Chinese Chess FEN Examples

Common Xiangqi FEN examples, including the starting position, teaching positions, endgames, and review formats with moves.

FEN examples are the easiest way to understand how a position is stored as text. Instead of reading only abstract rules, examples show how the starting position is written, how endgames are saved, why FEN with move history matters, and what to check before sharing a position.

Author: Sachess Editorial Team · Updated: 2026-06-22 · 3 Sources

Open Sachess

Home

Analyze Position

AI Analysis

FEN Tool

FEN Guide

Highlights

Covers starting positions, ordinary positions, and endgame FEN usage.
Explains the difference between base FEN and moves.
Useful for teaching, puzzle sets, review nodes, and cross-device sharing.
Examples work directly with the FEN tool and AI analysis page.

Steps

Start with the initial-position FEN and understand how 10 ranks and 9 files are represented.

Then inspect ordinary position examples and check empty-square numbers, piece letters, and side to move.

If you need review history, use base FEN plus moves to preserve the line.

After loading an example, compare it with the board to make sure it matches the source position.

Details

Common FEN example

The standard Xiangqi starting FEN is rnbakabnr/9/1c5c1/p1p1p1p1p/9/9/P1P1P1P1P/1C5C1/9/RNBAKABNR w - - 0 1. Uppercase letters usually represent red pieces, lowercase letters represent black pieces, numbers represent consecutive empty points, and slashes separate ranks.

A complete FEN is not only piece placement. It also includes state such as the side to move. In practice, the most common mistakes are board orientation, empty-square counts, and reversed red or black letters.

The starting-position FEN is the best beginner reference.
Numbers represent consecutive empty points; slashes move to the next rank.
Piece case and side to move directly affect engine judgment.

Choosing base FEN or moves

If you only want to share the current board, base FEN is usually enough. Endgame puzzles, mating exercises, and teaching positions often need only the position itself.

If you want to review a sequence, keep the moves. Base FEN describes the starting node, while moves describe the continuation so the page can replay the whole variation.

Use base FEN when sharing only one position.
Keep moves when review history matters.
FEN with moves is better for analyzing turning points.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Miscounting empty points

Each rank must add up to 9 points, so check both numbers and pieces.

Pitfall 2: Reversing red and black letters

Letter case represents different sides, and reversing it changes the whole position.

Glossary

Base FEN

The core FEN that describes only the starting position and state.

Moves

The move history appended after FEN to restore the variation chain.

Examples

Starting position example

rnbakabnr/9/1c5c1/p1p1p1p1p/9/9/P1P1P1P1P/1C5C1/9/RNBAKABNR w - - 0 1

Sharing example

A puzzle usually needs only base FEN; a review line should keep moves.

FAQ

What is the starting FEN for Xiangqi

A common starting FEN is rnbakabnr/9/1c5c1/p1p1p1p1p/9/9/P1P1P1P1P/1C5C1/9/RNBAKABNR w - - 0 1.

What do numbers mean in FEN

A number means that many consecutive empty points in the rank; 9 means the whole rank is empty.

What is the difference between base FEN and moves

Base FEN describes the starting position, while moves describe the move history after that position.

Why does a loaded position look wrong

The usual causes are board orientation, piece letter case, empty-square count, or side to move. Check the board after loading.

Sources

Sachess FEN loader XQBase computer protocol intro Forsyth-Edwards Notation