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.
Gomoku vs Xiangqi
Curious how gomoku differs from Chinese chess? A quick comparison says it all.
Compare gomoku with Chinese chess →