Xiangqi vs Computer
Chinese chess in the browser: cannons, palaces and the flying general rule.
How to Play
Above is a full game of xiangqi — Chinese chess — against a computer opponent, with every rule of the game enforced. Click or tap a piece to select it, and the legal destination points light up; a second click or tap completes the move. Pieces stand on the intersections of the lines rather than inside squares, the river restricts elephants and strengthens soldiers as they cross, and the advisors and generals stay confined to their palaces. The two rules that most often trip up newcomers are handled correctly: cannons move like chariots but can only capture by jumping over exactly one screening piece, and the flying-general rule forbids the two generals from ever facing each other on an open file.
The pieces are rendered as traditional discs with Chinese characters. If you do not read the characters yet, a toggle switches the discs to Western letters, so you can learn the game first and the characters at your own pace. Three difficulty levels let you scale the opponent from a forgiving first-game partner to a genuinely demanding one. There is no account and no signup — the game runs locally in your browser and your progress is stored on your device.
Why This Game Is Worth Your Time
Xiangqi is played by more people than any other chess variant on earth, yet most Western players have never tried it. If you come from international chess, you will find your tactical instincts transfer while your positional ones get usefully rewired: the cannon’s screen mechanic creates threats that simply do not exist in chess, and the open files left by the soldiers make the chariots even more dominant than rooks. For the game’s history and competitive scene, start at the xiangqi discipline page — and if you want to feel the contrast directly, play a few games of chess back to back with xiangqi and notice how differently the attacks develop.
Practical Tips
- Develop your chariots early. Chariots are by far the strongest pieces, and the player who activates them first usually dictates the game. Do not bury them behind unmoved pieces.
- Think of cannons in pairs of moves. A cannon needs a screen to capture, so plan where the screen will be, not only where the cannon is. Repositioning a cannon behind a friendly soldier is often a real threat in itself.
- Watch the open file between the generals. The flying-general rule means an open central file is a weapon: exposing the enemy general to yours can win material or deliver mate, and forgetting the rule loses games instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read Chinese characters to play?
No. The board uses traditional character discs by default, but a toggle switches every piece to Western letters. Many players start with letters and switch back once the characters feel familiar.
How does the cannon capture?
A cannon moves like a chariot along ranks and files, but to capture it must jump over exactly one piece — friendly or enemy — called the screen, and take the piece beyond it. With no screen, it cannot capture at all.
What is the flying-general rule?
The two generals may never face each other on a file with no pieces between them. A move that would create that confrontation is illegal, and the trainer enforces this automatically.
Is this the complete game or a simplified version?
It is the complete game. Palace confinement, the river, elephant and horse blocking, cannon screens, and the flying-general rule are all implemented exactly as in over-the-board xiangqi.
Do I need an account or download?
No. Everything runs in your browser with no signup, and your progress is kept in local storage on your device.
When you are done here, the play section has the rest of our board game trainers.