Xiangqi guide

How to Play Xiangqi

Xiangqi, often called Chinese chess, is a game of two armies on the intersections of a 9-by-10 board. Learn the battlefield first; opening theory can come later.

The board, the river and the palace

Each side begins with 16 pieces. Red moves first. There are nine files and ten ranks, making 90 intersections. The river is a strategic boundary: Elephants cannot cross it, while Soldiers gain sideways movement after they do. The General and Advisors are confined to their own 3-by-3 palace.

Win by checkmating the opposing General, or by leaving the opponent with no legal move. In Xiangqi, stalemate is a loss for the side with no legal move. The rules also keep your General from staying under attack, and the two Generals may not face each other along an otherwise open file.

A helpful first safety check:

Before each move, ask: “What checks, Cannon screens, Chariot lines, and Horse legs does this move create or expose?” With practice, this becomes a natural part of your rhythm.

A living military metaphor

Xiangqi’s names and board design present a stylised battlefield rather than a medieval court. The river, the palaces, the General’s limited movement, and the asymmetrical red/black armies make positioning feel like supplying, defending, and coordinating a force. The game is deeply embedded in Chinese and wider East Asian social play; you will often see it played informally in parks and tea houses as well as in organized competition.

Its early history is debated. A common scholarly account places Xiangqi among chess-family games influenced by Indian chaturanga and shaped in China over the Tang and Song periods. The popular Han Xin origin story is best treated as folklore, not settled history.

How a turn works

Choose one of your pieces and move it to a legal empty intersection or capture an enemy on one.
Check the path for blockers. A Cannon needs exactly one screen only when capturing.
Keep your General safe: a move that leaves it checked is not legal.
Then let the opponent reply. Check is a threat to the General, not an automatic win.

Friendly opening habits

Good Xiangqi openings develop force efficiently while leaving you plenty of options.

Develop the main pieces: Chariots, Horses, and Cannons become more useful when they have open lines and teammates nearby.
Keep the centre meaningful: central files lead toward both palaces; keeping one Horse near the centre is a nice starting idea.
Free a Horse: a Soldier in front of a Horse can block its leg, so opening one route is often a useful early project.
Bring out a Chariot safely: it is the most mobile major piece, and it is happiest with room to move and some support.
Give Cannons a helping hand: they need screens and coordination, so a quiet Cannon move can be more useful than an early adventure.
Let the General settle: its starting square is normally well protected while your other pieces develop.

Think in three phases

Phase	Practical question	Priority
Opening	Which of my main pieces is still trapped?	Development, centre, king safety
Middlegame	What is my opponent threatening next?	Coordination, weak points, checks and exchanges
Endgame	Which Soldier can become decisive, and is my General now active?	Precise timing, pawn-like Soldiers, theoretical draws

Middlegame: calculate both sides

Before committing to a capture, compare material with position. A Chariot is usually worth more in practical play than an equal-looking collection of minor pieces, but exposed Generals, trapped pieces, and active Cannons can outweigh a simple count. Search for a forcing intermediate move—especially a check—before taking the piece you first noticed. Defend while attacking: a direct threat is useless if it lets your opponent force mate or win your Chariot.

Endgame: fewer pieces, clearer ideas

As the board clears, Soldiers become much stronger and Generals can take a more active role because the flying-General rule can control an open file. Cannons lose some force when screens disappear; Horses often improve in sparse positions, particularly when Advisors and Elephants are gone. Advance a Soldier with a plan: it never retreats or promotes, so timing and file choice matter.

Learn efficiently

Play slow games against an opponent near your level.
After each game, identify one missed check, one loose piece, and one moment where you ignored the opponent’s plan.
Practice short checkmate and capture puzzles to learn the geometry of Cannons, Horses and palaces.
Study strong games for the reason behind a move—not just a sequence to memorize.

About this browser version

Tournament rules for repeated check and chase are nuanced. For a clear casual game, this version declares a draw at the third occurrence of a position, or after 60 half-moves without a capture.

Play Xiangqi Learn every piece