How long does a game of xiangqi take?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
A casual game takes 20 to 40 minutes. Online blitz finishes in five to ten. Serious tournament games with a full time control run two to three hours. Lost positions tend to end quickly, because the game is sharp and stalemate does not rescue a lost position.
Why lost positions end quickly
Two reasons. The general cannot run, so once an attack has enough material near the palace the game ends quickly rather than grinding. And stalemate is a loss, so the defender has one fewer way to survive and lost endgames simply lose.
Long manoeuvring phases still exist, but there are fewer of them.
Typical time controls
Online: 3+2 or 5+3 for blitz, 10+5 or 15+10 for rapid. Tournament play often uses a main control plus an increment, sometimes with a move-count requirement in the first phase.
If you are learning, play at least some games at ten minutes or slower. You cannot review decisions you never had time to make.
Related questions
What is the sixty-move rule?
Sixty moves with no capture is a draw. It is the equivalent of the fifty-move rule in chess. See the repetition laws.
How many moves is a typical game?
It varies too widely for one figure to mean much. Sharp opening systems often finish sooner.
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