---
title: "How to Build a Xiangqi Opening Repertoire You Trust · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Pick two systems, one per colour, play them repeatedly, and only add depth where your own games actually went wrong. Depth follows experience, not the reverse."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-build-an-opening-repertoire-i-can-trust
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How do I build an opening repertoire I can actually trust?

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
>
> **Pick two systems, one per colour, and let your own games decide where to go deeper.** A repertoire you trust is built from positions you have actually reached and understood, not from lines copied out of a book. Start narrow, play the same systems repeatedly, and add depth only at the exact points where you keep running into trouble.

## Why narrow beats broad early on

Two systems played fifty times each teach you far more than ten systems played five times each, because repetition is what turns an opening into understanding rather than memory. See [how many openings you actually need](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-many-openings-do-i-need-to-know) for the underlying case.

## Let losses point at the gaps

When a game leaves your repertoire and goes badly, that is exactly where to add depth, because it is a gap your actual opponents are finding. Studying moves nobody has played against you yet is a much lower priority.

## Related questions

Should the two systems be related?

Not necessarily, though many players pair a Central Cannon as Red with Screen Horses as Black.

When should I add a third system?

Once you can explain why your current two produce the positions they do, not before.

## Related xiangqi resources

Choosing an opening

How many you need, and which pair to learn

Opening principles

What the first ten moves are actually for

How to improve

What to study, in what order

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.