◇ Just read — no move neededOne orthogonal step, inside the palace
The general (帅/将) moves exactly one step up, down, left or right, and only along the lines of his nine-point palace. He is the slowest piece on the board — yet the whole game orbits around him, because the moment he cannot escape a check, the game is over. Treat him like a vault door: every plan you make, on both sides, starts from where he stands.