Is there castling 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
No. There is no castling, and there is nothing resembling it. The general starts in the palace and stays there for the whole game, so the concept has nowhere to go. There is also no en passant and no promotion — xiangqi has notably fewer special cases than chess.
What replaces it
Nothing does, and that is the point. In chess, castling lets you choose where the king will be attacked, which is why chess openings are partly a negotiation about that choice. In xiangqi the general's location is fixed, so the whole question disappears.
The defensive equivalent is your advisors and elephants: which points they cover, and whether you keep them, is the real defensive decision.
The special cases xiangqi does have
- The flying general — generals may not face each other on a clear file.
- The blocked horse and elephant — both can be obstructed.
- The cannon's screen — capture requires exactly one piece in between.
- Repetition adjudication — perpetual check and chase are ruled on, not drawn.
Related questions
Is there promotion in xiangqi?
No. A soldier that reaches the last rank gains nothing further; it already gained sideways movement at the river. See how the soldier moves.
Is there en passant?
No. Soldiers move one point at a time and never have a double first step, so the situation cannot arise.
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