Xiangqi rules

The board has 9 files (vertical lines) and 10 ranks (horizontal lines). Pieces sit on the 90 points where the lines cross, not in the squares between them. Each side has a palace, a 3 by 3 block of points with diagonal lines corner to corner. The general and the two advisors must stay inside their own palace.

A river runs between rank 5 and rank 6, across the middle of the board. The river changes the move of two pieces only. An elephant can never cross the river. A soldier gains a sideways move after it crosses the river.

The general, 帥 for red and 將 for black, moves one point along a line and stays inside the palace.

The advisor, 仕 for red and 士 for black, moves one point diagonally and stays inside the palace.

The elephant, 相 for red and 象 for black, moves exactly two points diagonally, never crosses the river, and is blocked by a piece on the midpoint.

The horse, 傌 for red and 馬 for black, moves one point along a line and then one point diagonally outward, and a piece on the first step blocks it.

The chariot, 俥 for red and 車 for black, moves any distance along a line and cannot jump.

The cannon, 炮 for red and 砲 for black, moves like the chariot but captures only by jumping over exactly one piece.

The soldier, 兵 for red and 卒 for black, moves one point forward, gains a sideways move after the river, and never moves back.

Each piece has its own page with a live diagram. The links are at the top of this page.

Check and checkmate work the same way as in Western chess. A player gives check when their next move could capture the enemy general. Checkmate happens when the checked player has no move to stop the capture, and that player loses.

Stalemate works the opposite way from Western chess. In Western chess, a stalemate is a draw. In xiangqi, the player with no legal move loses the game, even without check.

The flying general rule keeps the two generals apart. They may never face each other on an open file with no piece between them. In the classical rule, a general on such a file may cross the board and capture the other general. Opening that file is therefore a move into check, and the move is illegal.

Perpetual check is not allowed, and it costs the game for the side giving check. Perpetual chase of one unprotected piece is also against the rules, except a chase by a general or a soldier. This site uses a simple version. On the third repeat of a position, the side that gave check each time loses that game.

A xiangqi game can end in a draw in several ways. Both players can agree to stop and split the point. A position can repeat over and over with no rule broken by either side. This site also declares a draw after 60 moves by each side with no capture.

Xiangqi has three ways to write down a move. Classical Chinese notation names the piece and uses 進, 退, or 平 for forward, back, and sideways. The WXF, or World Xiangqi Federation, system uses a letter for each piece, a file number, and a direction sign. A third, informal style uses Western board coordinates and reads like algebraic chess notation.

A stronger player can give a handicap. The strong side removes a chariot, a cannon, or one or two horses from their own army. Removing a chariot protects the remaining horse until it moves, a rule called the iron horse. Removing a cannon protects the other cannon the same way. Removing one or two horses protects the middle soldier, unless capturing that soldier would give check.