do you know xiangqi (chinese chess)?

Yes.

based upon the pawn's worth,

mandarin = 2

elephant = 3

knight    =4

cannon   =6

rook      =10

general  =infinite value

That looks like some awful opening play, and I've never heard of chinese chess.

itsyourturn.com has just about everything.

But you're right, not as nice as chess.com (and no live games, just the correspondence type).

So how do these pieces move -- one square, two squares, diagonal or what? 

The elephant moves 2 spaces left/right and 2 spaces up/down. It cannot move if there's a piece in the center of its path. 

The elephant can only stay in the territory; it cannot cross the river (in the middle)

The horse moves like in chess, except when a piece blocks when he tries to moves 2 spaces.

The mandarin moves diagonally, one space, in the place, following the lines.

The general moves straight, in the palaces. 

Both the mandarin and the general cannot go out of the palace.

The pawn moves and takes piece straight, cannont retreat. Once across the river, he can move side to side.

The cannon, (my favorite part), moves like the rook but takes while jumping one piece.

The rook, most powerful piece, moves and takes exactly like in chess.

Oooh, xiangqi! I played this a little, small-time team competitions in school.

And the piece values should be closer to:

Advisor (Mandarin) = 2

Elephant (Minister) = 2

Horse (Knight) = 4.5

Cannon = 4.5

Rook (Chariot) = 9

With the added note that like bishops, elephants and advisors work way better in pairs. Common material imbalances are cannon/horse for 2 elephants/advisors, rook for 2 of cannons/horses, and 2 pawns across the river for a cannon/horse.

Cannons, horses and rooks are "big pieces", and it's usually better to have a variety of each rather than lacking some. (So R+H+C is slightly better than R+2C or R+2H.) The reason is that the mating attacks are very, very different from international chess, highly dependent on piece coordination with some truly beautiful patterns, sometimes even with far advanced pawns.

For sites to play on, I use playok. I hear good things about clubxiangqi too.

I first encountered this game in high school in Chicago. A number of students were from Hong Kong and sometimes you'd see these students playing the game in the lunchroom.

I eventually asked a couple of students to show me how to play the game. I eventually went and bought a set for myself. I then taught the game to a couple of other (non-Chinese) students and got sets for them as well.

In college I also encountered Janggi which is the Korean variant of the game.

I wish you could play Correspondence Xiangqi somewhere. That'd be awesome ...

EDIT: I didn't see Wafflemaster's comment the first time. Off to itsyourturn.com!

A little more info:

The knights must move two spaces first, then one space to the side. This matters because a piece can block the knight, if the piece is directly in front (not two spaces away) from the knight.

A general cannot be in the direct line of sight of the opposing general. Something has to be in the way.

Edit: Pawns don't promote.

Edit2: Elephants are like bishops. They move diagonally, but only two spaces, and doesn't cross the river.

Agreeing with the comments that other websites have off-putting interfaces; it would be great if somewhere as attractive as chess.com could host the game.

Once upon a time my old Chinese teacher made me play a visiting friend because I had beaten her and her roommates and he crushed me a few times in spite of my feeling I was doing well, winning a few soldiers, and that more than any game of chess I've ever played taught me the importance of not overvaluing material.

One important thing that no one mentioning: The generals can not be in a straight  line to one another. In other words, a general cannot face the other general face to face without anything blocking them.

See post #13 

Observe. The knight is a horse, the bishop an elephant. The black pawns are enemy pieces, and it shows how they can "block" the moves of the horse and elephant. The white pawns are where the horse and elephant can go. Also note that the elephant cannot choose to go one square diagonally; it must go two squares diagonally.

That's a good point about the elephant. It can also be blocked if a piece was in between it and where it wants to move.

Also, about the pawn crossing the river. It can capture to the sides after it has crossed.

I used to play it when I was a kid before age 10. It seemed easier to play then chess.

But if look closely, it's not even easy.

To capture, you place your piece right on the top of the captured. And then pull the captured from below and put your piece on the cross rather than a square.

So there is a technique on how to capture a piece. Quite artistic compare to chess.

I don't think the technique for capturing a piece is a rule.  Or if it is, i certainly never knew about it. I think it's easier and more efficient to do it that way.

Neither chess games are easy. I think the saying goes, and it can be applied to both games "Chess is easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master."

yes, you put your index finger on top of your piece and pull the opponent piece with your thumb and middle finger.

When you put your piece on top, it makes some characteristics sound. Takkkkkkkk. Like to hear the sound.

In chess, there is no sound, or just noise when you capture.

There can be. I don't think there's a rule against knocking over a piece with the capturing piece.

This reminds me, i don't think there's stalemate in Xianqi. There is draw by insufficient material.