setup)"}}

### The Board

The board is a 9×10 grid. Pieces are placed on the 90 intersection points. There is no river. Each side has a **palace**: a 3×3 area marked with diagonal lines (files d–f, ranks 1–3 for the bottom player; files d–f, ranks 8–10 for the top player). The General starts at the centre of the palace.

### Pieces

Each side has 16 pieces.

| Piece | Korean/Chinese | Count | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 將/帥 | 1 | One step orthogonally or diagonally within the 3×3 palace |
| Advisor | 士 | 2 | Same as the General: one step orthogonally or diagonally within the palace |
| Elephant | 象 | 2 | One step orthogonally, then two steps diagonally outward. Blocked if any intermediate point is occupied |
| Horse | 馬 | 2 | One step orthogonally, then one step diagonally outward. Blocked if the first orthogonal step is occupied |
| Chariot | 車 | 2 | Slides any number of points orthogonally. May also move along the palace diagonal lines |
| Cannon | 砲 | 2 | Must jump over exactly one non-Cannon piece to both **move** and **capture**. Cannot jump over another Cannon or use a Cannon as its screen |
| Soldier | 卒/兵 | 5 | One step forward or one step sideways, from the very start of the game |

**Key differences from Standard Xiangqi:**

- No river: Elephants may move anywhere on the board
- Soldiers move sideways from the very start (no river-crossing promotion)
- Elephant follows a longer path: one orthogonal step, then two diagonal steps outward
- General and Advisor can move diagonally within the palace (along the palace diagonal lines)
- Cannon must jump to both move and capture (in Xiangqi, the Cannon moves freely and only jumps when capturing)
- Cannon cannot jump another Cannon or use a Cannon as its screen

### Byunsu: Choosing the Starting Position

Before play begins, each player independently chooses the arrangement of their Horses and Elephants. Four configurations exist per side:

| Left side | Right side | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Horse, Elephant | Horse, Elephant | Inner Elephants (most common) |
| Elephant, Horse | Horse, Elephant | Left Elephant out |
| Horse, Elephant | Elephant, Horse | Right Elephant out |
| Elephant, Horse | Elephant, Horse | Outer Elephants |

Han (Red) places their pieces first, then Cho (Blue) places second, giving Cho the strategic advantage of responding to Han's configuration. Cho moves first.

**Fixed starting positions (inner elephant configuration shown in diagram):**

- **Chariots:** a1, i1 (Han: a10, i10)
- **Guards:** d1, f1 (Han: d10, f10)
- **General:** e1 (Han: e10)
- **Cannons:** b2, h2 (Han: b9, h9)
- **Soldiers:** a3, c3, e3, g3, i3 (Han: a8, c8, e8, g8, i8)

Horse and Elephant positions at b1, c1, g1, h1 (Han: b10, c10, g10, h10) vary by chosen configuration.

### Special Rules

**Bikjang (laughing generals):** when both Generals face each other on the same open file with no intervening piece, the player to move has two choices: make a move that breaks bikjang (move the General or interpose a piece), or pass their turn, which ends the game immediately as a draw.

**Passing:** a player may always legally pass their turn. Because passing is always available, stalemate is impossible in Janggi.

**Bikjang and check simultaneously:** when bikjang and check occur at the same time, bikjang takes priority.

### Tournament Material Counting

In tournaments that do not permit draws, when bikjang is reached the remaining pieces are counted by value to determine the winner:

| Piece | Value (jeom) |
|---|---|
| Chariot | 13 |
| Cannon | 7 |
| Horse | 5 |
| Elephant | 3 |
| Guard | 3 |
| Soldier | 2 |
| General | not counted |

Han (Red) receives 1.5 bonus points (deom) because Cho (Blue) moves first. The 0.5 point prevents ties. The player with the higher total wins.

### Winning

Checkmate the opponent's General: place it under threat with no legal move to escape.

### Attribution

Janggi (장기). Public domain. Traditional Korean origin, ancient derivation from Xiangqi. Rules consistent with the Korean Janggi Association standard.