Xiangqi is a Chinese game in a family of strategic board games of which Western chess and Japanese shogi are also members. The Chinese name is literally translatable as either "elephant chess" but is commonly called Chinese chess in the West. The ancestry of Xiangqi is disputed with some historians contending that it originated from Liubo and others stating that it is a relative of the 6th century Indian game of chaturanga. It is one of the most popular board games of the chaturanga family in the world, especially in Asia. Distinctive features of xiangqi include the unique movement of the pao ("cannon") piece, a rule prohibiting the generals (similar to chess kings) from facing each other directly, and the river and palace board features, which restrict the movement of some pieces.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1174: William the Lion, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, was captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Henry II of England. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolt_of_1173-1174)

1772: HMS Resolution set sail from Plymouth, England, under the command of Captain James Cook. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Resolution_%28Cook%29)

1793: Jean-Paul Marat, a leader in the French Revolution, was murdered in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Marat)

1878: The major powers redrew the map of the Balkans in the Treaty of Berlin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Berlin%2C_1878)

1985: Live Aid benefit concerts, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia, was held in London and Philadelphia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others— that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail." -- Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Livingstone)