Elephant
象 / 相 · xiàng
A defensive piece that moves exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and can be blocked by a piece sitting in the middle of its path.
The Elephant jumps two points diagonally, landing on the far corner of a two by two square. If the point in the centre of that path is occupied by anything, the move is illegal. That midpoint is called the elephant's eye, and blocking it is a standard way to freeze a defender.
Elephants never cross the river, so they defend and nothing else. Two Elephants covering each other are a solid shield against cannons, which is why a position with both Elephants intact is much harder to break than one that has lost a single Elephant.
In practice
An Elephant that has lost its partner is much weaker than half of two Elephants. If you are going to trade one, work out first whether the other still has anything to defend.
Related terms
- Elephant's eye象眼The midpoint of an Elephant's two step diagonal move; a piece standing there makes the move illegal.
- Advisor士 / 仕A short range defender that moves one point diagonally and never leaves the palace, protecting the General from cannons and chariots.
- River楚河汉界The empty band across the middle of a xiangqi board that separates the two armies and changes what your pieces can do once they cross it.
- Cannon炮 / 砲A piece that moves like a chariot but can only capture by jumping exactly one piece, called the screen, on its way to the target.