I think this is a bug: Chinese Chess (Aganju vs. furbster) I'm new to this game, but the rules explicitely say the knight cannot jump over other pieces, and show an example. But it just did!
Can someone who knows the game please look at that? And help me understand or confirm a bug?
Pedro Martínez: Does that mean: A piece horizontally or vertically touching the knight prevents it moving that way, but a piece diagonally touching the knight does not matter?
If so, it did not become clear to me from the rules :-/
Aganju: Imagine the Knight taking an “L” path during the course of its movement, and taking the longer part of the “L” path first. When the first space it would move over is occupied, its movement in that direction is blocked.
The game rules on this website explains it correctly, but perhaps it can put more emphasis on the sequence of movement, since that is critical in understanding how the piece can be blocked.
The knight (a.k.a. horse, the more precise meaning of the Chinese word representing the piece) must first move orthogonally (i.e. vertically or horizontally) and then diagonally, in such a way that the destination is always two files or two ranks away from the starting point. The sequence of movement is critical, as stated above: it must first move orthogonally. So think of the horse as making two stops in one move - first to an orthogonal point, then to a diagonal point further away. If the first stop - the orthogonal point - is occupied by a piece of either side, then the horse can go no further in that direction.
I'm sure other posters' explanations have already clarified the matter for you, but I thought I'd give a more detailed explanation for anyone who is still having trouble with this rule.
MengTzu: thanks, I appreciate your explanation. I think its especially people like me (that come from western chess) that fall for the easy assumption that the horse is just a knight, but it isn't - it is just similar, but different. That game is finished by now, and I've grown to enjoy Chinese Chess!