---
title: Xiangqi 42
slug: xiangqi-42
board: 7×6
players: 2
parent: xiangqi
win: Checkmate the General (standard Xiangqi win conditions)
special: "Compact Xiangqi on a 7×6 grid (42 intersections). No river, no Elephants — fast tactical play on a minimal board."
engine:
  topology:
    type: grid
    rows: 6
    cols: 7
  players: [red, black]
  setup: "rhakahr/1c3c1/p2p2p/P2P2P/1C3C1/RHAKAHR"
  render:
    cellSize: 40
---

## Overview

{{svg:xiangqi-42-board.svg "Xiangqi 42 — starting position"}}

Xiangqi 42 is a compact Xiangqi variant designed by Robert Price and entered in the Chess Variant Pages 42-Squares Contest (2001). The board has exactly 42 occupiable positions — 7 files × 6 ranks = 42 intersections — giving the game its name.

All standard Xiangqi rules apply with the modifications listed below.

## Board and Setup

Played on a 7-line × 6-line grid (files a–g, ranks 1–6). Pieces are placed on intersections. There is no river (the board is too small to include one). Each player controls 3 ranks of home territory.

**White (ranks 1–3):**
- Rank 1: Chariot(a1) Horse(b1) Guard(c1) General(d1) Guard(e1) Horse(f1) Chariot(g1)
- Rank 2: Cannon(b2) Cannon(f2)
- Rank 3: Soldier(a3) Soldier(d3) Soldier(g3)

**Black (ranks 4–6):**
- Rank 6: Chariot(a6) Horse(b6) Guard(c6) General(d6) Guard(e6) Horse(f6) Chariot(g6)
- Rank 5: Cannon(b5) Cannon(f5)
- Rank 4: Soldier(a4) Soldier(d4) Soldier(g4)

**Elephants (Ministers) are not used.** The back rank is Chariot–Horse–Guard–General–Guard–Horse–Chariot across all 7 files. Cannons are placed directly in front of the Horses. Soldiers occupy the leftmost, rightmost, and center files.

## Rules

All standard Xiangqi rules apply:

- **Piece movement:** Chariot, Horse, Cannon, Soldier, Guard, and General all move exactly as in standard Xiangqi.
- **Palace:** The General and Guards are confined to the 3×2 palace — files c–e, ranks 1–2 for White; files c–e, ranks 5–6 for Black.
- **Flying General rule:** Generals may not face each other along an open file with no intervening piece.
- **No river:** All river-based restrictions are removed. Soldiers may move sideways from rank 1 (their starting rank); Horses and Chariots have no river-crossing restrictions; Cannons work identically regardless of position on the board.
- **No Elephant:** Elephants (Ministers) are absent from the game.
- **Stalemate:** The stalemated player loses (standard Xiangqi rule).

**Special opening rule:** Red (White) may not capture Black's central Soldier (d4) on the first move.

## Win Condition

Checkmate the opponent's General. Standard Xiangqi win and draw conditions apply.

## Attribution

Xiangqi 42 was invented by Robert Price as an entry in the Chess Variant Pages 42-squares contest. WWW page created October 17, 2001. Rules documented from chessvariants.com/42.dir/xiangqi42.html.