The xiangqi game
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
Xiangqi is a two-player strategy game played on a 9×10 grid of intersections divided by a river, with a nine-point palace at each end. Each side has 16 pieces of seven kinds, Red moves first, and the game is won by checkmating the enemy general — or by leaving the opponent with no legal move, which in xiangqi is also a win rather than a draw.
What the game is
Xiangqi (象棋) is the game most of the world calls Chinese chess. It shares an ancestor with western chess and is played by more people than any other board game of its family, but it is not a variant of chess — the board, the pieces and the winning conditions are its own.
Three features shape every game and have no equivalent in western chess:
- The river across the middle. Elephants may never cross it, and soldiers change how they move once they do.
- The palace — a three-by-three box at each end. The general and its two advisors may never leave it.
- The cannon, which moves like a chariot but can only capture by jumping exactly one piece. It makes xiangqi far sharper than its material count suggests.
The board and the pieces
Pieces sit on the intersections of the lines, not inside the squares — the single most common mistake when setting a board up for the first time. Each side starts with one general, two advisors, two elephants, two horses, two chariots, two cannons and five soldiers.
The board below is live. Move a piece and see what is allowed; anything illegal is refused along with the rule that refused it, so you can explore before you know the rules.
The starting position — Red moves first.
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.
How a game of xiangqi ends
There are more ways to lose than a chess player expects:
- Checkmate — the general is attacked with no legal answer.
- Stalemate — a player with no legal move at all loses. In western chess this is a draw; here it is a defeat.
- Forbidden repetition — perpetual checking, and chasing an undefended piece forever, are not allowed. The side that will not stop is the side that loses. This is the part of the game most software gets wrong.
Games can also be drawn by agreement or by long stretches without a capture.
Playing a game, free
The computer is the place to start, at any of four strengths, with no account and hints available whenever you want one. When you want a person instead, the online lobby pairs you with someone at your rating.
If you would rather learn before playing, the complete beginner's guide walks through the board, every piece and your first game.
Related questions
Is there a free xiangqi game I can play without downloading anything?
Yes — this one. It runs in the browser on phone or desktop, the computer opponent needs no account, and there is nothing to install or pay for.
How many pieces are in a xiangqi game?
Thirty-two — sixteen a side: one general, two advisors, two elephants, two horses, two chariots, two cannons and five soldiers.
How long does a game of xiangqi take?
A blitz game takes a few minutes; a rapid game with an increment usually runs twenty to forty. Xiangqi is generally sharper and shorter than western chess because the open board favours attack.
Is xiangqi harder than chess?
Not harder, but different — the cannon and the river make it tactically sharper early. See xiangqi vs chess for what carries over.
