What can a game tell us about China's politics?

In China, an epic power struggle is under way but you wouldn't know it from the official media.

The former security chief has disappeared, a victim of the Orwellian security apparatus he once controlled. Zhou Yongkang was once on the standing committee of the communist party politburo but his name has not been mentioned in the media for seven months.

And in a clear signal that the net is closing, many of his major allies have been detained. Now China is waiting to see whether the president has the might to confine such a powerful enemy behind bars.

China Editor Carrie Gracie has been finding out what an ancient Chinese game can tell us about China's political landscape. She spoke to political analyst Deng Yuwen.