Advisor Opening

The Advisor Opening (上仕局; also written 上士局 in some Chinese instructional taxonomies) is an uncommon xiangqi opening in which Red begins by moving an advisor toward the centre of the palace. In WXF notation the two possible first moves are A4+5 and A6+5 (仕四进五 and 仕六进五); the featured position below shows the A4+5 line. Jim Png Hau Cheng’s A Lexicon of Xiangqi/Chinese Chess Terms in English uses the published English name “Advisor Opening,” defines the opening as Red’s first move A4+5 or A6+5, calls it unorthodox, and assigns it code A01. The Chinese-language Wikipedia article on xiangqi openings classifies the opening among the cold openings and states that it appears infrequently in professional play.

Loading xiangqi example…

Name and classification

The opening is known in Chinese as 上仕局, and 上士局 in some instructional taxonomies. Under the 2004 Encyclopedia of Chinese Chess Openings (ECCO) it is coded A01, “上仕局,” with the prescribed first move 1. 仕四进五. The Chinese-language Wikipedia article on xiangqi openings lists it among the uncommon first-move openings and states that it appears infrequently in professional play. The Chinese Wikibooks text on xiangqi openings places it in the “仕类开局” group and describes it as consolidating the position while leaving open the possibility of playing a central cannon later.

The English lexicon describes the opening as unorthodox and as having been criticised for exposing Red’s defensive setup early, particularly on the flanks, before Red chooses a later formation; it names the central cannon, screen horse, and sandwiched horse as possible later formations. An instructional article on Xiangqi Wu classifies the opening among the cold openings, attributes frequent use to the xiangqi master Miao Liming (苗利明), and gives an engine evaluation of −2 points for Red; it describes the opening as a purely defensive method that hands the initiative to Black. A 2026 instructional overview on ZOL presents a more favourable view, calling the opening uncommon but “not without reason,” describing it as defensive, noting that it leaves open a later central-cannon formation, and suggesting possible surprise value.

Strategic assessment and development

The Chinese Wikibooks text gives two common Black replies to 1. 仕六进五: 1...卒3进1 and 1...马2进3, and states that the opening consolidates Red’s position while leaving open a later central-cannon formation. The English lexicon’s criticism is qualitative: it says the opening is “too revealing,” gives the opponent glaring weaknesses to exploit very early, and that Red then goes on to choose a formation such as the central cannon, screen horse, or sandwiched horse. The Xiangqi Wu article’s assessment is likewise attributed: it calls the move pure defence, says it is not strongly targeted, and compares it to “using stillness to control movement.” The 2026 ZOL overview calls the opening uncommon but not unreasonable and describes it as defensive, while offering the possible surprise value without a game or position to substantiate that suggestion.

Recorded examples and frequency

The English lexicon describes the opening as rarely seen, even in the National Individuals Championships, but gives no period or game count. XQBase’s 2004 ECCO catalog is reported to list two A01 games. The Guangxiang database’s aggregate statistics for A01 list 39 recorded games, with 12 wins, 13 losses and 14 draws for Red, a Red win rate of 48.7%. Recent Guangxiang records include 许文章–蒋融冰 (2023 National Xiangqi League), 苗利明–赵殿宇 and 苗利明–陆伟韬 (2018 competitions), 邹海涛–巨龙飞 and 邹海涛–程长亮 (2026 Guangdong–Beijing challenge matches), and 陆宏伟–吉建军 (2019 amateur open). The Xiangqi Wu article attributes frequent use of the opening to Miao Liming (苗利明), who is nicknamed “上士哥.”