Korean Chess, known in Korea as Janggi, is a classic two-player strategy game descended from the same ancient roots as Chinese Chess. Two armies of sixteen pieces face off across a 9x10 board with no river, each trying to checkmate the enemy general inside its guarded palace. Bold cannons that must leap a screen to move, elephants that stride across the whole board, and generals that patrol the palace diagonals give Janggi a distinctive character all its own.
Korean Chess Strategy: Tips, Tactics & Openings
Korean Chess, known in Korea as Janggi, is a classic two-player strategy game descended from the same ancient roots as Chinese Chess. Two armies of sixteen pieces face off across a 9x10 board with no river, each trying to checkmate the enemy general inside its guarded palace. Bold cannons that must leap a screen to move, elephants that stride across the whole board, and generals that patrol the palace diagonals give Janggi a distinctive character all its own.
Set Up Your Cannons
A Janggi cannon cannot move at all without a screen to leap over, so its power depends entirely on the pieces around it. Arrange friendly or enemy pieces to give your cannons lines of attack toward the palace, and remember that no cannon can jump or capture another cannon. Learning to create and remove screens is the signature skill of Korean Chess.
Coordinate Elephant and Horse
The elephant leaps one point orthogonally then two diagonally, striding clear across the board, while the horse makes the shorter one-plus-one jump. Both can be blocked at the points along their path, so open their legs before you rely on them and use them to guard each other. A well-placed elephant and horse cover a surprising web of squares around the enemy palace.
Defend the Palace
Your general and two guards never leave the palace, so their whole purpose is defence. Keep the guards beside the general to block checks along the files and diagonals, and be slow to trade them away. A palace stripped of its guards is an easy target for enemy chariots and cannons.
Use the Palace Diagonals
The diagonal lines inside each palace are more than decoration: chariots and cannons can travel along them, and the general and guards can slide corner to centre. A chariot that reaches a palace corner suddenly attacks along the diagonal, and a cannon can leap the centre piece to strike the far corner. Watch these lines on both sides of the board.
Lead With Your Chariots
The chariots are the strongest pieces in Janggi, sweeping entire files and ranks and even the palace diagonals. Open lines for them early and avoid leaving them hemmed in behind your own soldiers. A pair of active chariots bearing down on the enemy palace often decides the game.
Set Up Your Cannons
A Janggi cannon cannot move at all without a screen to leap over, so its power depends entirely on the pieces around it. Arrange friendly or enemy pieces to give your cannons lines of attack toward the palace, and remember that no cannon can jump or capture another cannon. Learning to create and remove screens is the signature skill of Korean Chess.
Coordinate Elephant and Horse
The elephant leaps one point orthogonally then two diagonally, striding clear across the board, while the horse makes the shorter one-plus-one jump. Both can be blocked at the points along their path, so open their legs before you rely on them and use them to guard each other. A well-placed elephant and horse cover a surprising web of squares around the enemy palace.
Defend the Palace
Your general and two guards never leave the palace, so their whole purpose is defence. Keep the guards beside the general to block checks along the files and diagonals, and be slow to trade them away. A palace stripped of its guards is an easy target for enemy chariots and cannons.
Use the Palace Diagonals
The diagonal lines inside each palace are more than decoration: chariots and cannons can travel along them, and the general and guards can slide corner to centre. A chariot that reaches a palace corner suddenly attacks along the diagonal, and a cannon can leap the centre piece to strike the far corner. Watch these lines on both sides of the board.
Lead With Your Chariots
The chariots are the strongest pieces in Janggi, sweeping entire files and ranks and even the palace diagonals. Open lines for them early and avoid leaving them hemmed in behind your own soldiers. A pair of active chariots bearing down on the enemy palace often decides the game.
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