Play Xiangqi with a Friend
One Screen, Two Players
Local two-player mode turns a phone, tablet, or computer into the board. Red moves first and both players take turns on the same device. The page records the current turn, legal destinations, and move history, so there is no need for a second device or a room. Before starting, agree whether this is a lesson or a competitive game and whether undo and hints are allowed, then keep those rules for the whole game.
Agree on the Ground Rules First
For a competitive game, you might agree that a confirmed move stands unless it was an accidental tap, with no hints allowed. In a lesson, you can return to a branching point and compare variations. Place the device where both players can see it, check that the turn has changed after every move, then pass control. If you are handing a phone back and forth, decide in advance how to handle an accidental destination tap.
Ask the Learner to Name the Move
Do not make the move for a beginner. Ask them to state the full move and its purpose, such as “Horse 2 to 3, developing the piece and protecting the center soldier,” then ask for the opponent's strongest reply. If the move is illegal, return to the relevant rule: is the horse leg blocked, is there exactly one cannon screen, or will moving the piece leave the generals facing? Saying it before playing turns a tap into a decision that can be reviewed.
Practice One Theme per Game
A teaching game does not need commentary on every move. You might spend the whole game watching cannons: they cannot capture over an empty line, they need exactly one screen to capture, and two or more pieces block the shot. Whenever a cannon line changes, ask the learner to count the intervening pieces and check whether moving the screen exposes a general. Replay the relevant moves afterwards so the theme stands out from scattered corrections.
Common Questions
Do we need two phones to play on this page?
No. One phone, tablet, or computer is enough. You take turns on the same 9×10 board, and Red moves first. The page keeps the turn, legal destinations, and the score, so you do not create a room or send anyone a link.
Who plays Red, and does the board flip for one side?
Red always moves first, and the board stays facing the same way. Sit together and decide who takes Red and who takes Black. There is no “your color” control in the sidebar, because this page is not you on one side and the AI on the other.
How is this different from the AI game on the home page?
The home page is you against multiple AI levels, with hints and live engine analysis in the sidebar. This page is two people passing the same device. There is no AI reply and no Hint button. Use it for a face-to-face lesson or a casual game. For engine lines or mating drills, go back to Home or open the endgame challenge.
Should we play here or in an online room?
If you can share a screen, stay here. If each of you has a device, or you need to send a link, use an online room. Local play allows undo and replay. In a room, a confirmed move is synced to the other player; you cannot take it back on your own, and there are no hints.
Can we start in the browser without an account or an app?
Yes. Open this page and play. You do not register or install anything. Tap a piece, then a legal destination. The page shows whether it is Red or Black to move.
If we tap the wrong square, can we take the move back?
Yes. Undo on the toolbar steps back one ply. For a serious game you can agree that a confirmed tap stands unless it was a miss; in a lesson you can return to a fork and try another line. Undo only changes the score on this device. There is no referee.
Why is there no Hint button here?
This page has none. Hints need an AI search, so they appear only on the home game and in the endgame challenge. Talk the moves through yourselves. If you want the engine’s line, open Home in another tab; do not treat this board as an answer sheet.
How do we review a finished game and start another?
After the result, Replay walks through the score. Stop where the position first went wrong; that is more useful than staring at the final mate. New resets the starting array, and Red moves first again. The new game replaces the old score; the previous one does not carry over.
Does a refresh keep this game, and what if we switch devices?
A local game is stored in this browser, so a refresh usually brings it back. It will not appear on another phone or computer. Clearing this site’s data leaves no account that can restore it. Write down or screenshot a position you care about.
Why won’t an illegal move go through? Are the rules the same as over the board?
The page follows Chinese chess: a horse is blocked by an adjacent piece, elephants stay on their side of the river, a cannon captures only over exactly one screen, and the two generals may not face on an open file. After you select a piece, only legal squares light up, so an illegal tap does nothing. Checkmate or stalemate brings up the result, and Red or Black wins from the board itself.
