JUNGLE GAME DELUXE, DOU SHOU QI, CHINESE ANIMAL CHESS

Deluxe Dou Shou Qi
Chinese "Fighting Animal Game"

Pronounced "Doe Show Chee," this game first appeared in the West at the beginning of the 20th century. The name translates as "Fighting Animal Game," but has also come to be known as "Jungle" or "the Jungle Game."

If you are familiar with this game, you will recognize that this set is a rare, high quality edition, much finer and more durable than the more common wood and paper sets.

This is a fascinating and fun variant of Chinese chess (Xiangqi), which is enjoyed by children every bit as much as it is by adults. The pieces are 8 different animals, on each side, each with their own power ratings, and some with special powers of movement. The object is simply to get one piece into he opponent's "den" (literally, "animal hole") — somewhat similar to the fortress found in Xiangqi.

One fascinating aspect of this particular variant is its similarity to the very popular game Stratego. You can see the similarity right away, viewing the two "lakes" in the board, and considering that each piece has a numerical level of power to capture or be captured by the opposing forces. Stratego is said to come from the earlier game L'Attaque which, coinciding with this game, appeared in the West at the beginning of the 20th century.

A Rare, Modern, High Quality Set

This is an unusually high quality set, finely finished of quality materials. The board is of solid wood, 10 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches, smoothly finished and stained, and printed with gold color. The pieces are solid 2-tone plastic, just about 1 inch in diameter, white on top, clear on the bottom, with a sparkling gold color showing on the underside of each piece. The animal figures shown on the pieces are internationally friendly depictions, cute cartoon-like renditions of the animals they represent.

The set comes in a custom fitted felt pouch. The pieces fit neatly into a square compartment in the folding board, and the board is held closed with a magnet.

The rules are printed in clear and concise English, in a convenient 4 panel brochure.

Shipping, etc...

Shipping is by Priority Mail.
 

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