When does the middlegame turn into the endgame in xiangqi?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
There is no formal boundary. In practice the endgame starts when so few attacking pieces are left that the question changes: no longer "how do I break into the palace now?" but "can this material win at all, and how?". At that point soldiers, the generals themselves and the remaining defenders start to decide the game.
Signs you have reached it
- Each side has only a few attacking pieces left, often one or two besides soldiers.
- Direct mating attacks have become rare, and plans take many moves.
- Crossed soldiers matter a great deal.
- Your own general is active: holding a file with the flying-general rule or supporting a soldier.
- You can name the position by its material, like the endings in the books: chariot and soldier against chariot, horse against cannon.
Why the moment matters
The move before you enter an endgame is often the most important of the whole phase. Trading a piece decides which ending you will play, and some endings are wins while others are draws even with extra material. Before a trade that simplifies the position, ask what ending results and whether you know how to play it. The decision to simplify deserves more thought than most middlegame moves.
How your thinking should change
In the middlegame, speed and initiative dominate. In the endgame, precision dominates: small improvements, the right defender kept, the general brought to its best file, a soldier advanced at the right moment. Piece values shift too; horses tend to gain and cannons tend to lose as screens disappear, as explained in why horses improve in the endgame.
Related questions
Is there a move number when the endgame begins?
No. Some games reach an endgame early after mass trades; others end in a middlegame mate.
Are endgames less important in fast games?
No. Fast games often reach an endgame with little time left, which is exactly when knowing the technique by heart pays off.
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