Playing xiangqi against the computer
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
You can play xiangqi against the computer here for free, with no account, in the browser. There are fourteen computer opponents seeded from about 980 to 1880 across four strengths, so there is one that will beat you and one you can beat. All of them play the full World Xiangqi Federation rules, including the repetition laws that decide who loses a perpetual chase.
How strong is it?
Four levels, and fourteen named opponents spread across them, each seeded at its own rating:
- Easy — around 980–1120. Plays sound moves and misses tactics. This is where to start if you have just learned how the pieces move.
- Medium — around 1180–1425. Punishes hanging pieces and simple forks, and will not lose material for nothing.
- Hard — around 1490–1785. Sees short tactics reliably and plays the openings sensibly. A strong club player's practice partner.
- Master — around 1880. The strongest setting here.
Those numbers are honest about what they are: seeded ratings on this site's own scale, not a claim to compete with the dedicated engines that play at professional level. What the computer is for is a game available instantly at roughly your own strength, which is a different thing from the strongest possible opponent.
No account, and nothing to install
Playing the computer needs no account at all — the board opens straight away. An account is only needed for rated games against people, because a rating and a game history have to belong to somebody.
There is nothing to download either. It is a web page, so it runs in the browser you already have, on a phone as well as a desktop. The engine runs on your own machine in a background thread rather than on a server, which is why the computer answers immediately even on a slow connection.
What playing the computer is good for
Three things it does better than a human opponent:
- It is always there. No waiting in a lobby for someone at your time control.
- It does not mind being beaten slowly. You can take as long as you like over a move, and losing quickly and often to an easy setting is the fastest way into the game.
- Hints are available. Turn them on and legal moves are marked, along with the pieces currently under attack — which is the single hardest thing to see when the cannon is new to you.
What it is not good for is learning what a real opponent does under time pressure. For that, the live lobby is the better half of the site.
The rules it plays by
The computer plays the same engine the rest of the site is built on, and it implements the World Xiangqi Federation laws in full. That matters most at the end of a game: when a series of checks or chases repeats, the WXF rules decide who loses rather than calling it a draw, and most free xiangqi programs either get that wrong or do not implement it at all.
Every position published on this site is checked against that same engine at build time, and the repetition rules are verified against the official 110-diagram casebook on every build. Perpetual check and chase explains what those laws actually say.
Related questions
Can I play xiangqi against the computer for free?
Yes, with no account and no download. Pick a strength and the board opens in your browser.
How strong is the xiangqi AI?
Fourteen opponents seeded from roughly 980 to 1880 across four levels — beginner up to strong club strength. It is not built to match the dedicated engines that play at professional level.
Does the Chinese chess AI follow the repetition rules?
Yes. It plays the full WXF laws, including perpetual check and chase, which is where most free programs differ from the rulebook. See perpetual check and chase.
Does the engine run on your servers?
No — it runs in your own browser in a background thread. That is why it answers immediately regardless of your connection.
