Is it normal to feel nervous before my first real xiangqi game against a person?
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
Completely normal, and it fades faster than you expect. A real opponent watching you think feels different from a screen, even though the rules, the board and the stakes are exactly the same either way. Most of that nervousness is simply unfamiliarity, and it settles within a handful of games.
Why a person feels different from the computer
A computer does not react, does not sigh, does not glance at the clock, so playing one removes the social pressure entirely. A real opponent reintroduces all of that, and it is a genuinely different experience the first few times, regardless of how many games you have already played against software.
What actually helps
Remembering that your opponent, especially another beginner, is almost certainly a little nervous too, and that a slow, uncertain start is completely ordinary and expected. Nobody at a casual board is judging a first-timer the way it can feel like they are.
Related questions
Should I mention that it is my first real game?
If it would put you more at ease, yes; most opponents respond well to it and play more patiently.
Does the nervousness ever fully go away?
The first-game version does, quickly. A different, more familiar kind of nerves can return later in competitive settings, which is a separate and much later concern.
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