Play Chinese chess online
Xiangqi is a board game for two players, also called Chinese chess. It is the most popular board game in China. On this site you play for free against the computer or a friend, with no account needed.
Computer
Medium · You: Red
Your move. Tap a piece to see where it can go.
Turn: You
Last move Legal move Capture CheckKeys: U take back, H hint, F flip, N new game
Your records
The site saves your records on this device. No account is needed.
- Games
- 0
- Won
- 0
- Lost
- 0
- Drawn
- 0
- Win rate
- 0%
Most historians trace the modern game back to chaturanga, an Indian game. Two players move pieces on a grid of 90 points, not squares. Each side has a general, two advisors, two elephants, two horses, two chariots, two cannons, and five soldiers. A river splits the board, and each general stays inside a three-by-three palace. This site runs the full rule set in your browser. Play the computer on three levels, or share one screen with a friend. Every game saves on your device.
Xiangqi has other names. English speakers call it Chinese chess. Vietnamese players call it Cờ tướng, which means General's chess. Xiangqi belongs to the same family of games as shogi, janggi, chaturanga, and Western chess. Janggi is the Korean game in that family, and the janggi board has no river.
Learn more
Learn the rules of xiangqi
Xiangqi has many rules to learn. These pages explain the rules, the pieces, and how to read a move.
- All the rules
Every xiangqi rule in one place, with links to each piece and each special rule.
- How the horse moves
The horse moves in an L shape. A piece on its first step blocks it.
- Reading xiangqi notation
WXF, ICCS, and classical Chinese notation, explained with real examples.
- Xiangqi vs chess
A side by side table comparing the board, the pieces, and the rules.
Chinese chess questions
Quick answers about the rules and the site.
What is xiangqi?
Xiangqi is a board game for two players, also called Chinese chess. The name means elephant chess in Chinese. Players move pieces on a grid of 90 points and try to checkmate the opponent's general. The game is native to China.
Is xiangqi the same as Chinese chess?
Xiangqi and Chinese chess name the same game. Chinese chess is the common English name. Vietnamese players call it Cờ tướng, which means General's chess. All these names point to one set of rules.
How many pieces does each side have?
Each side has 16 pieces in xiangqi. This includes 1 general, 2 advisors, 2 elephants, 2 horses, 2 chariots, 2 cannons, and 5 soldiers. Red and black start with the same set.
Who moves first in xiangqi?
Red moves first in xiangqi. This site follows the same rule for every game against the computer or a friend. Black always waits for Red's first move before making its own.
How does the horse move in xiangqi?
The horse moves one point orthogonally, then one point diagonally outward. This path forms an L shape, like a knight in chess. A piece on that first orthogonal point blocks the move. Players call this block hobbling the horse's leg.
How does the cannon capture in xiangqi?
The cannon moves like a chariot when it is not capturing. To capture, it must jump exactly one piece of either colour. That piece is called the screen. Without a screen to jump, the cannon cannot capture at all.