The Xiangqi Academy

A route from never having seen a xiangqi board to holding your own in a rated game. Work through it in order — each stage assumes the one before it — or jump to whatever you are missing. Everything here is free.

Beginner — your first game

1. The board and the piecesWhat the river and the palace are for 2. How to play xiangqiEvery rule, in the order you need them 3. Check, checkmate and stalemateHow games actually end 4. Interactive lessons17 lessons where you play the position, not read about it

Intermediate — start winning

Opening principlesWhat to play before you know any theory Tactical patternsThe forks and discovered attacks that decide club games Your first openingThe Central Cannon, and why everyone plays it Daily puzzlesPattern recognition, a few minutes a day

Advanced — study properly

The repetition lawsThe rules that settle tournament games Endgame techniqueKnown results, and how to steer toward them Analyse your gamesThe fastest way to find your own weaknesses

Related questions

How long does it take to learn xiangqi?

The rules take about ten minutes, and you can play a real game the same day. Reaching a decent club standard is a matter of months, and the usual bottleneck is tactics rather than opening knowledge.

Can I learn xiangqi if I already play chess?

Yes, and the transfer is mostly helpful — calculation and tactical vision carry over directly. The habits to unlearn are jumping knights, stalemate as a save, and perpetual check as a draw. All three are different here.

What should a complete beginner learn first?

The board and the pieces, then the two rules with no chess equivalent: the cannon's screen and the flying general. Once those are natural, play games — you will learn faster from losing than from reading.

Learn it on the board

Everything here is easier once you have played a game. Start one now — free, and no download.

Play Xiangqi Rules reference