Xiangqi vs AI
Play Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) free in your browser. No download and no sign-up: full rules including cannons, horses, the river and palace and the flying-general check, against four AI levels, a friend on one screen, or an online room you share by link.
Xiangqi — Chinese Chess — is one of the most played board games in the world. Two armies face off across a board of nine files and ten ranks, divided by a central river. Each side has a General guarded inside a palace, plus advisors, elephants, horses, chariots, cannons and soldiers. The chariot is powerful, the cannon captures by leaping over a screen, and the game is won by checkmating the enemy General. Pieces sit on the intersections of the lines, not inside the squares.
Why Play Xiangqi Here
Everything runs right in your browser. There is no app to install and no account to create — open the page, the armies are set, and you close the tab when you are done. It plays the same on a phone, a tablet or a desktop.
You can play solo against the computer at four strengths — from a gentle Easy up to a tactical Master engine that calculates captures and checks ahead — pass-and-play with a friend on one screen, or open an online room and invite someone with a single link. Legal moves are shown as dots, captures are ringed, pieces slide with a clean animation, the General flashes red when in check, and an undo button, a hint arrow and full replay help you learn.
How the Pieces Move
The General moves one point orthogonally and must stay inside the 3x3 palace; the two Generals may never face each other along an open file (the flying-general rule). Advisors move one point diagonally inside the palace, and Elephants move two points diagonally but cannot cross the river and are blocked if the midpoint is occupied.
Horses move like a knight but are blocked if the adjacent point in the way is occupied. Chariots slide any distance orthogonally like a rook. Cannons move like chariots but capture only by jumping over exactly one piece — the screen — to take the next piece beyond it. Soldiers advance one point forward, and once they cross the river they may also step sideways.
Check, Checkmate and Winning
You give check by threatening the enemy General. If your opponent cannot escape check, it is checkmate and you win. A player who has no legal move at all also loses, so being completely blocked is a defeat, not a draw.
Watch the flying-general rule: you can never make a move that leaves your own General exposed to the enemy General on an open file, and that facing threat itself counts as a way to win material or deliver mate.
Strategy for Beginners
Develop your chariots early — they are your strongest pieces and love open files. Position cannons behind a screen where they pressure the enemy palace, and use horses for flexible attacks once the board opens up.
Keep your advisors and elephants at home to shield the General, and push soldiers across the river where they gain sideways movement and real attacking value. Before every move, check the flying-general file and look for the opponent's cannon and horse threats, since most quick losses in Xiangqi come from a sudden double attack on the palace.
Tips to Improve Faster
- Activate both chariots early and put them on open files.
- Place cannons behind a screen aiming at the enemy palace.
- Keep advisors and elephants home to defend the General.
- Push soldiers over the river — they become far more dangerous.
- Always check the flying-general file before moving your General.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Xiangqi the same as Chinese Chess?
Yes. Xiangqi is the Chinese name for Chinese Chess, played on a 9x10 board with a river and palaces, cannons and the flying-general rule.
How does the cannon capture?
A cannon moves like a chariot but to capture it must jump over exactly one piece (the screen) and take the first enemy piece beyond it.
Can I play Xiangqi against the computer?
Yes. Choose Solo vs AI and pick easy, medium, hard or Master. The Master engine calculates captures and checks several moves ahead.
How do I win?
Checkmate the enemy General, or leave your opponent with no legal move. A player who cannot move loses the game.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Everything runs in your browser and your session record is stored locally, so you can start playing immediately.
