The enemy palace is where every Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng) game is won. Learn how to strip Advisors and Elephants, exploit the flying-general rule, and coordinate Chariot, Cannon, and Horse to break through and deliver checkmate.
Every Xiangqi (象棋) game ultimately comes down to one small 3-by-3 zone: the enemy palace, where the General is confined. Learning to attack that palace efficiently is the single most valuable skill in Cờ Tướng. The General can only shuffle one square orthogonally within those nine points, so once you strip away its Advisor and Elephant defenders and flood the palace with attackers, checkmate follows quickly. This article shows you how to plan and execute a palace breakthrough.
The palace's defense rests on just four pieces, two Advisors and two Elephants, plus the geometry of the flying-general rule that forbids the two Generals from facing each other on an open file. Every successful attack exploits weaknesses in this small system. We will look at how to remove defenders, open lines, and use the special rules of Chinese Chess to trap the General with no escape.
Understanding the Palace Defense
Before you attack, understand what you are attacking. The two Advisors move one diagonal step within the palace and are the General's closest bodyguards; they block diagonal approaches and screen against Cannons. The two Elephants sit just outside, moving two diagonal points and unable to cross the river, so they defend the home half and can block firing lines. Together they form a resilient but limited shell.
The shell's weakness is its rigidity. Advisors cannot leave the palace, and Elephants cannot cross the river, so their defensive reach is fixed. If you can force one Advisor to move or trade it off, gaping holes appear on the diagonals it once guarded. Identifying which defender is holding the position together, and how to remove it, is the first step of every palace assault.
Exploiting the Flying-General Rule
The flying-general rule is a uniquely Xiangqi weapon. Because the two Generals may never face each other on an open file with nothing between them, that central file becomes a hidden line of attack. If you can clear the file between the Generals, your own General effectively delivers a threat down the board, freezing enemy pieces that dare not unblock the file.
This creates powerful pins and mating ideas. A defender's piece sitting on the Generals' file may be unable to move because doing so would illegally expose its own General to yours. You can exploit this by piling a Chariot or Cannon onto that file, knowing the blocking piece is paralyzed. Many elegant checkmates end with a Chariot capturing on the central file while the enemy General cannot flee sideways and cannot face your General. Always keep the flying-general geometry in mind.
Coordinating the Attackers
A lone piece rarely cracks a defended palace; you need coordination. The ideal attacking trio is a Chariot for line control, a Cannon for jumping threats and discovered checks, and a Horse for unblockable checks that slip past Advisors. Bring at least two of these to the target wing before striking, and make sure they support one another so the defender cannot simply trade your attack away.
Sequence matters. Typically you first remove or tie down a defender, then open a line with a Chariot or a Soldier push, and finally deliver the decisive check with the piece the defense cannot answer. A Horse check is especially deadly here because it cannot be interposed, only the General can move, and if the Chariot and Cannon have covered its flight squares, that is mate. Rehearse these standard three-piece mating nets until they are automatic.
A Step-by-Step Breakthrough Plan
Put it all together with a simple plan. Step one: identify the weakest defender and target it, often the Advisor guarding the side you will attack. Step two: bring your attackers, Chariot, Cannon, Horse, to that wing while keeping your own Generals-file geometry favorable. Step three: sacrifice if necessary to strip the last defender, then flood the palace with checks.
Throughout, count your attackers versus the defenders. A rough rule is that you need at least one more attacker in the zone than the defender has guardians. If the count favors you, push forward; if not, bring another piece before committing. On XiangqiPlay, study annotated games where masters dismantle the palace, and you will see this same logic repeat, remove defenders, open lines, exploit the flying general, and deliver a coordinated mate. Master this, and you master Cờ Tướng.