Fangqi
A Chinese strategy board game related to nine men's morris.
Fangqi (Chinese: 方棋; pinyin: fāngqí) is a strategy board game traditionally played across northern China. It goes by other names, including diūfāng and xiàfāng. The game was carried to Central Asia by the Dungans, Chinese Muslims who settled in countries like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The board’s size depends on the region. Common configurations include a 7×7 grid in Xinjiang and other local variations. The game is especially common in farming communities in northwestern China, where the board is often scratched into the ground.
Play proceeds in stages. First, players take turns placing stones on intersections, trying to form 2×2 squares, until the board is full. Then each player removes one of the opponent’s stones. After that, each player counts the squares they have made and removes that many of the opponent’s stones—provided those stones are not part of a square themselves. Finally, players take turns moving stones any distance along a straight line (horizontally or vertically). Whenever a player completes a square during movement, they remove one opponent stone that is not part of an existing square. The goal is to eliminate all of the opponent’s stones.
Variants exist. The Xinjiang version uses a 7×7 board, which has 49 intersections—an odd number—so the second player gets to remove one extra stone during the initial removal phase to balance the first player’s advantage. Some regional versions allow encirclement, like in Go, while others ban certain moves, such as forming the same square repeatedly (similar to Go’s ko rule). Because the game is widespread in rural areas, local rules vary widely.
- Also known as
- diūfāng, xiàfāng
- Board size
- varies; commonly 7×7 in Xinjiang, other local variations exist
- Equipment
- black and white stones, typically 24 to 28 per player depending on board size
- Region
- Northern China, Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan)
- Related to
- nine men's morris
Quick Facts
- Italic Title
- no
- Subject Name
- Fangqi (方棋)
- Genre
- Board game / Abstract strategy game
- Players
- 2
- Ages
- Any
- Setup Time
- < 1 minute
- Playing Time
- < 1 hour
- Random Chance
- None
- Skills
- Strategy, tactics
- Aka
- Square game / Game of squares / Playing squares / Square chess / Xia fang
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Fangqi is played on grid line intersections, like Go. Players alternate placing stones, trying to form 2×2 squares. Once the board is filled, each player removes one opponent stone, then counts their squares and removes an equal number of opponent stones not part of a square. After that, players move stones any distance vertically or horizontally; forming a square allows removal of one opponent stone not in a square. The winner is the player who removes all opponent stones.
Reader's Guide
Fangqi is significant as a traditional training game for Go in Northern China, especially in agricultural communities where boards are often traced on the ground. Its popularity among Dungans spread the game to Central Asia. The game has many regional variants, such as the Xinjiang variant on a 7×7 board where the second player may remove an extra stone to offset the first player's advantage. Other variants include encirclement rules like Go or a ko-like rule against repeating square formations. The game's adaptability and grassroots nature make it a living example of folk strategy games.
Did You Know?
- Fangqi is also called diūfāng and xiàfāng.
- The board size varies by region; a common variant is 7×7 in Xinjiang.
- Muslim Dungans brought Fangqi to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
- The Xinjiang variant uses a 7×7 board, giving the first player an advantage.
More in Traditional board games 1-24
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