---
title: "How to Choose a Xiangqi Opening · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Which xiangqi opening to learn first, how many you actually need, and how to build a small repertoire that covers everything an opponent can play."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/choosing-an-opening
updated: 2026-09-07
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Choosing an opening

Every position, move and legality claim on this page is verified programmatically against our open rules engine, which implements the WXF laws and is tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook.

> Direct answer
>
> Learn one opening as Red and one defence as Black, and play them until you understand the middlegames they produce. For most players that means the Central Cannon as Red and Screen Horses as Black. Two systems played well beat six systems half remembered.

## How many openings you need

Two. One for when you move first and one for when you do not. That is enough to reach a playable middlegame against anything, and it is far more useful than a shallow acquaintance with a dozen systems.

The reason is that openings are not the point. The point is the middlegame they hand you, and you only learn that by reaching the same middlegame repeatedly and seeing what works.

## Picking the pair

| If you want | As Red | As Black |
| --- | --- | --- |
| To attack and learn tactics fast | [Central Cannon](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/central-cannon) | [Screen Horses](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/screen-horses) |
| Solid positions and fewer forced lines | [Elephant Opening](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/elephant-opening) | [Screen Horses](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/screen-horses) |
| Maximum flexibility | [Pawn Opening](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/pawn-opening) | Central cannon counter |
| Sharp symmetrical play | [Central Cannon](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/central-cannon) | [Same direction cannons](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/same-direction-cannons) |

If you have no preference, take the first row. The Central Cannon teaches attacking play faster than anything else, and Screen Horses teaches you how attacks are stopped.

## How to learn one properly

Not by memorising moves. Learn the first four or five moves, then play games and look at where things went wrong afterwards. The moves you need to know are the ones your actual opponents actually played, and you find those by playing.

When a game goes badly out of the opening, work out which move gave the position away and what the idea behind the correct move was. One position understood is worth twenty lines memorised.

## Common mistakes

#### Learning a new opening after every loss

The opening is rarely why you lost. Changing systems resets the understanding you were building and hides the real problem.

#### Memorising long lines

Opponents leave theory early. Understanding the plan behind move five is worth more than knowing move twelve.

#### Choosing an opening because a champion plays it

Grandmaster repertoires are built to solve grandmaster problems. Pick a system whose middlegames you enjoy playing.

## Related questions

What is the best xiangqi opening for beginners?

The [Central Cannon](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/central-cannon) as Red and [Screen Horses](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/screen-horses) as Black. The plans are direct, and between them they teach both attack and defence.

How many xiangqi openings should I know?

Two to start with, one for each colour. Add more only when you can explain why the ones you have produce the positions they do.

How deep should I learn an opening?

Four or five moves, plus the plan. Beyond that, learn from your own games, because those are the positions you will actually get.

## Related xiangqi resources

Opening principles

What to play without theory

The Central Cannon

The usual first choice

How to improve

Where openings fit in

## Put it into practice

Play a game against the computer or a real opponent. It is free, it starts instantly, and there is nothing to install.