XiangQi

XiangQi is the Chinese version of Chess, it is older than Western Chess being formalized in the Sung Dynastsy 960-1279. (Western Chess was formalized in the 1840's.) Both XiangQi and Western Chess have a common mother in the Chess of India. Many of the pieces move the same in XiangQi and Western Chess. Here is the board set up:

As in Western Chess both sides have 16 pieces but they are played on the intersections of lines, not within a square. The board is bigger being 10 by 9 whereas in Western Chess the board is 8 by 8.

I think Western Chess has become boring with most of the effort being spent on analyzing openings and fighting to a draw.

Chinese Chess is much more exciting, the bigger board gives more range for the pieces. With only 5 pawns, they don't form connected pawn islands like in Western Chess. It's a faster game than Western Chess, draws are rare.

After school I like to go down to the local park and watch the old men play. It's great fun even though I don't understand what they are saying, alot is unspoken.

I can play the game but against these guys I would usually lose, also they generally want to play for money. I'm a poor student so I beg off and just watch.

Here I am playing against the Director of the Chinese Language Institute.

There are 4 arts of a gentleman in ancient China: music, calligraphy, painting and chess.(Although I think they meant Weiqi(ie Go) not XiangQi(Chinese Chess).

Here I playing against a stranger in the WanHua district in Taipei.

He's wearing one of the surgical masks because of the H1N1 fears, I think it's all a bunch of nonsense but I don't say so.

What could be a better way of spending time? Drink a little tea, play a little chess.