How do you set up a xiangqi board?
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
A xiangqi board has 9 files and 10 ranks, and pieces sit on the intersections, not the squares. Each side starts with 16 pieces on its back two ranks and the soldier rank: chariot, horse, elephant, advisor, general, advisor, elephant, horse, chariot along the back; two cannons in front of the horses; five soldiers on alternate files.
The board
Three features have no western equivalent and all three matter:
- Pieces sit on intersections. Nine files gives nine points per rank, and ten ranks gives ninety points in total.
- The river divides the board across the middle. Elephants may never cross it; soldiers gain sideways movement once they do.
- The palace is the three-by-three area at each end marked with a diagonal cross. The general and both advisors are confined to it for the whole game.
Red moves first, and sits at the bottom by convention.
The starting position. Red moves first — play a move.
Xiangqi position. Red: soldier a3, soldier c3, soldier e3, soldier g3, soldier i3, cannon b2, cannon h2, chariot a0, horse b0, elephant c0, advisor d0, general e0, advisor f0, elephant g0, horse h0, chariot i0. Black: chariot a9, horse b9, elephant c9, advisor d9, general e9, advisor f9, elephant g9, horse h9, chariot i9, cannon b7, cannon h7, soldier a6, soldier c6, soldier e6, soldier g6, soldier i6. Red to move.
Where each piece goes
| Piece | Chinese (Red / Black) | Number | Starting points (Red) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chariot | 俥 / 車 | 2 | a0, i0 |
| Horse | 傌 / 馬 | 2 | b0, h0 |
| Elephant | 相 / 象 | 2 | c0, g0 |
| Advisor | 仕 / 士 | 2 | d0, f0 |
| General | 帥 / 將 | 1 | e0 |
| Cannon | 炮 / 砲 | 2 | b2, h2 |
| Soldier | 兵 / 卒 | 5 | a3, c3, e3, g3, i3 |
Black mirrors this exactly on the opposite side. The cannons are the only pieces that do not start on a back or soldier rank — they sit on the third rank, in front of the horses, already pointing down the board.
Common mistakes
Placing pieces in the squares
Xiangqi is played on the intersections of the lines. A board that looks like a chessboard with pieces in cells is set up wrongly.
Putting the cannons on the back rank
The cannons belong on the third rank, in front of the horses — the points marked with the small corner crosses.
Placing five soldiers on adjacent files
Soldiers occupy alternate files — a, c, e, g and i — leaving a gap between each pair.
Related questions
How many pieces are in xiangqi?
32 in total, 16 per side: one general, two advisors, two elephants, two horses, two chariots, two cannons and five soldiers.
How big is a xiangqi board?
Nine files by ten ranks, giving 90 playable points. Pieces sit on the intersections, and the river runs between the fifth and sixth ranks.
Who moves first in xiangqi?
Red always moves first.