                    The Rules for Korean Chess
                        by Roleigh Martin
                          Copyright 1995
                       All Rights Reserved
                             2-16-95


                       INTRO: TO THE READER

My wife is Chinese and after playing Chinese Chess and falling in 
love with the game, I learned about Korean Chess which is 
virtually identical in board and piece lay-out but different in 
move-rules.  There is very little English literature on Korean 
Chess--I've found 2 chapters in English on the game.  If anyone 
reading this can verify--or correct me if not--if I have the 
complete rules to Korean Chess.  Please reply if I have made any 
mistakes or if you know that my rules are correct and complete.  

I also wish to find out if there is any other software: public 
domain, freeware, shareware, or commercial ware on Korean Chess 
for MS-DOS computers.  I know about JANGKI.ZIP.  Can you please 
inform me of any such software and how I may obtain it (BBS phone 
numbers, FTP site names/directory/filename, or ordering address)?  
Thanks! 

Last, is there any internet mailing list groups on Korean Chess?  
Is there any English language books or magazines on Korean Chess?  
Thanks again! 


                         DISTRIBUTION POLICY

This document is copyrighted.  It can be distributed 
electronically for non-commercial use as long as nothing is 
altered in this document.  I am working on a book on Chinese and 
Korean Chess and intend to build upon this document for the 
chapter on Korean Chess. 


                           ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Young Won, Compuserve ID 75541,2100 for his FLEFO forum 
message who confirmed this document with his message "It has been 
10 years since I have played my last Korean Chess game.  I 
briefly read the rules you posted (not line-by-line, though), and 
they seem to be in line with what I remember."  In addition, he 
provided the Korean names and meanings of each piece which I've 
incorporated in this updated version of this document.

Thanks to J. Kim of HANAnet Operating Center (KTRC) (Internet 
address: jskim1@soback.hana.nm.kr) who pointed me to a public 
domain Korean Chess game, JANGKI.ZIP (Jang-gi V1.0, 1991.1.26) by 
Hak Jong Lee of Daejon, Korea, from kids.kotel.co.kr.  There is a 
tiny README file but no copyright or distribution restrictions 
documented with the ZIP file--hence by inference it is in the 
public domain.  (My FTP program could not access this using this 
hostname, but J. Kim informed me correctly of it's IP address: 
128.134.2.51.)  This file is in the directory, /pub/games.  I got 
this feedback via the USENET group, soc.culture.korean.  

JANGKI is a great DOS-based Korean Chess game.  It supports CGA 
through VGA and works on a HP100/200 palmtop (but not under HP's 
System Manager; one must terminate that program and at the DOS 
level, play the game).  To run the program, at the DOS prompt, 
move to the directory where you have installed these files and 
type:    JT   and press ENTER.

This program (JT.EXE) is quite nice as it allows human to play 
human or against the computer. 


                 BACKGROUND COMMENTARY & RESOURCE

Korean Chess can be played with a Chinese Chess Set -- same 
pieces and board -- but different rules.  Actually quite fun!  
Very few Chinese people know this game -- if you find yourself 
loosing to Chinese friends in Chinese Chess, play them a game of 
Korean Chess -- you might win! 

The below resource is still in print and has an entire chapter on 
Korean Chess -- with rules, commentary and a sample game, on 
Korean Chess. 

The shipping and handling fee is $3.00.  Send check for $12.95 
(if you live in the USA) and order to Mail Order Department, 
Dover Publications, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014. 

  TITLE:  Korean  Games:  With Notes on the Corresponding 
     Games of China & Japan
  AUTHOR: Culin, Stewart
  SERIES: Puzzles Ser.
  PUBLISHER: Dover  PUBLICATION DATE: 02/1991 (910201)
  EDITION: Repr. of 1895 ed.   NO. OF PAGES: 256p.
  LCCN: N/A
  BINDING: pap. - $9.95
  ISBN: 0-486-26593-5
  VOLUME(S): N/A
  ORDER NO.: N/A
  IMPRINT: N/A
  STATUS IN FILE: New (91-04)
  NOTE(S): Illustrated
  SUBFILE: PB (Paperbound Books in Print)

The below resource is out of print and also has an entire chapter 
on Korean Chess -- with rules, commentary and a sample game, on 
Korean Chess. 

  TITLE: Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional & Modern
  AUTHOR: Gollon, John E.
  PUBLISHER: C E Tuttle  PUBLICATION DATE: 1973 (730101)
  BINDING: pap. - $6.25
  ISBN: 0-8048-1122-9
  STATUS: Out of print (11-90)

Your library should be able to get the above through interlibrary 
loan.  Also, I have been suggested to try (but did not, as the 
library succeeded): Howard Frisch, New and Antiguarian Books, Box 
128, Village Station, New York City, NY 10014.  The library 
actually got me the hard cover book, which was published in 1968.  
Instead of an ISBN number, it had only a Library of Congress 
Catalog Card Number, No. 68-11975.


                        NAMING CONVENTION

Korean Chess derives, historically, from Chinese Chess.  Since 
the pieces in Chinese Chess have been given official English 
names by the international Chinese Chess Association, I will use 
the same English names for the Korean Chess pieces.  


                           BOARD LAYOUT

The pieces are placed on the board gridlines not inside the 
squares as in Western Chess.  The board has 9 columns (also 
called files or aisles) and 10 rows.  The 9 columns are labeled 
A-I.  The 10 rows are labeled 0-9. 

Left to right on the rear row, the pieces are called: 

Rook, Knight, Bishop, Guard, [empty], Guard, Bishop, Knight, Rook
 (r)   (n)      (b)    (g)             (g)   (b)      (n)    (r)

Note: the Knight and Bishop can, as a setup option (not a move), 
be transposed on either or both sides or neither side.  (The game 
JANGKI calls this a Pozin change and the default setup shown is 
to have the bottom side's righthand Bishop and Knight transposed 
and the top side's lefthand Bishop and Knight transposed.) 

The second row only initially holds the king, abbreviated as (k), 
in the center of the row. 

The third row only initially holds the two cannons, abbreviated 
as (c), each cannon being in the 2nd column from the edge. 

The fourth row only initially holds the five pawns, abbreviated 
as (p), starting with a pawn on each edge column and then every 
OTHER column. 

The initial board looks like the below (remember the knight and 
bishop can be transposed as a setup option).  If you transpose 
the knight and bishop to just one side of the lineup, then the 
four pieces (your 2 knights and 2 bishops) can theoretically hit 
every spot on the board (not each piece but together the 4 pieces 
can "hit" every spot on the board granted enough moves are made).  
This setup transposition option doesn't count as a move. 

In real life, the colors of the two pieces are either Black and 
Red, Green and Red, or Blue and Red. 

(FIG 1: Knight and Bishop are not transposed.)

     9 [r][n][b][g]-+-[g][b][n][r]
     .  |  |  |  | \|/ |  |  |  |
     8  +--+--+--+-[k]-+--+--+--+   Note: the pieces are put
     .  |  |  |  | /|\ |  |  |  |   down on the gridpoints of
     7  +-[c]-+--+--+--+--+-[c]-+   board -- not inside the
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |   squares as in Western Chess.
     6 [p]-+-[p]-+-[p]-+-[p]-+-[p]
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     5  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ 
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     4  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ 
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     3 (P)-+-(P)-+-(P)-+-(P)-+-(P)
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     2  +-(C)-+--+--+--+--+-(C)-+ 
     .  |  |  |  | \|/ |  |  |  |
     1  +--+--+--+-[K]-+--+--+--+ 
     .  |  |  |  | /|\ |  |  |  |
     0 (R)(N)(B)(G)-+-(G)(B)(N)(R)
     .  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I

(FIG 2: One Knight and Bishop are transposed -- this is the 
default setup shown in the JANGKI software version of Korean 
Chess; one is allowed to change this setup, but this is the 
default setup.) 

     9 [r][n][b][g]-+-[g][n][b][r]
     .  |  |  |  | \|/ |  |  |  |
     8  +--+--+--+-[k]-+--+--+--+ 
     .  |  |  |  | /|\ |  |  |  |
     7  +-[c]-+--+--+--+--+-[c]-+ 
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     6 [p]-+-[p]-+-[p]-+-[p]-+-[p]
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
     5  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+   Note:
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | <-This row is the "river"
     4  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+   in Chinese Chess and on
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |   a Chinese Chess board,
     3 (P)-+-(P)-+-(P)-+-(P)-+-(P)  the middle 7 vertical
     .  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |   lines of this single row
     2  +-(C)-+--+--+--+--+-(C)-+   are not painted on a 
     .  |  |  |  | \|/ |  |  |  |   Chinese Chess board.
     1  +--+--+--+-[K]-+--+--+--+ 
     .  |  |  |  | /|\ |  |  |  |
     0 (R)(N)(B)(G)-+-(G)(N)(B)(R)
     .  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I


I do not know the answer to the inevitable question: "If your 
opponent transposes the knight and bishop on his left side, do 
you normally transpose your bishop and knight on your right side 
or left side? (I know it is legal to do either, neither or both; 
but I am asking this from a sound strategy basis.)"  I assume one 
would transpose on the same aisle as the opponent, as that is how 
the software program, JANGKI defaults to doing--even though the 
user has the choice to do otherwise. 


On the board are two fortresses (also called castles) which is a 
3x3 grid in the center of the 1st 3 rows of both sides, in which 
the king and his two guards must remain--they can not leave the 
fortress--however, as will be explained below, the king can 
perform a check against the other king from within the fortress.  
Inside the fortress, there are diagonal lines that form a big "X" 
inside the fortress. 

On a Chinese Chess Board, there is a river that "exists" in the 
middle row of the board; it does not exist in Korean Chess.  If 
one plays Korean Chess with a Chinese Chess board, one ignores 
the "river" of the Chinese Chess board.  In both Korean and 
Chinese Chess, one has to move a full step to move across the 
center row, regardless of whether it's called a "river" or not 
(as in Korean Chess).  Bottom line: in Korean Chess and Chinese 
Chess, there are 10 rows.  In Chinese Chess, moving from the 5th 
to the 6th row is "moving across the river" where the pawns gain 
the power to move one step sideways--and where the Bishops can 
not move across.  In Korean Chess, the pawns can move sideways 
one step immediately and the Bishops can move anywhere on the 
board that is legal for a given move. 

Actually, the real Korean Chess set uses 8-sided pieces not round 
pieces as in Chinese Chess.  Also not all the pieces are the same 
diameter as they are in Chinese Chess.  The red pieces are 100% 
identical but the blue have four pieces that use brush/script 
style Chinese calligraphy and the pieces are difficult to 
translate -- I had to ask a Korean shopper in the Korean Grocery 
store that I found the set at to identify the blue pieces.  (My 
Chinese Chess friends recognize these four different charactered 
Blue pieces.)  The board doesn't have a blank (no vertical lines) 
river across the middle of the board as in Chinese Chess -- 
that's because there is no promotion or barrier concept in Korean 
Chess as there is in Chinese Chess.  Again, you can play Korean 
and/or Chinese Chess with either country's pieces/board.  One 
thing nice, the Korean Grocery store had the pieces for only $4 
and a nice wooden board for only $10. 

Each piece is inscribed with a corresponding Chinese character.  
However, on the King pieces, "Han" is inscribed on the red team, 
and "Cho" is described on the blue (or green) team.  Han and Cho 
are names of two dynasties (or kingdoms) that were at war with 
each other.  (Note: "Han" and "Cho" is not what you call the 
individual King pieces -- these names refer to the "team names" 
--the actual King piece names are shown below.)


I do not know the OFFICIAL conventional English spellings of the 
Korean names for these pieces.  Below I redescribe these pieces 
per their Chinese names as well as the Korean spellings I've been 
given by one Korean Chess player who has not played in 10 years 
(see Acknowledgement section above).


QUESTION TO ANY EXPERIENCED KOREAN CHESS PLAYER:
Can anyone in this group provide me with confirmation or 
correction of the below Korean names as they are spelled out in 
English?  Thanks!  In particular, are the Korean names for the 
Red and Blue King correct or should they be transposed (if so, 
the Korean Jang would be very close to the Pinyin Jiang). 

                                     CANTO-
COORDINATES    COLOR  ENGLISH PINYIN NESE   KOREAN
A0,I0,A9,I9    both   Rook    Ju     Kui    Cha or Tcha
B0,H0,B9,H9    both   Knight  Ma     Ma     Ma   
C0,G0          Red    Bishop  Xiang  Sheung Sang or Syang 
C9,G9          Blue   Bishop  Xiang  Cheung Sang or Syang  
D0,F0,D9,F9    both   Guard   Shi    See    Sa   
E1             Red    King    Shuai  Sui    Jang* 
E8             Blue   King    Jiang  Cheung Wang* 
B2,H2,B7,H7    both   Cannon  Pao    Pow    Po or Hpo   
A3,C3,E3,G3,I3 Red    Pawn    Bing   Ping   Byung or Pyeng**
A6,C6,E6,G6,I6 Blue   Pawn    Zu     Tsut   Jol or Tjol**

Note: the Korean names first spelled out are those obtained from 
Korean Chess player whom I've corresponded with on Compuserve, 
Young Won.  The two chapters on Korean Chess, cited above, 
provide the "or..." variation.  For the King (*), they provide 
two alternate names, neither depicting color specific names. 
Koung or Tyang is what John Gollon provides; Tjyang or Koung is 
what Stewart Culin provides.  The Koung, Culin, explains is the 
generic term for both--as it is similarly pronounced in Chinese 
Chess by the Cantonese--meaning "general."  For the Pawn (**), 
Culin provides the Pyeng to be the Red, and Tjol to be the Blue.  
Gollon provides the same two spellings but does not tie them to a 
color.

Sometimes you'll hear Chinese Chess players translate the chess 
pieces to different English names -- the ones above are the 
"official" English names -- the ones below are others you might 
hear and they are presented here for you to maintain 
understanding in real life play: 

        OFFICIAL  
        ENGLISH   ALTERNATE ENGLISH NAMES GIVEN THESE PIECES
        Rook      Car              Chariot         Tank
        Knight    Horse
        Bishop    Prime Minister   Elephant        Minister
        Guard     Counsellor       Advisor
        King      General          Emperor
        Cannon    Catapult
        Pawn      Soldier          Foot Soldier

        
                       TRANSLATION TIDBITS
        
The Arabic name for "Chariot" is pronounced "Rook."  The Chinese 
symbol for Chariot is now used for the symbol for a car. 

In the traditional Chinese Character for the Knight, the "Ma" -- 
which means "horse, you'll note the four depicted legs in the red 
character (the pieces in real life are like Checkers but with the 
Chinese character written on top of the piece) -- these are the 
horse's legs. 

The historical reason the pieces are depicted differently for 
both sides (although modern sets use the same depiction for the 
Rook, Knight and sometimes the Cannon), is that players could 
tell whose piece was whose even if the colors wore out.   For 
instance, Red has as it's bishop the Chinese Character for Prime 
Minister, while Blue (or Green or Black) has as it's bishop the 
Chinese Character for Elephant.  They both have identical powers 
however. 


                      THE OBJECT OF THE GAME

The object of the game is identical to Western and Chinese Chess: 
to checkmate the enemy king--that is, to place the enemy king in 
a position of entrapment from which it can not save itself.  A 
stalemate is possible where neither side recognizes that neither 
side can win by checkmate. 


                     THE PIECE MOVEMENT RULES

1.  The rook moves identical to the Western Chess and Chinese 
    Chess rook, with one exception: 

    a.  for movement, it can move as far horizontally or 
        vertically as it has clear passage to move.  The movement 
        for one move must be that of one single straight line. 

    b.  in addition, for movement, the rook can move as far down 
        a fortress single diagonal line as long as there is clear 
        passage and the movement remains that of a single 
        straight line (this means the starting position has to be 
        in one of the corners or the center of the fortress). 

    c.  for capture, the rook during it's normal movement, can 
        take any enemy piece that it first bumps into (there must 
        not be any intervening same-side piece). 
  
2.  The knight ends up moving identically to the western knight, 
    and it moves identical to the Chinese Chess knight.  The 
    knight however must make its move by first moving one step 
    vertically or horizontally and then one outward diagonal step 
    and in this movement, there must be clear passage.  Thus, the 
    initial two places that the knight at B0 can move to are A2 
    or C2.  It can not initially move to D1 because the Bishop at 
    C0 is in the way. 

3.  The bishop, unlike its Chinese Chess "cousin", is like a 
    giant knight.  It moves 3 positions away from itself: first 
    by going one step horizontally or vertically and then TWO 
    outward diagonal steps and there must be clear passage.  Thus 
    in Figure 2 above, the Bishop at C0 can not move as it is 
    blocked, but it does protect the center Pawn.  The Bishop at 
    H0 can move to F3.  

    As mentioned above, unlike Chinese Chess, the Bishop is not 
    only a defensive piece, it can move onto the enemy's side of 
    the board and be an offensive piece (as is true for both 
    Chinese and Korean Chess for all other pieces but the King 
    and Guards). 

    (For the curious, the Chinese Chess Bishop is a defensive 
    piece, and can only move two diagonal places at a time (not 
    any more nor less; and the passage must be clear) and the 
    Chinese Chess Bishop can not cross the "river"--it must stay 
    within the 1st 4 rows of it's home side.) 

4.  The Guard and King move identical to each other.  They are 
    both limited to the center 3x3 fortress that resides in the 
    1st 3 rows of one's home side.  Each piece can only move 1 
    step down any painted straight line whether or not the line 
    is a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line.  This is 
    different than Chinese Chess wherein the Guard can only move 
    diagonally and the King can only move horizontally or 
    vertically. 

5.  The cannon, with several restrictions named below, moves and 
    captures by making one jump during a single straight line 
    move.  The straight line move can be down a single vertical 
    line, a single horizontal line, or a single diagonal line in 
    either fortress (provided the cannon's starting position is 
    on a fortress border gridpoint). 
 
    Note: a fortress canon diagonal move can't start from the 
    dead center of the fortress but a canon can land in the 
    fortress dead center from a normal vertical or horizontal 
    move or jump. But once inside the center of the fortress, the 
    canon can make a move or jump away by going horizontally or 
    vertically. 

    The canon, when it moves, has to jump over a single non-canon 
    piece, regardless whether the jumped-over piece belongs to 
    his side or the enemy side.  When making a move (not a 
    capture), the canon can land on any empty gridpoint that 
    exists on the other side of the jumped-over piece.  That 
    landed-onto (previously) empty gridpoint can be immediately 
    on the other side of the jumped-over piece or several 
    gridpoints beyond that jumped-over piece. 

    The canon, when it captures, has to jump as in a normal move, 
    but instead of landing onto an empty gridpoint, it has to 
    land onto an enemy piece that it encounters in, what would 
    otherwise be a normal jump-type-move.  The jumped-over piece 
    is not captured--it is that second piece encountered in the 
    jump that is captured.  Remember, the 1st piece can be of 
    either color; the 2nd piece--that is jumped-onto (not over) 
    has to be that of the enemy. 

    The cannon can't jump over a cannon (either color).

    The cannon can't capture a cannon.

    The cannon can not make the first move in a game (unlike 
    Chinese Chess). 

    Note: the Korean canon is very different than the Chinese 
    Chess canon wherein the Chinese Chess canon moves like a rook 
    but jumps like a Korean Chess canon (but unlike the Korean 
    canon, the Chinese Chess canon can jump over or jump onto 
    another canon). 
    
6.  The pawn moves the same way it captures: it can move either 
    one step forward or one step sideways.  It can never move 
    backward. It can move forward down a diagonal line in the 
    enemy's fortress. If during that one step move, it moves onto 
    an enemy's occupied, position, it is a capture of that enemy 
    piece. 

    If the pawn makes it to the last row, it can only move 
    sideways then. 

    For the curious, the Chinese Chess pawn is different; it 
    can't move sideways until after getting to it's 6th row 
    (called after crossing the river) and it can't move down the 
    diagonal line in the enemy's fortress. 

7.  Special end game notes: 

    a.  Neither side ordinarily want to allow the two kings to 
        face each other naked (in Chinese Chess but not Korean 
        Chess, the side that causes this to happens loses the 
        game).  Facing each other "naked," means that there are 
        no intervening chess pieces.                                
        
        If you cause this to happen in Korean Chess, you are 
        placing the other King in check in a desparate last-
        chance move on your part for you irreversably foresake 
        the right to checkmate the other side--you are hoping for 
        a stalemate, which would be the case if the other side 
        can not get out of that desparate check. 

        This is the case even if the game continues for many 
        moves and even if otherwise the game could have gone into 
        a good checkmate, the side that initially caused the two 
        kings to be naked can at best only obtain a stalemate. 

        I call this (I do not claim originality though) the 
        "Kings Naked Rule." 
        
    b.  Gollon adds the rule (page 159, hardbound edition) that 
        "If in mating, the mating piece is defended by only the 
        allied 'king'--i.e., if the piece is on an open file 
        occupied by its 'king' and therefore cannot be captured 
        by the checked king because of the above rules, the game 
        is only drawn."  
        
        This is the different in Chinese Chess; for there one 
        frequently will use one's King to protect a piece who is 
        making check and who otherwise would be captured by the 
        King being checked--in Chinese Chess, that is considered 
        successful checkmate--it is a win, not a draw. 

    c.  Unlike Chinese Chess, if you have no other move to make, 
        except to put your King in check or checkmate, you can 
        "pass."  In other words, your King can stand still, if it 
        stays in safety and there are no other pieces it can move 
        at all (regardless if those other pieces would be 
        captured or not) and if it would otherwise (if a move had 
        to be made) cause the king to move into check or 
        checkmate.  Gollon states that one declares his pass by
        turning his King over, upside down, on the same spot.

8.  As a reminder, the pawn, cannon, and rook get to treat the 
    diagonal lines in either fortress (except the pawn can only 
    get to the enemy fortress) as ordinary straight lines that 
    they can move on -- except the pawn can only move to the side 
    or forward -- but the pawn can move forward to the rear line 
    down the diagonal. 

9.  Unlike Chinese Chess, the double cannon lineup against a king 
    poses no immediate threat -- the rear cannon can't jump over 
    the front cannon, remember.  (In Chinese Chess, if the 
    farthest away canon from the enemy king is safe and if no 
    opponent's piece can intervene between the two canons, the 
    game is over if the King is unable to move sideways, which 
    can often be the case.) 

                          [End of Document]
