Xiangqi beginner's guide
Everything you need for your first games of Xiangqi: the board, how all seven pieces move, check and the facing generals rule, a standard first few moves and two checkmates worth knowing.
The board and starting position
Xiangqi is played on a board of 9 files and 10 ranks. Unlike chess, the pieces stand on the points where lines cross, not inside squares. A river runs across the middle and splits the board into two halves, and it matters for how several pieces move. Each player has a 3 by 3 palace at the centre of their back ranks.
Each side starts with 16 pieces, set out the same way. Along the back rank, from left to right, stand a chariot, horse, elephant, advisor, the general, advisor, elephant, horse and chariot. The two cannons sit on the third line from each player's edge, and the five soldiers on the fourth line, one on every other file.
How you win
You win by checkmating the other general. It is under attack, and there is no way to move it to safety, block the attack or capture the attacker. A player with no legal move also loses, even when not in check, so there are no stalemate draws.
A few things are different from chess. There is no castling. The general can never leave its palace. And the two generals may never face each other on the same file with nothing between them.
How each piece moves
Learning how the pieces move is the most important step. The how-to-play guide shows every one on a live board.
- The general moves one point up, down, left or right, inside the palace only. It can't move onto a file where it would face the other general directly.
- Advisors move one point diagonally, inside the palace only. They protect the general and block attacking lines.
- Elephants move exactly two points diagonally and never cross the river. They can't jump, so a piece on the point in between blocks them. They defend your own half.
- Horses move one point straight, then one point diagonally outward. Unlike a chess knight, a horse is blocked if the first point in that direction is occupied. Horses are strong but need open space.
- Chariots move any number of points along a rank or file, without jumping. They are the strongest attackers and dominate open files and ranks.
- Cannons move like chariots when not capturing. To capture they jump over exactly one piece, the screen, which can be friendly or enemy. They are central to Xiangqi tactics.
- Soldiers move one point forward until they cross the river, after which they may also step one point sideways. They never move backward, and they get much more dangerous once across.
Capturing, check and the facing generals
You capture by moving onto a point occupied by an enemy piece, which is removed. There is no en passant and no promotion. The only special capture is the cannon's jump.
A general is in check when an enemy piece attacks it directly. You must answer a check by moving the general, capturing the attacking piece or blocking the attack. If none of these is possible, it is checkmate.
The facing generals rule is one of the most distinctive in Xiangqi. The generals may never stand on the same file with no pieces between them, so you can't make a move that leaves your general exposed to the other one. In effect the general itself attacks straight down its file, and that creates sudden checkmates. The first checkmate below uses it.
Your first moves
In the opening, bring out your chariots and horses quickly, get the cannons working, keep the palace secure and fight for the central files. Don't attack before your pieces are ready.
The most popular first move is the central cannon. Red moves a cannon to the middle file, where it aims at the black soldier in the centre with red's own soldier as the screen.
The cannon now threatens to capture the soldier on e6 by jumping over the red soldier on e3. Black's usual answer is to protect that soldier with a horse.
Red then develops a horse of its own, which protects the central soldier and gets ready to bring out the chariot behind it.
Two checkmates to know
Endgames often come down to a chariot or two against a bare general. In the first pattern, your own general does half the work. The black general on f9 can't step to e9 because it would face the red general on e0, so one chariot check on the f-file is mate.
In the second, two chariots work as a ladder. One holds the rank below the general, and the other checks along the back rank.
Mistakes and tips for your first games
These are the slips beginners make most often.
- Don't leave your general in check. Answer every threat at once.
- Advisors can't leave the palace and elephants can't cross the river, so plan around those limits.
- Horses can be blocked. Check the point next to the horse before you plan a move with it.
- A cannon must jump exactly one piece to capture, no more and no fewer.
- The generals may never face each other, so a move that would allow it is illegal. Keep a piece between them when you plan.
A few habits help early on. Make sure your pieces are safe before you attack. Keep the general covered by pieces around the palace. Get the chariots out early, since they are your strongest pieces. Don't block your own horses, which need open points. Learn cannon patterns gradually as they come up in games. Learning the structure comes before winning games.
How a game progresses
Thinking in phases helps you make better plans. In the opening, develop chariots and horses quickly, activate the cannons, secure the palace, keep to the central files and avoid attacking too early.
The middlegame is where tactics take over. Open files aggressively, use cannons for pressure, coordinate chariots and horses, and launch direct attacks on the general.
In the endgame, chariots dominate the reduced material and soldiers become key attackers. Precise placement decides the result, and many endgames stay tactical rather than slow. The rules can feel unfamiliar at first, but they become natural quickly, so play plenty of games and learn from each one. The beginner strategy guide is the next step.
Try a quick demo game
A private solo board against the AI, right here on the page. Nothing to sign up for.
Xiangqi
You know the basics. Sit down at a board.
Private rooms with friends and optional video chat, or a practice game against the AI. The board only allows legal moves, so you learn the rules as you play. No download, no sign-up.
Spotted a mistake or have a question? Send feedback