---
title: "How to Practice Xiangqi Without a Partner · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Play the computer, work through puzzles, and replay master games move by move, forming your own view before checking an engine or the known result."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-practice-xiangqi-without-a-partner
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 practice xiangqi without a partner?

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
>
> Three things work well alone: **playing the computer** at a level that challenges you, **working through tactics puzzles**, and **replaying recorded games** move by move, pausing to guess the next move before revealing it. All three are genuinely productive, and none requires anyone else's schedule to align with yours.

## Why replaying games works even solo

Guessing the next move in a well-played game and then checking yourself against what actually happened is a structured way to compare your judgement against a stronger player's, without needing that player present. It is slower than puzzles but builds a different skill: positional judgement rather than sharp calculation.

## Do not skip review

Solo practice without review teaches less than the same time spent with review, because you never learn which of your instincts were wrong. See [how to improve](https://xiangqimaster.com/learn/how-to-improve) for the order to do this in, form your own view first, then check it.

## Related questions

Is playing the computer alone as useful as playing people?

Useful for absorbing rules and punishing blunders early on; less useful once you need to see human-style plans rather than engine-style tactics.

How much solo puzzle practice is enough?

Fifteen to twenty focused puzzles beats a long unfocused session; stop once you start guessing rather than calculating.

## Related xiangqi resources

Play the computer

Four difficulty levels, no account needed

Tactics puzzles

One right idea per position

Analyse your games

Take any position apart with engine support

## Try it on a real board

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