Chapter 4.3 · 棋品见人品

Board Games 棋弈

Tony Tong 唐仪 has played WeiQi and Chinese chess all his life. In RuDao he uses the board to make a simple point: how you behave under pressure is who you are. Here are the two boards from that chapter - playable, with a friendly table companion.

对局本是雅事,贵在守礼自持。棋枰之上,黑白之间,考校的是心智,磨炼的是心性。

New to either board? Read the two-minute bilingual guide 双语入门 →

From the book by TonyTong.cc · Read Chapter 4.3 - Board Game Manners to Boardroom Success

Board sounds 棋子音效
Synthesised in your browser - no files, no microphone. Press On or Test to hear a stone.
Spoken cues 双语语音
Voices come from your device. Speech starts after your first click.

WeiQi / Go 围棋

Surround territory, keep your groups alive, and never slam the stones. Pass twice to end and count. White receives 6.5 komi.

How to play 入门 →
Black to play. Place a stone on any crossing.

    Start here · 从零开始

    A two-minute guide to both boards 双语入门

    Never played before? Read the short rules below, then go back up to the board. Every line is in English and Chinese, and the spoken cues say the same words out loud while you play. 先读规则,再回到棋盘;边下边听,中英对照。

    01 WeiQi / Go 围棋 Territory · 围地

    Goal Own more of the board than your opponent. Stones surround empty points; stones plus territory are counted at the end. Black plays first, so White receives 6.5 points (komi). 围地多者胜。黑先白后,白棋贴目 6.5。

    The rules in five lines 五条规则

    1. Stones sit on the crossings of the lines, not inside the squares. 棋子下在交叉点上,不下在格子里。
    2. A stone or a connected group needs at least one empty neighbouring point, a liberty 气, to stay on the board. 棋块至少要有一口气才能存活。
    3. When a group loses its last liberty it is removed: capture 提子. 气尽则被提走。
    4. You may not play a point that leaves your own group with no liberties, and you may not immediately recapture a single stone, the ko 劫. 不可自杀,劫不能立即回提。
    5. Both players pass in a row to finish. We count stones and surrounded empty points; White adds 6.5. 双方各停一手即终局,数目算子。

    Play it here 这样开始

    1. Choose 9 x 9 - quick game for your first game. 初学先选 9 路快棋。
    2. Click any crossing to place your stone. Tony replies a moment later. 点交叉点落子,对手随后应手。
    3. Use Undo to take a turn back, Pass to decline a move, and Resign to concede. 悔棋、停一手、认负都在棋盘下方。
    4. Pass twice and the final count appears in the status line. 双方各停一手后,状态栏显示数目结果。

    First tip Begin near a corner, keep your stones connected, and watch any group that falls to one liberty. 先占角,棋子要连,留意只剩一气的棋块。

    02 Chinese Chess 象棋 The general · 将帅

    Goal Trap the enemy general 将 / 帅. When the general is attacked with no legal escape, that is checkmate 将死. Red moves first. 把对方将帅逼入绝境即胜。红先黑后。

    The rules in seven lines 七条规则

    1. The board has 9 files and 10 ranks; the river 楚河漢界 divides the two sides, and the box with diagonals is the palace 九宫. 棋盘九竖十横,河界分两边,斜线框为九宫。
    2. General 将 / 帅: one step inside the palace. The two generals may never face each other on an open file, the flying general 飞将. 将帅只在九宫走一步,两将不可照面。
    3. Advisor 士 / 仕: one diagonal step inside the palace. Elephant 象 / 相: two diagonal points, cannot cross the river, blocked by the elephant eye 塞象眼. 士斜走一格,象斜走两格且不过河。
    4. Horse 马: one orthogonal step then one diagonal; blocked if that first step is occupied, the horse leg 蹩马腿. 马走日,蹩腿则不能走。
    5. Rook 车 moves any distance along a rank or file. Cannon 炮 moves the same way but captures only by jumping exactly one piece, the screen 炮架. 车直走,炮须隔一子才能吃。
    6. Soldier 兵 / 卒: one step forward; after crossing the river it may also step sideways, never backward. 兵卒只进不退,过河后可横走。
    7. A move that leaves your own general in check is illegal. Checkmate 将死 or stalemate 困毙 ends the game. 不可送将;将死或困毙即终局。

    Play it here 这样开始

    1. Choose Red - first move and click one of your round pieces. 选红先,点自己的棋子。
    2. Small dots mark every legal destination; click a dot to move. 圆点标出可走位置,点圆点落子。
    3. Hear Check 将军 when a general is attacked, and Checkmate 将死 at the end. 将军、将死都有语音提示。
    4. Undo takes back a whole turn; Resign concedes. 悔棋取回一回合,认负即结束。

    First tip Bring out a horse and a rook early, keep the general sheltered, and watch which piece is acting as a cannon screen. 先出马与车,护住将帅,留意炮架。

    Words you will hear 棋语对照

    These are the exact words spoken by the bilingual cues. Switch Spoken cues on above and listen while you play. 以下是语音提示会读到的词,边下边听,自然记住。

    ChineseEnglishWhen you hear it
    落子Place a stone / MoveA move is played
    提子CaptureGo stones are removed
    吃子CaptureA chess piece is taken
    将军CheckThe general is attacked
    将死CheckmateNo escape, the game ends
    终局Game overCounting or the final move
    开局New gameA fresh board is set
    悔棋UndoA move is taken back
    停一手PassA player declines to move
    气LibertyThe empty point keeping a group alive
    劫KoImmediate recapture is forbidden
    楚河漢界The riverThe line dividing the two armies

    Voices are supplied by your own browser and device, so a Chinese voice depends on what is installed locally. If it is missing, the English half still speaks and every term remains visible here. Speech and sound effects can be switched off separately, and neither uses the microphone. 语音由本机浏览器提供;若无中文语音,仍可听英文并对照此表。

    Back to the boards ↑

    Why a board game on a book site?

    In Chapter 4.3, Tony Tong tells the story of Liu Qi, who in a fit of temper struck a fellow prince dead with a LiuBo board - a lapse of manners at the board that grew into the Rebellion of the Seven States. The lesson is not about chess technique. It is about LiYi 礼仪: voluntary restraint, respect for rules, and self-command under pressure.

    So these boards are here to be played, not just admired. Play a quiet game, watch how the position changes when you rush, and then open the chat panel and ask the book what any of it has to do with a boardroom. That is the whole exercise: 从棋盘到董事会.

    Four Arts · 四艺

    China's four traditional arts: Qin, WeiQi/Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting 琴棋书画

    As a life-time practitioner of Music and WeiQi/Chess, I gained a deeper appreciation for how Board Games and Music interlock to form the bedrock of Chinese art and civilization.

    The Four Arts as Tools for Character Refinement (四艺修心)

    Each of the four arts serves a specific purpose in character development:

    Guqin (琴)

    Purifies the mind and calms impulse.

    WeiQi/Go (棋)

    Expands strategic vision, foresight, and big-picture thinking.

    Calligraphy (书)

    Disciplines posture and personal integrity.

    Painting (画)

    Connects the spirit with nature and poetic vision.

    Mastering board games and music instruments goes beyond technical skill; it is a discipline for preserving inner stability amid today's fast-paced world.

    RuDao book - HuaXue-EnXue 华学恩学 - Class Insights 琴棋书画 诗情画意 →

    Board history · 棋史简叙

    Brief History of the Three Boards 棋史简叙

    Three boards, three very different beginnings. Two are Chinese to the core; the third arrived along the Silk Road and then took a Chinese path of its own. Legend and record are kept apart below - each card says which is which.

    c. 1700 BCE · Warring States to Han

    Liubo 六博

    Liubo is China's earliest known strategy board game, the ancient root of the Chinese word "BoYi 博弈".

    Legend: Invented by WuCao 乌曹, minister of King Jie 桀 of the Xia Dynasty, around c. 1700 BCE.

    Verified record: It was widely popular by the Warring States period (476-221 BCE), and flourished through the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE).

    Sadly, its full rules were lost after the Tang Dynasty. It used dice-like counting sticks to decide moves, and shaped the later Chinese tradition of war-themed board games.

    Read more: the LiuBo reconstruction 六博棋 ↓

    c. 2300 BCE legend · 548 BCE first record

    WeiQi / Go 围棋

    Legendary invention: Emperor Yao 尧, c. 2300 BCE. Story says Yao made it to teach focus and self-control to his son Danzhu 丹朱.

    Earliest solid written reference: Zuo Zhuan 《左传》, 548 BCE, with the idiom 举棋不定 ("holding a stone undecided").

    It became one of the Four Arts 四艺 for classical Chinese scholars.

    The foundational WeiQi classic: Qi Jing Thirteen Chapters 棋经十三篇, written by Zhang Ni 张拟 during the Northern Song Huangyou period (1049-1054 CE). Read it at ctext.org/qijing, or see the source note in Chapter 7.3 References.

    It spread to Korea and Japan between 5th-7th centuries, and to the West in the 1800s. Unlike war simulation, WeiQi is about territory, balance and long-term holistic thinking.

    c. 600 CE arrival · Song standard

    Chinese Chess / Xiangqi 象棋

    There is an important scholarly debate:

    The ancestor of all chess-style games is Chaturanga 恰图兰卡, the Indian four-army board game, c. 600 CE. It traveled along Silk Road trade routes to Persia (Shatranj), then west into Europe to become international chess.

    But Xiangqi took its own separate Chinese path. It absorbed ideas from Chaturanga, while building on older local Chinese board-game traditions including Liubo 六博.

    Local origin legend: Linked to Han Xin 韩信 and the Chu-Han Contention 楚汉相争 (206-202 BCE).

    Modern fixed form and board layout we play today: settled in the Song Dynasty 宋朝 (960-1279 CE), with the famous dividing line 楚河汉界 and the 九宫 palace for the general 將 / 帅.

    Pieces mirror ancient Chinese army roles: 车 chariot, 马 horse, 炮 cannon, 士 advisor, 象 elephant, 兵 soldier.

    Both games were never only about winning. They were practical tools to practise temperance - exactly the point explored in RuDao.

    Skill matters, but 棋品见人品 - conduct under pressure is what counts.

    Lost rules, rebuilt board · 六博棋

    LiuBo Chinese Board Game 六博棋

    Liubo is an ancient Chinese board game originally played from about 500 BCE to 500 CE. The rules of the game have been lost to time, but our team is attempting to reconstruct the game based on what we do know. Today you will be helping us test our digital version of the game.

    Reconstruction project: CMU Entertainment Technology Center - LiuBo Lab.

    六博 LiuBo 是中國古代一種流傳逾千年的雙人桌上棋盤遊戲，盛行於春秋戰國至秦漢時期。因使用六根箸（投箸）或骰子來決定行棋步數而得名。

    六博 LiuBo 歷史

    • 起源與興盛： 六博 LiuBo 最早可追溯至春秋戰國甚至更早（《論語》中亦有記載），在秦漢時期達到鼎盛，至魏晉南北朝後逐漸被圍棋等遊戲取代而失傳。
    • 考古發現：最完整的一套六博棋具出土於湖南長沙馬王堆三號漢墓（西漢時期），現藏於湖南博物院。近年在陝西等地也有漢代墓葬出土相關棋盤。

    棋具與配置 馬王堆出土棋具的具體文物細節

    一套完整的六博棋具通常包含：

    博局（棋盤）

    刻有獨特對稱紋路、V形或L形標記以及中央"水"區（TLV紋樣）的方格棋盤。

    棋子

    雙方各持6枚棋子，分別為1枚稱為"梟棋"的大棋（主子）與5枚稱為"散棋"的小棋。

    投具與籌碼

    包含6根投箸（或多面骰子，如馬王堆出土的18面骰）以及計分用的籌（筭）。

    六博 LiuBo How to Play 遊戲玩法

    • 性質：結合了擲投具運氣與棋子走位策略的競速與戰鬥遊戲。
    • 行棋：玩家輪流投擲箸或骰子決定步數，在棋盤特定的"博道"（如曲、張、窮等）上移動棋子，並進行"吃子"或"牽魚"等博弈對抗。因為年代久遠，具體完整規則多透過古籍與出土文獻（如海昏竹書《六博》）逐步復原。

    六博 LiuBo Gaming 比賽

    有人在做 屬於"小眾、高質感、文化跨界"的賽事！ 傳統文化復興 的藍海。目前在做類似的主要有：

    1. 高校與學術科技圈： 卡耐基梅隆大學的 LiuBo Lab（六博實驗室）團隊，他們不僅復原了電子版與實體版遊戲，也在小範圍的獨立桌遊節（Indie Game Festivals）上辦過試玩賽和體驗大會。 projects.etc.cmu.edu/liubo-lab
    2. 國內博物館與文旅活動： 湖南博物院（馬王堆棋具主場）、海昏侯國遺址公園等，在漢服出行日或端午、中秋等傳統節日，會舉辦現場的"六博復原對局大賽"，吸引漢服愛好者和遊客參賽。

    Rules of LiuBo survive only in fragments, so every modern reconstruction is an interpretation. Museum events and the LiuBo Lab build on the same sources: excavated boards and pieces, the Mawangdui tomb finds, the Haihun bamboo slips, and passing references in early texts.

    Partner platform · 合作平台 Xiangqi.com

    For more serious Chinese Chess / XiangQi players

    For more serious Chinese Chess / XiangQi players, I recommend you to join and play in the XiangQi.com online game platform with tournaments. XiangQi.com founders and managers are good friends of RuDao.org and TonyTong.cc:

    Join Xiangqi.com - meet the team → www.xiangqi.com

    Paul English

    Boston, USA · Founder

    Paul is the founder of Xiangqi.com. Paul has also cofounded Kayak.com and Lola.com AI expert.

    Paul 非常期望在 Xiangqi.com 和大家下象棋.

    You can read more about Paul at PaulEnglish.com

    Johnny Chen

    GuangDong, China

    Johnny was a member of the Guangdong Xiangqi Team. At that time, he achieved 2nd place in the Chinese National Championship (U14). He is responsible for fair-play duties on Xiangqi.com.

    David Kwan

    Hong Kong · General Manager

    David, a top Xiangqi coach and expert in software management, leads operations at Xiangqi.com. Previously, he co-founded hok6.com and crafted the peer network app UrHeard. Driven by his passion for Xiangqi, he aims to make Xiangqi.com the best platform for Xiangqi lovers.

    Hiudy Tsang

    Hong Kong · Creative Manager

    Hiudy is tasked with overseeing and executing comprehensive digital marketing strategies for the platform. She creates engaging videos and graphical designs to establish Xiangqi.com as the premier platform for international Xiangqi players.

    Vincent Chai

    Malaysia

    Vincent represented Malaysia in the Asian Youth Xiangqi Championship and was an arbiter in the 2022 World Xiangqi Championship. He is responsible for product and community management on Xiangqi.com.

    Khai Nguyen

    Vietnam · Manager, Xiangqi.com

    RuDao.org and TonyTong.cc are independent of Xiangqi.com. Names, roles and bios above follow the platform's public team page - see xiangqi.com/team for the current team.