How to Play Xiangqi: A Beginner's Guide

Xiangqi is a traditional board game that has been loved for hundreds of years. If you are just getting started, this article will help you grasp the most basic things so you can start playing today.

The Board and Piece Setup

The xiangqi board has 9 vertical lines and 10 horizontal lines. In the middle of the board there is an empty strip called the river, which divides the board into two sides. Each side has a palace (a 3x3 square with diagonal lines) in the center of its back row.

Each side has 16 pieces, arranged as follows (from the outside in, back row):

• Chariot on the two corners
• Horse next to each chariot
• Elephant next to each horse
• Advisor next to the king, inside the palace
• King in the center of the palace
• Third row: two Cannons, each 2 lines away from the edge
• Fourth row: five Pawns, each 1 line apart from the next

How Each Piece Moves

King

Moves one point at a time, only inside the palace. The two kings may not "face each other" along the same vertical line unless there is a piece in between.

Advisor

Moves diagonally one point at a time, only inside the palace.

Elephant

Moves diagonally 2 points at a time, and may not cross the river. If there is a piece blocking the midpoint of its path (the elephant's "eye is blocked"), it cannot move there.

Horse

Moves in an L shape: one point straight, then one point diagonally. If a piece stands right next to the horse in the direction of movement (the horse's "leg is blocked"), it cannot move that way.

Chariot

Moves straight horizontally or vertically any number of points, as long as nothing blocks its path.

Cannon

When not capturing, the cannon moves like a chariot. When capturing, the cannon must jump over exactly one piece (called the "screen") before capturing the piece behind it.

Pawn

The pawn only moves straight forward, one point at a time. Once it has crossed the river, it may also move sideways one point per move (it still may never move backward).

Winning and Losing

• Check: a move that puts the opponent's king under threat of capture on the next move.
• Checkmate: the opponent is in check and has no way left to defend — you win the game.
• There is also losing on time (in blitz games) or when the opponent resigns.

Where to Start Playing?

The fastest way to learn is to play a few games against the computer at a low level. You can play right here — pick level 1 or 2, and get familiar with how each piece moves while you play. Don't be afraid to lose; every lost game is a lesson!

Once you feel comfortable, try the daily puzzles to train your ability to calculate moves.