Editing Xiangqi (section)

==Approximate relative values of the pieces==
[[File:Xiangqi-Chinese-chess.jpg|thumbnail|right|upright=1.35|Xiangqi is a popular weekend activity in [[Beijing]].]]

{| class="wikitable"
! Piece
! Points
|-
| Soldier before crossing the river
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Soldier after crossing the river
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| Advisor
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| Elephant
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| Horse
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|-
| Cannon
| style="text-align:center;"| 4½
|-
| Chariot
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|}
{{clear}}
These approximate values<ref>{{cite book |last=Lau |first=H. T. |title=Chinese Chess |publisher=[[Tuttle Publishing]] |year=1985 |chapter=Values and Uses of the Pieces |pages=[https://archive.org/details/chinesechessintr0000lauh/page/28 28–30] |isbn=0-8048-3508-X |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/chinesechessintr0000lauh/page/28 }}</ref> do not take into account the position of the piece in question (except the soldier in a general sense), the positions of other pieces on the board, or the number of pieces remaining. In what follows, "minor piece" will refer to horses and cannons, and "defensive piece", unless otherwise specified, will refer to the non-royal pieces that cannot cross the river, namely advisors and elephants.

Other common rules of assessment:
* A horse plus a cannon is generally better than two horses or two cannons.
* The chariot is not only the strongest piece, but it is also generally stronger than any combination of two minor pieces. When the relative values of both sides' pieces are approximately even, the side with more chariots generally has the advantage, especially when one side has a chariot and one side does not (Chinese: 有車壓無車). However, the chariot is not particularly strong in basic endgames: for example, chariot versus four defensive pieces is generally a draw, while if the offensive side instead has two horses or even three unadvanced soldiers it is a win.
* In the earlier stages, the cannon is stronger than the horse, because platforms are plentiful and the horse is often blocked by the multitude of pieces on the board. In the endgame, the horse is stronger as an attacking piece, not needing any platforms, but the cannon generally has better defensive abilities.
* The values of soldiers vary in different stages of the game. In the opening and the middlegame, the initiative and mobility of pieces often require sacrificing soldiers. In these stages, soldiers closer to the middle file are generally more valuable, since they can effectively join the offence. With few attacking pieces on the board, soldiers have more power and can cross the river more easily. In this stage, advanced soldiers are generally less powerful, since soldiers cannot move backward. In basic endgames, three soldiers starting on the seventh rank are approximately equal to a chariot: they can force a win against four defensive pieces or a horse/cannon plus two elephants, while instead a chariot cannot, and a chariot cannot force a win against three soldiers on the seventh rank when well-defended. At the other extreme, even five soldiers all on the tenth rank cannot on their own force checkmate or stalemate on a bare general due to insufficient material.