Goal
Checkmate the opposing General. Red moves first. No player may pass.
Start Here
The board decides what every piece can do.
Xiangqi is played on 9 vertical files and 10 horizontal ranks. Pieces sit on the intersections, not inside squares. Red moves first, players alternate turns, and a move is legal only if your own General is safe after the move.
Piece Movement
Learn one piece at a time, then combine them.
Each situation below isolates one rule. Green markers are legal targets, red markers are illegal, and gold lines show a direct attack or path.
Check And Mate
The General cannot ignore danger.
Check means the General is attacked. The checked player must move the General, block the attack, capture the attacker, or make another legal move that removes the threat.
Game Results
Win by checkmate, and know the special ending rules.
Xiangqi has several rules that feel different from Western chess. Stalemate is a loss for the player with no legal move, and repeated checking or chasing is not allowed.
Quick Reference
All core rules in one place.
General
Moves one point orthogonally inside the palace. Generals may not face each other with no piece between them.
Advisor
Moves one point diagonally inside the palace.
Elephant
Moves two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and is blocked if the midpoint is occupied.
Chariot
Moves any distance orthogonally, with no jumping.
Horse
Moves one point orthogonally, then one point diagonally outward. A piece on the first orthogonal point blocks that direction.
Cannon
Moves like a Chariot when not capturing. To capture, it must jump exactly one screen and land on an enemy piece.
Soldier
Moves one point forward before the river. After crossing, it can also move one point left or right. It never moves backward.
Check
You must answer check immediately. A move that leaves your own General in check is illegal.
Stalemate
A player with no legal move loses, even if their General is not currently in check.
Repetition
Perpetual check and perpetual chase are forbidden. Ordinary repeated positions are usually drawn under international rules.
First Game Plan
Develop Chariots and Horses, keep palace defenders connected, and use Cannons with screens instead of moving them aimlessly.