2014-07-18

【Aiden in English】

        Chess is very hard. It uses knowledge for battle strategies and predicts the opponent's moves. Chinese Chess needs the exactly same skills, just with a few different pieces. There are 1 general/marshal (king/queen), 2 advisors/guards, 2 horses (knights), 2 elephants/ministers (bishops), 2 chariots (rooks), 2 cannons, 5 pawns/soldiers (8 pawns) in black and red pieces of Chinese Chess over its counterpart. I didn't enjoy playing it until I was physically in the summer camp of Guanghua Chinese School.

        First of all, the horse can't jump over the pieces if there's one in front of it. In regular Chess, the horse would probably be number two on the most favored list and can go any place without hesitation. Also, the elephant can't go past the half board across the Chu-Han river. It only can move 2 spaces at a time, so it's more of a defender.

        There are two brand new pieces. One of them is the Cannon. The cannon must use another piece to attack. It jumps over the 1st piece to attack the one behind it. The other new piece is kind of like a protector of the General or Advisor. You see, in this game the General and the advisor are only allowed to move inside of a fortress. The fortress is 3 by 3 and the General can move up, down, left, and right. His Advisor can move diagonally. Be careful, a Cannon can jump over them to take your General.

        The Chinese Chess is very much like the Chess. It seems as if it has an upgrade, but the layout looks like the same. This is to all you Chess fans out there! Try Chinese Chess and I won't be surprised if you like Chinese Chess better.

【紅霞譯文】

            國際象棋難搞，難就難在既要運用戰術策略，又得事先預估對方走勢動向。不獨有偶，中國象棋除個別棋子稍有變化外，本質上與同行無大區別。就棋子而論，中國象棋黑紅棋手各執一位將／帥(王／後)、兩位士／仕、兩匹馬／傌(騎士)、兩頭像／相(主教)、兩輛車／車(城堡)、兩個炮／炮、分別五位卒／兵(八位士兵)。我來到賓州光華中文學校參加夏令營以後，才真正喜歡上了中國象棋。

            首先，中國象棋的馬／傌行日，不可跳越其它棋子﹔而在國際象棋則不同，這就是為什麼騎士大概是第二個最受人歡迎的棋子。另外，象／相走田，絕不允許渡過“楚河漢界”縱穿半部棋盤，如同一位後衛嚴守駐地。

            中國象棋里有兩個棋子是國際象棋所沒有的。其中之一是炮／炮，必須藉助另一棋子才能達到進攻的目的。它先要跳過目標(棋子)，然後才能幹掉這個犧牲品。其中之二是具有保護將／帥作用的士／仕。將／帥和士／仕只能呆在三乘三“九宮”矩陣之內，將／帥可以上下左右直行，士／仕成對角線方向斜移。一定要當心炮／炮乘虛而入，它會隔空吃掉將／帥。

            中國象棋與國際象棋非常相像，雖說看上去前者檔次比後者稍高一點，但實際上布局陣勢差不多。因此敬請國際象棋愛好者注意，你們不妨嘗試一下中國象棋。如我所料，有朝一日你們定會更喜歡中國象棋。