---
title: "The Sixty-Move Rule in Xiangqi · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Sixty moves without a capture is a draw in xiangqi — the equivalent of the fifty-move rule in chess."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-many-moves-is-a-draw-in-xiangqi
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How many moves without a capture is a draw in 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
>
> **Sixty moves** with no capture by either side is a draw. It is the equivalent of the fifty-move rule in chess, and it is more than enough for any of the basic mates — but it becomes a real constraint if you spend twenty of those moves checking aimlessly before finding a plan.

## When it actually bites

In endgames where the attacker has enough material to win but does not know the technique. A chariot mates a bare general in a handful of accurate moves; the same chariot in the hands of someone giving random checks can burn sixty.

The discipline is the same as ever: take the escape points first, then check once.

## Other ways a game is drawn

- **Agreement**, exactly as in chess.
- **Insufficient material** — a lone horse or lone cannon cannot force mate.
- **Mutual perpetual** — where both sides are equally at fault under the repetition laws.

## Related questions

Is threefold repetition a draw in xiangqi?

No. Repetition is adjudicated: the player checking or chasing must vary. See [perpetual check and chase](https://xiangqimaster.com/rules/perpetual-check-and-chase).

Does a capture reset the count?

Yes, any capture restarts it.

## Related xiangqi resources

Perpetual check and chase

Repetition is adjudicated, not automatically drawn

Basic checkmates

Mating with ordinary material

Xiangqi endgames

What beats what, and why

## Try it on a real board

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