---
title: "Xiangqi Online — Rated Games on a Rules-Correct Board · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Play xiangqi online against rated opponents or a strong engine, on a board that implements the full WXF laws — including the chase and repetition rules most free boards get wrong."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/xiangqi-online
updated: 2026-09-05
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Xiangqi online

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 online here means a rated game against a real opponent on a board that implements the complete World Xiangqi Federation laws, including the repetition and chase rules that decide close games. It is free, runs in the browser, and every position the site publishes is checked against the rules engine before it ships.

## Why rules-correctness is the thing to check

Any competent programmer can implement how a horse moves. What separates a real xiangqi board from a toy is what happens when a game does not resolve cleanly: one side checks forever, or chases a piece it cannot take, and the position repeats.

Most free boards implement the moves and stop there. The hard part of xiangqi is not the moves — it is [repetition](https://xiangqimaster.com/rules/perpetual-check-and-chase): when a series of checks or chases is forbidden, and who loses when neither side will give way. Our engine implements the World Xiangqi Federation laws and is verified against the official 110-diagram casebook on every build, so a game that comes down to a chase ends the way the rulebook says it ends rather than the way the software happened to be written.

## Rated play and the leaderboard

Every rated game moves both players' ratings, and the [leaderboard](https://play.xiangqimaster.com/leaderboard?from=xo) lists rated players in order. Your [profile](https://play.xiangqimaster.com/profile?from=xo) keeps the record — wins, losses, draws and the full game history, replayable move by move.

You can play casual instead whenever you want to experiment without the result following you around.

## Playing the engine

The computer opponent runs at four strengths. The lowest is a patient teacher that will let a beginner finish a game; the highest is a genuine test. Hints are available at any point, and they come from the same engine that is playing you.

No account is needed to play the engine, which makes it the right place to start if you have never played a full game.

## Analysis and review

Any finished game can be replayed move by move, and the [analysis board](https://play.xiangqimaster.com/analysis?from=xo) lets you take any position apart with engine support — including positions from your own games, which is where the improvement actually comes from.

If you want structure rather than free exploration, the [interactive lessons](https://play.xiangqimaster.com/learn/lessons?from=xo) and [tactics puzzles](https://play.xiangqimaster.com/learn/puzzles?from=xo) both play out on a real board.

## Related questions

Is xiangqi online free to play here?

Yes — rated games, the engine, lessons, puzzles and analysis are all free.

Does this board enforce the chase and repetition rules?

Yes. The engine implements the WXF laws and is verified against the official 110-diagram casebook on every build. See [perpetual check and chase](https://xiangqimaster.com/rules/perpetual-check-and-chase).

How strong is the computer opponent?

There are four strengths. The lowest is deliberately gentle so a beginner can finish a game; the highest will beat most club players.

Is xiangqi online the same as playing Chinese chess online?

Yes, identical — the two names describe one game. The [Chinese chess online](https://xiangqimaster.com/chinese-chess-online) page covers the same board in the English naming.

## Related xiangqi resources

Chinese chess online

The same board, English naming

Play xiangqi

Which mode to pick, and why

The rules

Every law, with a live board

Opening principles

What the first ten moves are for

## Play a rated game

Free, in the browser, against someone at your strength.
