Each side has 17 pieces: a general (將), a chancellor (偏), a diplomat (裨), a cannon (砲), a go-between (行人), an archer (弓), a crossbowman (弩), two dagger soldiers (刀), four swordsmen (劍), and four knights (騎).

)[5] The yellow piece in the board center is "the emperor" (周), which does not belong to any player.

The game starts with Qin, the white kingdom, and then the order of play is counterclockwise.

The mechanism of the game is similar to many chess variants: pieces have their own moves and may capture one another by displacement.

The player who captures the general or the most pieces of the loser wins his remaining army.