Easy Guide: Mastering Three Kingdoms Chess - 3-Player Chinese Chess

Explore the world of Three Kingdoms Chess, a captivating strategic game that promises a unique and thrilling experience. If you're eager to delve into the intricacies of playing Three Kingdoms Chess, especially the three-player variant, check out the following article from Mytour.

What is Three Kingdoms Chess? 

Three Kingdoms Chess, also known as Three-Player Chinese Chess or 3-player Chess, is a variation of traditional Chinese Chess inspired by the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. This game introduces a third side to the chessboard, creating a unique and thrilling environment with three players. 

Each side represents one of the three legendary warlords from the Three Kingdoms era, including Wu, Shu, and Wei. Three Kingdoms Chess brings new strategic elements and challenges, making it an exciting choice for chess enthusiasts seeking diversity and intensity in their games.

Three Kingdoms Chess Board 

The Three Kingdoms Chessboard mirrors the structure and size of the traditional Chinese Chessboard. It is divided into a 9x10 grid, creating a playing grid with a total of 90 squares.

On the chessboard, there are three territories for the players. The central area is China, where the warlords of the three sides confront and vie for control. The left territory is Wu, representing the Wu faction, and the right territory is Dong Wu, representing the Dong Wu faction.

Each player will have their own set of chess pieces, including the king, advisor, elephant, knight, rook, cannon, and pawn. Chess pieces are placed on the squares according to the rules of traditional Chinese Chess. The goal of each player is to eliminate the opponent's king or occupy crucial territories for victory.

The Three Kingdoms Chessboard provides a unique and complex chess-playing experience, requiring strategic thinking and keen observation skills to succeed.

Chess Pieces in Three Kingdoms Chess

Due to three players, there will be three different chess colors: white, red, and brown. Each player is equipped with 18 chess pieces, including the traditional 16 pieces of Chinese Chess and 2 new pieces placed in the first row, along with the Cannon pieces.

Traditional Chess Pieces

The generals in this game are named after historical Chinese kingdoms:

• In 3-player chess, the pieces are similar to traditional Three Kingdoms Chess and have the following names:
• King/General: Corresponding to Three Kingdoms warlords like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Huang Zhong.
• Advisor/Counselor: Corresponding to famous figures like Zhang Fei, Jia Xu, Xu Chu.
• Elephant/Elephant General: Corresponding to notable figures like Ma Teng, Lu Bu, Sun Quan.
• Chariot/Chariot General: Corresponding to generals like Guan Yu, Ma Chao, Lu Meng.
• Horse/Horse General: Corresponding to generals like Zhang Liao, Lu Bu, Zhang Bao.
• Foot Soldier: Corresponding to Three Kingdoms warriors.
• Cannon/Artillery: Corresponding to artillery weapons in the Three Kingdoms.
• New Piece standing alongside the Cannon: This piece doesn't have a direct counterpart in the Three Kingdoms.

In 3-player chess, the chess pieces have shapes and quantities similar to traditional chess pieces.

New Chess Pieces

In 3-player chess, besides the traditional chess pieces of Three Kingdoms Chess, there are also new pieces and changes in the playing rules. Below are the names of the new pieces and their corresponding rules:

• Fire (Huo): Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Fire piece has 2 blocking points.
• Flag (Qi): Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Flag piece cannot jump over other chess pieces.
• Wind (Feng): Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Wind piece cannot jump over other chess pieces.

Traditional chess pieces in Three Kingdoms Chess remain unchanged and follow the traditional rules of chess.

Rules, How to Play Three Kingdoms Chess

To learn how to play Three Kingdoms Chess - 3-player chess, you need to understand how to play each chess piece. Here is the significance of each chess piece:

• The chess pieces in Three Kingdoms Chess are similar to traditional chess: King/General, Advisor/Counselor, Elephant/Elephant General, Chariot/Chariot General, Horse/Horse General, Soldier/Foot Soldier, and Cannon/Artillery.
• In addition, there are 3 new pieces: Fire (Huo), Flag (Qi), and Wind (Feng).

Chess pieces move according to the traditional chess rules.

• Fire: Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Fire piece has 2 blocking points.
• Flag: Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Flag piece cannot jump over other chess pieces.
• Wind: Moves straight 2 squares, then diagonally 1 square. The Wind piece cannot jump over other chess pieces.

The goal of each player is to checkmate the opponent's King. The checkmating player (the one who didn't move last) must perform a checkmate (putting the opponent's King in a threatening position) for both opponents.

If a player has no pieces left on the board, they continue to play as a checking player. The new Cannon pieces are placed in the same row as the traditional Cannon pieces, moving and capturing pieces according to the rules of traditional Cannons.

The game continues until a player successfully checkmates both opponents or a player can no longer move. The last checking player will be the winner.

Arranging Three Kingdoms Chess

Arranging the pieces in Three Kingdoms Chess is similar to traditional chess, but with some new pieces. Here's how to set up Three Kingdoms Chess:

• Arrange Kings (Tướng/Generals): Each player places a King piece in the center square of their tenth row. There are three Kings in white, red, and brown.
• Arrange Advisors (Sĩ/Advisors): Each player places two Advisor pieces in the two squares next to their Kings. All Advisor pieces are the same color.
• Arrange Elephants (Tượng/Elephant Generals): Each player places two Elephant pieces in the two squares next to their Advisors. Elephant pieces are the same color.
• Arrange Chariots (Xe/Chariot Generals), Horses (Mã/Horse Generals), and Soldiers (Tốt/Foot Soldiers): Each player arranges Chariot, Horse, and Soldier pieces in the initial state of traditional chess, on their first two rows.
• Arrange Cannons (Pháo/Artillery): Each player places two Cannon pieces in the row just behind the rows of Chariot, Horse, and Soldier pieces. Cannon pieces are the same color.
• Arrange new pieces: Three new pieces (Fire, Flag, and Wind) are placed in the same row as the Cannon pieces, from left to right.

Once the pieces are arranged according to the rules, the game can begin.

Conclusion 

Here is information about Three Kingdoms Chess and how to play Three Kingdoms Chess - 3-player chess for beginners in a simple way. Whether you are a fan of traditional chess or just want to explore a new and exciting game, it's worth experiencing. Get ready to enter the match, learn about the tactics, creativity, and challenges of Three Kingdoms Chess. With 3-player chess, every move is a step in the journey of conquest and victory.