Setup
Set each general face-up on its normal palace point. Shuffle each side's other fifteen pieces and deal them face-down onto the remaining starting points. Neither player knows any hidden identities, including their own.
First moves use starting points
Before reveal, a dark piece uses the role of the starting point it occupies, not its hidden identity. A dark piece on a corner point plays like a chariot; dark pieces on horse, advisor, elephant, cannon, and soldier points use those matching moves.
The normal restrictions still apply to that first move: horse legs, elephant eyes, cannon screens, palace limits for advisor points, and the river limit for elephant points. Once the move resolves, the piece flips face-up for both players.
Revealed pieces use identity
After reveal, use the piece's identity from its current point. Advisors may leave the palace, and elephants may cross the river. Their movement shapes do not change: advisors step one point diagonally; elephants move two points diagonally and are still eye-blocked.
Horses, chariots, and cannons move normally. Soldiers use the normal river rule from wherever they reveal: forward only before crossing, forward or sideways after crossing, never backward.
Captured dark pieces
If a dark piece is captured before revealing, only the capturer learns what it was. The owner sees one dark piece leave the board, but not its identity. Later, the capturer can rule out that hidden identity elsewhere.
Mistboard uses capturer-only reveal: the player who takes a dark piece learns its identity, while the former owner does not.
Checks, wins, and draws
Every occupied point is visible, so players can see when a general is attacked. An unmoved dark piece attacks using its starting point's role. Once it moves, it reveals immediately, and any attack from the destination uses its revealed identity.
Normal check rules apply: a move may not leave your own general attacked, and a player in check must answer the threat. You win by checkmate or by leaving the opponent with no legal move. The facing-generals rule still applies, and dark pieces block the file like any other piece.
Mistboard automatically draws after 120 plies, or 60 moves by each player, without a capture. Repeated positions do not trigger a separate automatic draw.
A sample game
Step through a self-play game. Dark pieces appear as colored backs and reveal their identity the first time they move. Red wins by checkmate.
Play on Mistboard
Jieqi is playable on Mistboard. Play against an engine or challenge a friend. No account required.