Xiangqi
Xiangqi is Chinese chess, and its pieces sit on the points where lines meet rather than inside squares. The 9x10 board has a river across its middle, both Generals are confined to a palace, and a cannon needs to hop over a piece to make a capture.
The version here belongs to Christopher Müller's PaperGames. Play red or black against the computer at three levels, or with a friend on one screen. You can also switch the pieces from Chinese characters to small drawings, which helps if you are still learning the pieces.
How to play Xiangqi
Red moves first. You move one piece per turn and capture by landing on an enemy. The goal is to checkmate the opposing General, though you also win if the other side has no legal move.
The palace keeps the General and both Advisors inside it. Your General moves a single point along a line, while an Advisor moves a single point on a diagonal. Elephants travel two points diagonally, no more and no less, and stay on their own side of the river. Horses move one point straight then one diagonally, but a piece in the way blocks them. Chariots slide any distance in a line.
Cannons move like chariots, but to capture they must jump exactly one piece of either color. Soldiers step forward, and after crossing the river they gain a sideways step too. A move that leaves the Generals staring at each other down an empty file is not allowed.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a piece | Tab to the board, arrows to a point, Enter on piece then target | Click a piece, then its target | Tap a piece, then its target |
| Characters or symbols | — | Click Switch to symbols or Switch to characters | Tap the switch button |
| Move list | — | Click Moves | Tap Moves |
| New game, undo, resign | — | Pick a side and level, then use New game, Undo or Resign | Tap the same buttons |
Tips
- A common opening moves a cannon to the center file, so it lines up on the opposing General with a soldier as its screen.
- Bring your horses out early. Once the board fills up, a horse hemmed in by its own pieces is easy to block.
- Your chariots are the strongest pieces. Get them onto open files where they can reach both halves of the board.
- Any piece standing between an enemy cannon and your piece gives that cannon a platform to capture, even if it is one of yours.
- Use the facing Generals rule as a weapon. Your General on the center file can pin an enemy piece that would otherwise move away.
If you like Xiangqi, try these
ShogiJapanese chess adds drops, letting captured pieces return to the board on your side.
HnefataflProtecting a key piece drives this Viking game, where the king must slip away to a corner.
Questions
Is there stalemate in Xiangqi?
No. A player who has no legal move loses, even when they are not in check. This version follows that rule.
Can I force a draw with endless checks?
No. A move that would repeat a position a third time while you keep checking or chasing an unprotected piece is refused. If neither side or both sides were forcing, the repetition is a draw.
Does Xiangqi remember my piece style and game?
Yes. Your choice of characters or symbols is remembered, and an unfinished game is kept in browser storage until you come back.
More like this: all strategy games · 2-player games · every game A–Z
