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How to play Chinese Chess
Meet the river, the palace, and the cannon’s unusual capture. Chinese Chess, or Xiangqi, rewards active pieces and careful attention to the paths between them.
The board and the goal
Red moves first. Pieces stand on the intersections of nine files and ten ranks. The river divides the board, and each general has a palace. Win by leaving the opposing general with no legal response; unlike Chess, having no legal move is a loss even when the general is not currently in check.
How the pieces move
- General · 帥 / 將
- One step horizontally or vertically inside its palace. The generals cannot face each other on an open file.
- Advisor · 仕 / 士
- One diagonal step inside the palace.
- Elephant · 相 / 象
- Two diagonal steps; cannot cross the river or jump over an occupied midpoint.
- Horse · 傌 / 馬
- An L-shaped move, blocked if its first straight step is occupied.
- Chariot · 俥 / 車
- Any clear distance along a rank or file.
- Cannon · 炮 / 砲
- Moves along a clear rank or file. To capture, it must jump exactly one intervening piece.
- Soldier · 兵 / 卒
- One step forward; after crossing the river, it may also step sideways. It never retreats or promotes.
Special moves to notice
A cannon needs a screen for a capture. Either player’s piece can be that screen. With no intervening piece, or with two, the capture is unavailable. Moving a screen can therefore create or remove a threat without moving the cannon itself.
A horse is not a jumping knight. If a destination seems close enough but is not highlighted, check the neighboring intersection along the horse’s first straight step. That occupied point may be blocking its route.
Opening a file between the generals can be illegal. Before moving a central blocker away, look along the entire file, not just at the destination of the piece you are moving.
How a game ends
PlayMind uses casual repetition rules. A position repeated three times is drawn unless exactly one side has been giving check on every turn of the repeated cycle; that checking side loses. The game also draws after 120 moves by individual players without a capture or forward soldier move. The site does not adjudicate the full tournament rules for repeated chasing.
Start on PlayMind
- Choose Practice with AI. No sign-in is needed. Pick one of five levels and a side, then press Start game. Difficulty stays fixed during the game; use New game to choose another challenge.
- Click or tap one of your pieces, then a suggested destination. Select the same piece again or press Escape to clear your selection. On the board, arrow keys change focus; Enter or Space selects a square.
- Controls stay in the board frame. In practice you can undo a turn, restart, or begin a new game. Board settings let you change move hints and sound.
- AI games save in this browser. Returning in the same browser can restore your game; that save does not automatically follow you to another device. Clearing site data also removes the saved game.
Play online
Sign in with Google or ChatGPT, choose a nickname, and open a room or join a waiting opponent. An invitation-only room is shared by link; an open room appears in the lobby. Once both players are present, the host presses Start on the board. The clocks begin only then.
During a game, you can offer a draw or resign. After it ends, you can request a rematch. Rematches swap your colors. Only online games between people affect points, with a separate balance for each game. A same-level win transfers 500 points from loser to winner, subject to the available balance and daily limits. AI practice does not change online points.
Four useful habits
Develop without crowding your horses
A horse near the center can be useful only if its routes are open. Moving a nearby soldier may improve a horse that previously seemed stuck.
Notice every cannon screen
After a piece moves, count the blockers between each cannon and valuable targets. A harmless line can become dangerous after a single exchange.
Coordinate the chariots
An active chariot can pressure several intersections along an open line. Try to connect your pieces so that an attack is supported rather than relying on one advanced piece.
Keep the palace connected
Advisors and elephants can support your defense, but moving them changes which entry points are covered. Before attacking, inspect the opponent’s forcing checks.
A small cannon puzzle
Further reading
This is a beginner guide to playing on PlayMind. For more depth, explore the federation resources below.