Dear all (especially to Fencer),

May I suggest that the players be given an option to view the game in either the Chess-like annotations or a translated version of the conventional Xiangqi annotations?

The Chinese traditionally use an annotation system like this: each move has four components - 1) the name of the piece, 2) the starting file, 3) the direction of the move, and 4) the new file number, or if the piece remains in the same file, then the number of points by which the piece moved. If it's an ambiguous situation, then the first two components become 1) whether the piece is in the front, middle, or back relative to other pieces of the same type in the same file, and 2) piece of the name, and 3) and 4) are the same as above.

Since the traditional Chinese style of annotations is written completely in Chinese (or mostly in Chinese, in a version that uses Chinese numbers for Red's moves and Arabic numbers for Black's moves), I of course do not suggest that we actually use Chinese characters, since most here do not read Chinese. I suggest using symbols: a single alphabet for each piece's name, Arabic numbers for all numbers, and + for forward and front, = for sideways and middle, and - for backward and back. I believe the Asian Xiangqi Federation is already using a type of such translated version of the conventional Chinese annotations.

Using the conventional annotations has two benefits: 1) a player can become familiar with it and be able to read all the games that are recorded in the conventional annotations, and 2) the conventional style allows one easily trace the moves backwards.

Fencer, if you are interested in this, I'll do what I can help you understand how the conventional annotations work (assuming you do not know already, but if you are already familiar with it, then I apologize for making such an assumption.)