What happens if you make an illegal move 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
The move is retracted and a legal move played instead. In tournament play an arbiter handles it, usually with a warning for the first offence and a penalty or forfeit for repetition. Online the board simply refuses the move — on this site, with the specific rule that refused it.
The most common illegal moves
- Moving a piece out from between the two generals.
- Moving a horse whose leg is blocked, or an elephant whose eye is blocked.
- Capturing with a cannon that has no screen, or two.
- Moving the general or an advisor outside the palace.
- Leaving your own general in check.
Touch-move
Formal play uses touch-move: touch a piece, move it if it has a legal move. If the piece you touched has no legal move, there is no penalty and you play something else. Casual park games usually ignore this entirely.
Related questions
Do I lose immediately for one illegal move?
No. Typically a warning first; forfeits are for repeated offences, and the exact threshold depends on the event's rules.
What if nobody notices at the time?
Once play has continued and the position cannot be reconstructed, the game stands. Arbiters correct what can be corrected.
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