---
title: "How Many Xiangqi Openings Should You Learn? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Two — one for Red and one for Black. Two systems played well beat six systems half remembered."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-many-openings-do-i-need-to-know
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How many xiangqi openings do I need to know?

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
>
> **Two.** One for when you move first, one for when you do not. That is enough to reach a playable middlegame against anything anybody plays, and it is far more useful than a shallow acquaintance with a dozen systems you cannot explain.

## Why two is genuinely enough

Because the opening is not the point — the middlegame it hands you is. You only learn that middlegame by reaching it repeatedly and seeing what works, and you cannot do that if you change system every week.

For most players the pair is **Central Cannon as Red** and **Screen Horses as Black**.

## How deep

Four or five moves, plus the plan. Beyond that, learn from your own games: the moves you actually need are the ones your actual opponents played, and no book knows what those are.

## Related questions

When should I add a third?

When you can explain why your current two produce the positions they do. Not before.

Should I learn what a grandmaster plays?

No. Grandmaster repertoires solve grandmaster problems. Pick middlegames you enjoy.

## 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

Xiangqi openings

The opening reference

## Try it on a real board

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