Move history
Coordinate notation (files a–i, ranks 1–10)
No moves yet. Make your first move on the board above.
Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) in one minute
Chinese Chess, also called xiangqi, is played across the river on the intersections of a 9×10 board.
- Pieces sit on the intersections of a 9×10 board, not inside the squares.
- Each general stays in its 3×3 palace. The two generals may not face each other on an open file.
- A cannon moves like a chariot, but captures only by jumping exactly one screen.
- A horse is blocked when the adjacent point of its first straight step is occupied.
- Elephants cannot cross the river. A soldier that does gains a sideways step.
How every piece moves, the palace rule in practice, and the early mistakes that lose games are on the strategy page. Full piece moves and strategy.
A practice opponent that is ready before you are
The useful thing about a computer opponent is not that it never sleeps; it is that you can stop, reconsider, and test the move you were afraid to play. This board opens directly on a phone or computer with no account, app download, or setup. Sit red or black, let either color open, and start from the full 9×10 position.
Easy slips, good while you learn the pieces. Medium plays back; loose pieces get taken. Hard makes you sit up. Master is the same engine with a longer think, for a real fight. This is an honest browser engine, not a grandmaster claim. Its advantage is the practice loop: Hint shows a candidate, Undo takes back your move and the AI reply together, Redo restores the line, and Replay lets you inspect how the finished game turned.
Use AI when you have five spare minutes or want to study one recurring mistake. If a person is beside you, open the two-player board and pass the phone. If you want two devices, open the online table and send the room code.
How to start a game
- Pick your side and who opens, then tap any of your pieces to preview legal destinations.
- Tap a highlighted intersection to move there — landing on an enemy piece captures it.
- Use Hint for tactical suggestions and Undo to test alternative moves against the AI.
- Keep your general safe. Trapping the opponent's general wins the game.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers about devices, game modes, privacy, and play
What should I do when I know the rules but keep losing?
Use Easy or Medium as a practice board, not a pass-or-fail test. After a bad exchange, undo the human move and the AI reply together, then try a quieter move. Hint is most useful before you move: compare its suggestion with yours and ask which horse leg, cannon screen, or palace line you overlooked.
Can I play on a phone without installing a xiangqi app?
Yes. Open this page in a modern mobile browser and the portrait board is ready. Tap a piece to reveal its legal points, then tap a destination. The same page works with a mouse on a laptop or desktop, so you do not need separate mobile and computer versions.
Which AI level should I choose?
Easy slips, and is the place to learn the pieces. Medium plays back and takes loose pieces. Hard makes you sit up. Master is the same engine with a longer think, for a real fight. Start on Easy if you have not picked a level yet. The engine is a useful sparring partner, not a titled-player simulator, and the strongest level is not automatically the best level for learning.
Is the board really free, and what is saved?
Play is free and there is no account wall, app download, or installer. Board preferences such as difficulty and display choices can stay in this browser, but this is not a cloud profile with a rating or a permanent game archive.
Where do the piece designs come from?
The red and black discs are the hnz SVG set from the open-source pychess-variants project on GitHub, used unmodified under GNU AGPL-3.0. The board grid is drawn by this page’s own interface code. The About and Terms pages carry the same credit, and a license note sits with the files at /xiangqi-pieces/.
What chooses the computer’s move?
Versus-AI replies are chosen by XQWLight, the open-source XiangQi Wizard Light search by Morning Yellow / xqbase, used unmodified under GNU GPL-2.0. It runs in a background worker so the board stays responsive. This page’s own rules code still decides which moves are legal, including check, mate, and perpetual check. Easy still slips now and then; Hard and Master take longer to look further.
Should I use AI, 2 Player, or Online?
Use AI when you are alone or want to test a position immediately. Use 2 Player when both people are beside the same phone or computer. Use Online when each player has a separate device and you can share a room link. All three modes use the same xiangqi rules and board.