Notation System

Any person serious about mastering the game must learn the Chinese Notation System of writing down the move. For the benefit of those who do not write Chinese, the AXF has deviced an English translation of this system using alphabets, numerals and mathematical symbols. In this system, every move is written with four characters e.g. C2=5. The first character names the piece moved, the second character denotes the number of the file where the pieces sat before the move, the third character is either + (forward), -(backward), or =(sideways), and the last character either tells the number of the new file where the piece landed or the number of points moved by the piece. The notation C2=5 means Cannon on file #2 move sideways to file #5. For the Adviser, the Elephant and the Horse, because of their oblique movement, the file number will always change after making a move. Therefore, the 4th character always denotes the new file number. For the rest i.e. King, Pawn, Chariot, and Cannon that move along a straight line, the 4th character also denotes the new file number when they move sideways. Only when they move forward or backward, the 4th character then counts the points they have covered. Sometimes you may have two pieces of same type along a file. In that case, change the second character to + or – to differentiate between the front one and the back one.