Cross the river, screen your cannons, and corner the enemy General in this classic game of Chinese Chess.
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How to play
Xiangqi, or Chinese Chess, is played on the intersections of a 9-file by 10-rank board split by a central river. The aim is to checkmate the opposing General. Each piece moves along the painted lines, with several rules unique to the game.
The General stays inside its palace, and the two Generals may never face each other down an open file.
Cannons move like chariots but must leap exactly one piece to make a capture.
Horses can be blocked, and elephants cannot cross the river.
Soldiers gain a sideways step once they have crossed to the far bank.
Game modes
Vs Computer: choose Easy, Medium, or Hard, and play Red (first) or Black.
Hot-seat: two players share one device.
Online: create an invite, join with a code, or quick-match.
Controls
Desktop: click a piece to select it, then click a highlighted point to move; toggle Chinese or English piece labels.
Phone & tablet: tap to select and tap a destination, legal targets are shown.
Tips & strategy
Develop your horses and chariots early and fight for the central file.
Use a cannon's screen capture to strike from afar, and watch for the flying-General threat down open files.
Advance soldiers across the river to unlock their sideways step and pressure the palace.
Origins
Xiangqi, Chinese Chess, took its familiar form in China during the Song dynasty, about a thousand years ago, growing out of older Chinese games and the broad family of chess-like games that arose across the medieval world. Its character is its own: the pieces sit on the line intersections, a central river divides the two armies, the General is penned inside a palace, and the cannon, a piece that fits the age of gunpowder, captures only by leaping a screen. Today it is one of the most-played board games on Earth.
About Xiangqi
Xiangqi is one of the most widely played board games in the world, a chess-family duel of rivers, palaces, and screened cannons. This is an original, free browser version with three computer levels, hot-seat, and online play, no download or sign-up.
A free, original browser game on PlayPendium. No download, no install.
