Xiangqi — Chinese chess — is one of the most played board games in the world: a fast, attacking cousin of chess with cannons that leap to capture, elephants that guard the home ranks, and generals confined to their palaces. This free online Xiangqi game plays in your browser against a computer opponent, with no download or sign-up.
Pieces sit on the intersections of the board, and a central 'river' divides the two sides. The result is a sharp, tactical game that often explodes into a direct attack on the enemy general.
Xiangqi shares the ancient Indian ancestry of the whole chess family, but took its distinctive Chinese form during the Song dynasty around the 11th century, when the cannon — likely inspired by the era's new gunpowder weapons — was added. Its board, with a river and two palaces, depicts a stylised battlefield.
For centuries Xiangqi has been a genuine street game as much as a scholar's pastime, played on folding boards in parks and teahouses across China and among Chinese communities worldwide. Today it is one of the most widely played games on the planet, with a thriving professional scene of its own.
The goal is to capture, or trap, the enemy general. The general stays inside a 3x3 palace and moves one point at a time; guards flank him inside the palace; elephants defend the home half and cannot cross the river; horses move like chess knights but can be blocked; chariots are the rooks, sweeping in straight lines; and soldiers advance, gaining a sideways step once across the river.
The signature piece is the cannon. It moves like a chariot along ranks and files, but to capture it must jump over exactly one piece — friend or foe — as a screen, landing on an enemy beyond it. One more rule: the two generals may never face each other directly along an open file, which can itself be used to deliver threats.
Click one of your pieces to select it; legal destinations are highlighted. Click a point to move or capture. The cannon's jump-to-capture and the flying-general rule are handled by the board, so only legal moves are ever offered.
Xiangqi is more open and attack-oriented than Western chess, and initiative is everything. These principles will sharpen your play fast.
Develop your chariots first. The chariots (rooks) are by far the strongest pieces, and open files are everywhere on the Xiangqi board. Get your chariots onto active files early — a well-placed chariot dominates a game the way a queen does in chess.
Master the cannon's screen. Because a cannon needs exactly one piece to jump over in order to capture, its power depends entirely on screens. Position cannons behind a useful screen to aim at the enemy palace, and notice how adding or removing a screen switches threats on and off.
Attack the palace directly. Games are frequently decided by a swift assault on the enemy general rather than slow accumulation. Coordinate chariots, cannons and horses against the palace, and keep the flying-general rule in mind as a tactical resource that can pin or expose the enemy king.
Keep your guards and elephants at home. Guards and elephants are pure defenders that cannot cross the river, so do not waste moves trying to make them attack. Keep them coordinated around your palace — a broken defensive structure invites exactly the direct attacks Xiangqi is famous for.
Use horses well, but mind the block. Horses are strong attackers, but a horse can be stopped by a single piece placed beside its leg. Give your own horses open squares to leap from, and block your opponent's horses when they threaten your palace.
Push soldiers at the right moment. A soldier that crosses the river gains a sideways step and becomes a real threat near the enemy palace. Advancing soldiers to support an attack can provide the extra attacker that finally breaks through.
Against the computer, prioritise fast chariot development and a cannon aimed at the palace; on the higher levels the AI counterattacks quickly, so make sure your own general is defended before you fully commit to the assault.
How do you win at Xiangqi?
You win by checkmating or stalemating the enemy general — leaving it unable to avoid capture, or with no legal move at all (unlike chess, stalemate is a loss in Xiangqi). Direct attacks on the palace with chariots and cannons are the usual route.
How does the cannon capture?
A cannon moves like a chariot along ranks and files, but to capture it must jump over exactly one intervening piece of either colour and land on an enemy piece beyond it. With no screen, it can move but cannot capture.
What is the flying-general rule?
The two generals may never sit facing each other on the same file with no pieces between them. This means an open file between the palaces can be used to threaten or pin, and you must avoid moving into such a position yourself.
Is this Xiangqi game free?
Yes — play free in your browser against the computer, with no download and no sign-up.
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