Play xiangqi on the classic 9×10 board against a computer opponent with five levels, or pass the device to a friend. Tap a piece to see its legal moves; the general, palace, river and cannon rules are all enforced.
Last updated:
Red to move
Moves appear here in WXF notation.
Red captured
Black captured
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)
Choose a mode. Play vs Computer (pick your colour and a difficulty from 1 to 5) or 2 players on the same device.
Red moves first. Tap one of your pieces: green dots show empty points it can move to and green rings show captures.
Tap a highlighted point to move. Moves that would expose your general to check are not allowed.
Attack the enemy general. A check is announced in the status box; checkmate or leaving your opponent with no legal moves wins.
Use Undo move, Flip board or Copy move list at any time, and switch the piece labels to letters if you are still learning the characters.
Xiangqi pieces at a glance
Piece
Red / Black
Letter
Count
Movement
Rough value
General
帥 / 將
K
1
1 point orthogonally, stays in the palace
Game
Advisor
仕 / 士
A
2
1 point diagonally, stays in the palace
2
Elephant
相 / 象
E
2
2 points diagonally, cannot cross the river, blocked at the midpoint
2
Horse
傌 / 馬
H
2
1 straight + 1 diagonal; blocked by an adjacent piece
4
Chariot
俥 / 車
R
2
Any distance orthogonally
9
Cannon
炮 / 砲
C
2
Moves like a chariot; captures by jumping exactly one piece
4.5
Soldier
兵 / 卒
P
5
1 forward; also sideways after crossing the river; never backward
1 (2 after crossing)
Values are the commonly used rough guide (chariot about 9, cannon and horse about 4 to 4.5). Cannons are usually stronger in the opening when the board is crowded, horses in the endgame.
Opening and strategy tips
Central cannon (C2.5 or C8.5): the most popular first move for Red, aiming the cannon at Black's central soldier and general.
Develop chariots early: chariots are the strongest pieces; bring them to open files after moving the horses.
Keep your horses free: a horse with a piece next to it cannot jump in that direction, so avoid blocking your own horses.
Protect the palace: advisors and elephants are defenders. Trading them off early leaves your general open to cannon and horse attacks.
Cross the river with soldiers in the endgame: a soldier that reaches the enemy palace area can help deliver checkmate.
Frequently asked questions
How do the xiangqi pieces move?
The general (K) moves one point orthogonally inside the palace. Advisors (A) move one point diagonally inside the palace. Elephants (E) move exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river and are blocked by a piece on the point in between. Horses (H) move one point straight then one diagonally outward, and are blocked by a piece next to them. Chariots (R) move like a rook. Cannons (C) move like a rook but capture only by jumping over exactly one piece. Soldiers (P) move one point forward, and also sideways after crossing the river.
What is the flying general rule?
The two generals may never face each other on the same file with no pieces between them. A move that would create that situation is illegal, and in practice a general can 'capture' along an open file, which this tool treats as check.
What happens if a player has no legal moves?
Unlike Western chess, stalemate is not a draw in xiangqi. A player who has no legal move, whether in check or not, loses the game.
How are draws handled here?
The game is declared drawn after a threefold repetition of the same position, after 120 moves in a row without a capture, or when neither side has a chariot, horse, cannon or soldier left. Official tournament rules about perpetual check and chasing are more detailed; this tool uses these simpler draw rules.
What is WXF notation?
WXF notation writes each move as the piece letter, its file number, a sign and a target: + means forward, - backward and . sideways. Files are numbered 1 to 9 from each player's own right. For example C2.5 moves the cannon on file 2 sideways to file 5, and H8+7 moves the horse on file 8 forward to file 7. When two identical pieces share a file, + or - after the letter marks the front or rear one.
How strong is the computer?
Levels 1 and 2 look only one or two moves ahead and add randomness, which suits beginners. Level 3 searches three plies, level 4 about five, and level 5 searches as deep as it can in about 3.5 seconds with alpha-beta search, capture search and move ordering. Strong players will still beat it, but it punishes loose pieces.
Is xiangqi the same as Western chess?
Both descend from ancient Indian chaturanga, but xiangqi is played on the intersections of a 9×10 board with a river and palaces, has cannons and elephants with different moves, and has no pawn promotion or castling.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.