What Is Xiangqi and How Is the Game Played?

Updated

Xiangqi (pronounced “shiang-chee”) is Chinese chess: a two-player strategy board game played on a grid of nine columns (files) and ten rows (ranks), with pieces placed on the intersections rather than inside the squares. The goal is to checkmate the opposing general—put it under attack with no legal escape. You can learn the rules and start playing for free on Xiangqi.com, either against the computer, against another player online, or through puzzles.

The Board and Pieces

The traditional set uses round wooden disks marked with red or black Chinese characters. Red and black are the two sides. Between the two halves of the board runs the “river,” and each side has a 3×3 “palace” marked on its back ranks where the general and advisors are confined.

The pieces and their basic movement:

Piece Movement (summary)
General One point orthogonally, must stay within the palace
Advisor One point diagonally, must stay within the palace
Elephant Two points diagonally; cannot cross the river
Horse One point orthogonally then one point diagonally outward; can be blocked by a piece on the adjacent orthogonal point
Chariot Any distance along a rank or file, like a rook
Cannon Moves like a chariot, but captures only by jumping exactly one piece
Soldier One point forward; after crossing the river it may also move sideways

For detailed descriptions of each piece and the full rules, Xiangqi.com points readers to its “How To Play Xiangqi” page.

How a Game Is Won

A player wins by checkmating the opponent’s general. Because the general cannot leave its palace and the two generals may not face each other along an open file, games often hinge on restricting the general’s few legal squares while bringing attacking pieces—especially chariots, cannons, and horses—into position.

Ways to Play on Xiangqi.com

The site is built around free online play, and its main modes are:

  • Two-player online games. You can create a game for two players or join one created by someone else. When creating a game you can choose sides, game timers, increments, and move timers; untimed games are also supported. After the game, an engine analysis feature lets you review and analyze what happened.
  • Play against the computer. The Play Computer feature offers five difficulty levels. Level 1 is aimed at beginners getting familiar with the game; once you can beat it, you can move up a level.
  • Puzzles. The site provides numerous free Chinese chess puzzles for practicing tactics, and a Create Puzzles feature lets you design, name, and share your own.
  • Weekly tournaments. Xiangqi.com holds free online tournaments using the Swiss system every week.

Ratings and Rankings

Rated two-player games on Xiangqi.com adjust your rating using the ELO system after each game. The site states that when a player’s rating reaches the top 20 across the whole platform, further details apply (the source text is cut off at that point).

Getting Started

If you are new to the game, a practical path is: read the How To Play page for piece movement and rules, then play the Level 1 computer until you can win consistently, then try puzzles to sharpen tactics, and finally join a two-player game—rated or untimed—and use engine analysis afterward to see where you went wrong.