Cannon

Move like the  chariots (Rook), any distance orthogonally without jumping, but can only capture by jumping a single piece, friend or foe, along the path of attack.

    Solider

Move and capture by advancing one point. Once they have crossed the river, they may also move and capture one point horizontally. Soldiers cannot move backward, and therefore cannot retreat; after advancing to the last rank of the board, however, a soldier may still move sideways at the enemy’s edge.

      Elephant

Move and capture exactly two points diagonally and may not jump over intervening pieces. If an elephant cannot move due to a diagonally adjacent piece, it is known as “blocking the elephant’s eye”  Elephants may not cross the river, and serve as defensive pieces

    Horse

  Moves like knight does in Western chess (L) , But can be blocked by a piece located one point horizontally or vertically adjacent to it. Blocking a horse is called “hobbling the horse’s leg”

        Advisors

They move and capture one point diagonally and may not leave the palace

   General

Move and capture one point orthogonally. The two generals may not face each other in the same file with no intervening pieces

   Charoit  (*R)

 Moves just like the  Rook in westrn chess 

^{[* For Notation purpose the  R for Rook, is used  because using C would conflict with the letter for Cannon]}

     Xiangqi is played on a board that is nine lines wide and ten lines long.  the pieces are played on the intersections, which are known as points. The vertical lines are known as files, while the horizontal lines are known as ranks.

Centered at the first through third and eighth through tenth ranks of the board are two square zones. The three point by three point zone is demarcated by two diagonal lines connecting opposite corners and intersecting at the center point. Each of these areas is known as  the palace.

Dividing the two opposing sides, between the fifth and sixth ranks,  the “river”.  Although the river provides a visual division between the two sides, only two pieces are affected by its presence: soldier pieces have an enhanced move after crossing the river, while elephant pieces cannot cross. Red Moves first.

End Game Tactics  (Game from ChessFreaks)

White Finds a forced Mate..Can You?

1.    … HxA+

2. Gd3 Ra9

3. RxC Rd9+

4.Rd4  RxR#

**EDIT Apr 18 … The Notation Given above was taken from the board/set James Palmer