Xiangqi Online — China's Classic Strategy Board Game

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Xiangqi (象棋), often called Chinese chess, is China's classic two-player strategy game: 32 pieces on a 9×10 board of 90 intersections, a river splitting the field in two, and one goal — capture the enemy General.

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→ Full Xiangqi rules · النسخة العربية

Xiangqi in a nutshell

Played on a board of 9 files × 10 ranks (90 intersections) with 16 pieces per side: one General, two Advisors, two Elephants, two Horses, two Chariots, two Cannons and five Soldiers. Red always moves first, and the player who captures the opponent's General wins.

Frequently asked questions

How many pieces are there in Xiangqi?

32 pieces — 16 per side: one General, two Advisors, two Elephants, two Horses, two Chariots, two Cannons and five Soldiers.

How many players play Xiangqi?

Two players only — Red and Black. Red always moves first, then they alternate one move per turn.

How do you win in Xiangqi?

By capturing the opponent's General — the game ends the moment the General is taken. If 400 moves pass with no General captured, the game is a draw.

How does the Cannon capture in Xiangqi?

The Cannon slides like the Chariot, but to capture it must jump over exactly one intervening piece sitting between it and its target.

Can the Elephant cross the river?

No — the Elephant moves two points diagonally and always stays on its own half; it also cannot jump if the midpoint of its path is occupied.

Can Soldiers move backward?

Never. A Soldier moves one point forward, and after crossing the river it may additionally step sideways — but never backward.

What is the flying-General rule?

The two Generals may never face each other on the same file with no piece between them; any move that creates this facing is rejected as illegal.

Is this Xiangqi game really free?

Yes — you can play Xiangqi online free at xiangqi.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to start a game.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern Android or iPhone browser, with full Arabic support.