Xiangqi rules: the complete reference

Xiangqi has seven piece types and about a dozen rules. Two of those rules — the flying general and the repetition laws — have no equivalent in western chess and cause most of the confusion for players arriving from it. Every page below explains one rule and then demonstrates it on a board you can move.

Start here

Board setup and the starting positionThe board, the river, the palace, and where the 32 pieces go How to play xiangqiThe complete beginner's guide, from an empty board to your first game

How each piece moves

The general (帥/將)One point orthogonally, never leaves the palace The advisor (仕/士)One point diagonally, five points in total The elephant (相/象)Two points diagonally, never crosses the river The horse (傌/馬)An L-shape that can be blocked — it never jumps The chariot (俥/車)Like a rook, and the strongest piece on the board The cannon (炮/砲)Captures only by jumping a screen The soldier (兵/卒)Forward only, until it crosses the river

The rules that decide games

The flying generalGenerals may never face each other down an open file Check, checkmate and stalemateIncluding why stalemate is a loss, not a draw Perpetual check and chaseRepetition is adjudicated, not automatically drawn

Related questions

What are the basic rules of xiangqi?

Two players, Red and Black, move alternately on a 9×10 board of intersections divided by a river. Red moves first. Each side has 16 pieces, and the game is won by checkmating the enemy general. The general and advisors never leave the palace, elephants never cross the river, and a player left with no legal move loses.

Is xiangqi harder than chess?

Not harder, differently hard. The rules take less time to learn, but games are sharper and more forcing, the general's confinement makes attacks more concrete, and the repetition laws add a layer of judgement that western chess does not have.

What are the official xiangqi rules?

The World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) rules are the international standard, alongside the Chinese national rules. They agree on all ordinary play and differ in some details of repetition adjudication. Our engine implements the WXF laws and is verified against the official 110-diagram casebook.

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