Play Xiangqi Online — Chinese Chess vs AI & Live Opponents
Authentic Chinese chess with strict rule enforcement — flying generals, blocked elephant eyes, hobbled horse legs — plus multi-level AI, endgame studies and a global Elo ladder.
✨ Why play here
⚖️ Tournament-strict rules
Flying general, blocked elephant eyes (塞象眼), hobbled horse legs (蹩马腿), perpetual-check limits — every edge case is enforced for you.
🤖 AI that explains pressure
Step up through AI tiers with live material evaluation, so you can see exactly when an exchange went wrong.
🏆 Global Elo ladder
Every rated PvP game updates your Elo in real time on the shared VSS ladder.
📱 Made for touch
A carved-wood board with generous touch targets, double-tap zoom and drag protection on phones.
📖 How the pieces move
Xiangqi is played on the intersections of a 9×10 grid, split by a central river. Each side's general lives in a 3×3 palace. Checkmate the enemy general to win.
| Piece | Characters | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| General | 帥 / 將 | One step orthogonally, never leaves the palace; may never face the enemy general on an open file. |
| Advisor | 仕 / 士 | One step diagonally, confined to the palace. |
| Elephant | 相 / 象 | Exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, blocked if the midpoint ("elephant eye") is occupied. |
| Horse | 傌 / 馬 | One step orthogonal then one diagonal outward; blocked if the adjacent orthogonal point ("horse leg") is occupied. |
| Chariot | 俥 / 車 | Any distance orthogonally — the strongest piece, like a rook. |
| Cannon | 炮 / 砲 | Moves like a chariot, but captures only by jumping over exactly one piece of either colour. |
| Soldier | 兵 / 卒 | One step forward; after crossing the river it may also step sideways. It never retreats. |
Material values, roughly
A common scale: chariot 9–10, cannon 4.5, horse 4, elephant/advisor 2, soldier 1 (2 after crossing the river). Cannons are strongest in crowded early positions; horses grow stronger as the board empties — a trade of cannon for horse often flips in value between opening and endgame.
A first opening to learn
The central cannon vs screen horses line (中炮对屏风马) is the classic starting point: one side plants a cannon on the central file aiming at the soldier in front of the general, the other develops both horses to shield the centre. It teaches the core tension of Xiangqi — raw central threats against elastic defence.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read Chinese to play Xiangqi here?
No. Pieces are labelled with their traditional characters for authenticity, but the piece guide on this page maps every character to its name and movement, the board highlights all legal moves when you pick a piece up, and illegal moves are simply rejected. Most new players are comfortable within a couple of games.
How is Xiangqi different from Western chess?
The board is 9×10 with pieces on intersections rather than squares. A central river restricts elephants and empowers soldiers, generals are confined to a 3×3 palace, and the cannon — which must jump over exactly one piece to capture — has no Western equivalent. Games tend to open faster and stay tactically sharp.
What is the flying general rule?
The two generals may never face each other on an open file. If your move would leave both generals on the same file with nothing between them, it is illegal — and this rule is often used as a mating weapon in endgames. The engine enforces it automatically.
Can I play against the computer for free?
Yes. Multi-level AI opponents are free and run instantly in your browser, from a forgiving beginner level to an engine that will punish loose middle-game play. Online PvP with Elo ladder ranking is free as well.