--- title: "Can You Use a Chess Clock for Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master" description: "Yes. Any chess clock works — digital clocks with increment support are ideal, and no xiangqi-specific features are needed." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-i-use-a-chess-clock-for-xiangqi updated: 2026-09-22 source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com) license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- # Can I use a chess clock for xiangqi? These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing. > Direct answer > > **Yes, any of them.** There is nothing xiangqi-specific about clock use, so a standard digital chess clock with increment support covers everything. Analogue clocks work too, though without an increment they are less suitable for endgames that need precise technique. ## Why an increment is worth having Xiangqi mates take a handful of accurate moves, not one. Without an increment, won endgames get lost on time — and because stalemate is a loss and perpetual check is a loss, flagging is often the *only* way a clearly winning position fails to win. ## Set it the same way Main time plus increment, started by the player with Black after Red's move, exactly as in chess. Tournament regulations specify the control; the hardware does not care which game it is timing. ## Related questions Do I need a clock for casual play? No. Park games mostly do not use one. Does the sixty-move rule interact with the clock? No, they are independent. Sixty moves without a capture draws regardless of time. ## Related xiangqi resources Play xiangqi Free, in the browser, nothing to install Perpetual check and chase Repetition is adjudicated, not automatically drawn Xiangqi questions answered Every question on this site, in one index ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.