Chess phrases and words in Chinese
China's chess is xiangqi (象棋 — 'elephant chess'), played on a board divided by a river, with pieces including chariots, cannons, horses, and elephants that cannot cross to the enemy's side. Xiangqi has been played in China for over a thousand years and its vocabulary is deeply embedded in everyday Mandarin — phrases about chariots, cannons, and the endgame appear constantly in business, politics, and daily conversation.
11 phrases · meanings & example sentences
“马后炮”
Cannon behind the horse — a brilliant insight or advice delivered too late to be useful; hindsight wisdom. In xiangqi, the combination of horse and cannon (马后炮) is a powerful attacking formation — but in the idiom, it's arrived too late to save the situation. 'Bié gēn wǒ shuō mǎhòupào' (别跟我说马后炮 — don't give me your hindsight wisdom) is one of the most commonly heard complaints in Chinese conversation when someone offers advice only after the decision has already gone wrong.
- 我们已经亏了一百万，你现在跟我说不该投资，这不就是马后炮吗？
- 会议结束才提意见，这种马后炮有什么用？
- 大家都会事后诸葛亮，但说马后炮的人，当时你去哪了？
“将军”
Check / to put someone on the spot — to corner someone with an inescapable demand or question they must answer. 'Tā jiāng le wǒ yī jūn' (他将了我一军) means 'he put me on the spot / he had me cornered with that move'. Because 将军 also means 'general' in Chinese, the phrase carries weight beyond chess: it invokes military authority and the decisive power of a commanding position. Used constantly for sharp debate moves and confrontational negotiations.
- 他突然问我为什么没完成指标，当着全组的面将了我一军。
- 老总在发布会上被记者将了一军，当场有点语塞。
- 她用那句话将了所有人一军——没有人能反驳。
“弃车保帅”
Sacrifice the chariot to protect the marshal — giving up a major asset to protect the most important thing. In xiangqi, the chariot (车/jū) is the most powerful attacking piece; the marshal/general (帅) is the king. Sacrificing the chariot to save the marshal is the ultimate calculated trade-off. One of the most commonly used xiangqi-derived idioms in Chinese business and politics for any situation requiring a painful sacrifice to preserve the core.
- 为了保住品牌声誉，他们决定弃车保帅，主动召回产品。
- 这次裁员是一次弃车保帅的决定——牺牲了一个部门，换来了公司的存活。
- 在政治危机中，有时候弃车保帅是唯一能救全局的办法。
“落子无悔”
Once a piece is placed, no regrets — own your decisions without looking back; once you've committed to a move, don't second-guess it. A fundamental principle in both xiangqi and go (围棋): the placed piece cannot be taken back. Used as a principle of personal integrity and commitment in Chinese culture — not recklessness, but the resolve to live with your choices rather than endlessly revisiting them.
- 创业就是落子无悔，走出这一步就别再想退路了。
- 落子无悔是他做决定的原则——一旦想清楚就不后悔。
- 签了合同就是落子无悔，现在再说后悔没有意义。
“棋逢对手”
Meeting a worthy opponent at chess — finding your match; being evenly matched with a rival you genuinely respect. Used with admiration for a competitive encounter where both sides are at the same level and neither can easily dominate. '棋逢对手，将遇良才' is a classical Chinese expression: meeting a chess equal, a general meets a capable commander. It implies the pleasure of genuine competition.
- 这场谈判真是棋逢对手，双方都不肯轻易让步。
- 跑了半年业务才棋逢对手，遇到一个真正懂行的客户。
- 两个顶尖律师在庭上棋逢对手，旁观者都看得津津有味。
“一盘棋”
One game of chess — viewing a situation as one integrated whole where all moves are connected and no piece operates in isolation. Used for coordinated strategy at a national or organizational level, where every individual part must serve the unified whole. '全国一盘棋' (the whole country plays as one game) is a classic expression of centralized, coordinated Chinese strategic thinking — everyone aligned behind one strategic vision.
- 集团战略要当一盘棋来看，每个子公司都是棋盘上的一个棋子。
- 做城市规划必须全城一盘棋，不能各区各自为政。
- 他管团队的方式就是一盘棋——每个人都清楚自己在哪个位置，起什么作用。
“残局”
The endgame / leftover board — the difficult late-stage mess you have to navigate and clean up; the aftermath of a situation where the main drama has played out and what remains is complicated and exhausting. '处理残局' (dealing with the endgame) is a common expression for whoever gets stuck managing the fallout after a crisis, a leadership change, or a failed project.
- 项目总监跑了，剩下的人在处理这个烂摊子的残局。
- 收购失败之后，法务团队花了两年时间处理残局。
- 感情里的残局最难收拾，理清楚需要很长时间。
“车轮战”
Chariot-wheel battle — wearing someone down by taking turns attacking in rotation; relay harassment or relay interrogation where fresh attackers keep coming as the target tires. From the xiangqi chariot (车/jū), which attacks in straight lines with unstoppable force. '搞车轮战' = to take turns going at someone until they break. Used for business negotiations, political pressure campaigns, and extended interrogations.
- 对方搞车轮战，谈判代表一个换一个，我们的人都累坏了。
- 连续开了三场会议，每场都是新的质疑，简直是车轮战。
- 他们用车轮战的方式逼得供应商最终降价了。
“高手”
High-level player — an expert or genuine master; someone who has achieved real mastery of their craft. Can be used admiringly (that person is truly exceptional) or sometimes mock-admiringly with irony. In xiangqi culture, a 高手 is someone you genuinely learn from by watching — their moves teach you things you didn't know were possible. Now used broadly for any expert in any field.
- 他是做空的高手，每次市场下跌他都赚钱。
- 真正的高手不需要显摆，他们只是解决问题。
- 一看就是行业高手——三句话就把问题说清楚了。
“布局”
Laying out the board — the strategic positioning phase; arranging pieces and establishing position before direct confrontation begins. Originally from go (围棋) and xiangqi opening theory, 布局 has become one of the most commonly used strategy words in Chinese business: '战略布局' (strategic positioning), '提前布局' (lay the groundwork early), '全球布局' (global positioning). It implies deliberate, long-term preparation before the decisive move.
- 公司提前三年在东南亚布局，等别人反应过来时已经占好了位置。
- 好的投资人不是追热点，而是提前布局。
- 他的职业发展全靠布局——每一步都是为下一步做准备。
“棋盘人生”
Life is a chessboard — the philosophical view that life requires strategic thinking; every move has consequences, positions matter, and you must think ahead. Used to frame life as a game of strategy rather than chance, where success goes to those who think more moves ahead. Both inspiring (you have agency, you can plan) and cautionary (others are also playing, and the board is complex).
- 棋盘人生，每一步都要想清楚，走错了再悔棋代价太大。
- 他把人生当棋盘来走，每个阶段都有清晰的目标和布局。
- 棋盘人生的道理是：你在下棋，别人也在下棋，你得知道自己是谁的棋子。
