Play Xiangqi Online
Create a public or private room and invite a friend with a share link or room code. The lobby is on this page: join a public room or watch a game already in progress. Rooms you created, including private ones, appear only under My rooms. Every game uses a standard 9×10 Xiangqi board.
Create a room
Choose a room type, then invite a friend with the room link or code.
Public rooms use a shorter code and appear in the public list for anyone to join. This browser can keep only one public room at a time.
Join a room
Paste a friend's share link or enter a room code. A waiting room starts a game; a game already in progress opens in spectator mode.
Tip: Leaving a room does not end the game. The host can return through My rooms below or close the room. If both players leave, it expires after about 20 minutes. Room codes are used only for this match and do not store personal information.
Room lobby
My rooms
0Waiting for opponent
0Games in progress
0Creating public room…
Assigning a unique room code. Please wait.
Public room created (9×10)
Your room is on the public lobby list—other players can join from the lobby. You can also send the link or room code to a friend; the game starts when they take a seat.
You will play Red and move first; your opponent will play Black. This setup remains in place when they join.
Connection interrupted. Reconnecting…
Join a room
Room details were found in the shared link. Connect now, or edit the room code first.
Entering the room…
Connecting to room . Please wait.
Connection interrupted. Reconnecting…
Opponent found. Ready to play
Your opponent left the room
They disconnected. Return to the lobby to create or join a room.
Connection failed
Room not found. The code or link may be incorrect, or the room may have closed. Check it and try again.
Play Xiangqi Online
Arrange a Game Online
Create a public or private room and send the link or room number to your opponent. No account is required. Piece selection and legal move previews stay on your device; only a complete, confirmed move is sent to the room for validation and synchronization. Online games have no unilateral undo or hints. You can reconnect after a brief interruption, but a confirmed move cannot be taken back.
Invite by Link to a Private Room
For a game with someone you know, create a private room and send them the invitation link directly. The room does not appear in the public list, but anyone with the link or full room number can try to take a seat or watch, so do not post the invitation publicly. A private room you created still appears under My rooms on this page, so you can reopen or close it. Your browser stores the credential used to reclaim your seat; do not forward that credential to anyone else.
Check the Status in the Public Lobby
The lobby lists public rooms; it is not an automatic matchmaking queue. A room marked “Waiting for player” still has an open seat. A room marked “In progress” is available only for spectating, and spectators cannot move. Rooms you created and have not closed appear under “My rooms,” where you can reclaim your seat or close the room.
Leaving Does Not End the Game
“Leave room” only returns you to the lobby temporarily; the game and your seat remain, and you can reconnect from the original entry point. “Resign” ends the game immediately. Only the host can “Close room,” which dissolves the table and invalidates its invitation link. A temporary room eventually expires if both players are offline and it remains inactive for a long time.
Common Questions
Can I set up a game from this page without an account or an app?
Yes. Open this page in a browser and create a room, or join one. Picking a piece and seeing where it can land stay on the device you are using. Only after a move is confirmed does the room check it and send it to the other board.
If I am playing someone I know, should the room be public or private?
For someone you know, make it private and send the invite link straight to them. It stays off the public list, but anyone with the link or the full room code can still try to sit down or watch, so do not post the invite where strangers will see it. Open a public room when you want a passerby to notice an empty seat. A private room you created still shows under My rooms on this page, so you can go back in or close it.
How does the other person get in? Does a link work differently from a room code?
Either one works. Opening the share link connects them to that room. If they only have the code, they paste it under Join a room on this page. Public rooms use a shorter code; private rooms use a longer one. Once they take the seat that is still waiting, the game starts on its own. The browser also keeps a separate credential that puts you back in your own seat. Do not forward that credential.
Can I choose Red or Black, and who moves first?
After you create the room, and before the other person joins, Choose your side lets you pick Red or Black. Red moves first. The board keeps the same facing; it does not turn around for either player. The choice still holds when they join. During the game the sidebar only says which color you are playing.
Why is there no hint and no undo in an online game?
The opponent is another person. Once the room accepts a move, it goes onto their board, so you cannot take it back on your own, and the toolbar has no Hint. For a hint or an undo, use the AI game on Home, Local Game, or Endgames. Before you move, look again at both generals, any piece with nothing defending it, and the reply they will have to meet.
What is the difference between leaving, resigning, and closing the room?
Leave only sends you back to the lobby for now. The game and your seat stay, and you can return through My rooms or the same way you came in. Your opponent will see you as offline. Resign ends the game at once. Only the host can close the room: the table is gone, and the old invite link stops working. Step away and finish later with Leave. End the game with Resign, or have the host close it.
If the connection drops mid-game, is the game still there?
A short break shows Reconnecting. Moves the room has already accepted are not withdrawn because you dropped. If the same seat connects again from another device, this page is disconnected. If both of you leave and nothing happens for about 20 minutes, the room expires. Clearing this site’s data leaves no account that can put you back in the seat. Write down a position you want to keep.
Does the lobby match me with someone automatically? Can a spectator move?
No. The lobby lists public rooms. It does not pair you with a stranger, and there is no rank or rating. A room marked Waiting for opponent still has a seat, so you can sit down. A room marked Game in progress can only be watched, and spectators cannot move. Rooms you opened and have not closed are under My rooms, and you can return to your seat from there.
This browser already has a public room. Can I open another?
Each browser keeps only one public room at a time. If you try to open another, the page asks first: the new room closes the current one and takes it off the lobby. Private rooms do not use that slot. Still send a private link only to the person you mean to play.
How do we agree a draw? Will a bad move reach the other player?
During the game, Draw offers a draw. It counts only if they accept; offering one does not end the game by itself. Resign ends it immediately. The only moves that appear on both boards are legal ones the room has accepted. A blocked horse, a cannon without exactly one screen, or the two generals facing on an open file will not go through, and they are not sent across.
