#elephants

Checkmate Patterns

Smothered Mates in Xiangqi: When the General's Own Advisors Become the Walls of Its Prison

Advisors and elephants protect the general, yet in many xiangqi mates they are what traps it. The smothered patterns and how to avoid building your own cage.

28/09/2026 5 min read

Endgames

Chariot Against Advisors and Elephants: Which Defences Hold and Which Ones Fall

A lone chariot beats a general with two advisors or two elephants, but usually not the full set of four defenders. Here is why, and the practical plans for both

28/09/2026 5 min read