Chess games of vietnam - Bàn cờ tướng

Imported by Thanh Binh Jeune

The game of chess is extremely popular in Vietnam. It is played not only in the salons of high-ranking officials, but very often in the streets, on the sidewalks where the drivers drive, drivers, cyclo and street vendors are a pleasant pastime in their leisure moments.

The Viêtnamiens consider this game as an art to strengthen the spirit of education and intellectual and show a lot of respect for those who excel at chess.

A European seeing for the first time the c- point tướng is, in general, surprised not to see the figures usual in the game of chess western : the riders, the tricks, crazy, etc..., and sometimes takes for a game of checkers.

In fact, parts of this game are never carved, and do something other than tablets or chips on each of which is inscribed with a large chinese character color coated.

Moreover, the chessboard, although divided into 64 squares like a chess-european, is still in the middle of a white band, on which are often contained two, four or eight chinese characters. As for the boxes, they are all the same color (white), which was surprising, also many of the western gambler.

The chinese characters used to designate the value of the coins that we already give an indication on the origin of the c- point tướng, which is actually analogous to the game of chinese chess, known in China under the name ofsiang k i (象棋).

However, the "Game of the elephant" or the "Game of images" (literal translation of the two characters) has become the "Game of the generals" (c- point tướng) in Vietnam.