Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)
A river splits the board in two. Cannons capture by jumping over a piece. Horses move in an L, elephants in a diagonal. Red moves first — checkmate the black general to win.
Red to move
Rules
- General (將/帥): Moves one step orthogonally within the palace. Two generals cannot face each other on an open file.
- Advisor (士): Moves one step diagonally within the palace.
- Elephant (象): Moves two steps diagonally (the "田" character), cannot cross the river, blocked by a piece at the center.
- Horse (馬): Moves in an L-shape (one orthogonal then one diagonal), blocked if a piece occupies the adjacent orthogonal point.
- Chariot (車): Moves any number of steps orthogonally, cannot jump.
- Cannon (炮/砲): Moves like a chariot but captures by jumping over exactly one piece (the screen).
- Soldier (兵/卒): Moves one step forward. After crossing the river, can also move sideways. Never backward.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)?
- Xiangqi is a two-player strategy board game played on a 9×10 grid. Each side has 16 pieces, and the goal is to checkmate the opponent's general.
- How is Xiangqi different from international chess?
- Xiangqi uses a 9×10 board and seven piece types (general, advisor, elephant, horse, chariot, cannon, soldier). The cannon captures by jumping over a screen, the horse is blocked when adjacent, and the two generals may not face each other.
- How do you win at Xiangqi?
- You win by delivering checkmate — putting the opponent's general in check with no legal escape (no move, block, or capture).
- Can I play Xiangqi online for free?
- Yes. On YiBoard, open /xiangqi to play free against AI — no signup, no download.
- What do the Xiangqi pieces represent?
- The general commands, advisors guard the palace, elephants defend, horses are cavalry, chariots are rooks, cannons are ranged attackers, and soldiers are infantry.