Play Chinese Chess Free Online vs AI

This is the live Chinese Chess board on InstantGames. Play Xiangqi against AI, take hints, undo mistakes, and switch into daily endgames or classic study lines when you want focused practice. No download and no account wall.

The remade trainer includes four AI tiers from Beginner to Master, legal-move highlights, check warnings, move animation, async AI calculation, and local win tracking. Start lower if you are rebuilding fundamentals, then use Advanced and Master as exams.

New to Xiangqi? Get Started in Three Steps

Xiangqi looks dense at first, but you only need a few ideas to survive your first games against the AI:

• Learn the chariot and the cannon first. The chariot (车) moves like a rook and is the strongest piece. The cannon (炮) moves like a chariot but captures by jumping over exactly one screen piece, which makes open files and central cannons dangerous early.
• Guard the palace. Your general (将/帅) never leaves the 3×3 palace, and the two generals may never face each other on an open file. Before every attack, check that your own general still has cover.
• Use hints and undo as teachers. When a move goes wrong, undo it and compare the hint with your plan. Reviewing one mistake is worth more than restarting three games.

How Chinese Chess Differs from International Chess

Players coming from Western chess usually adapt quickly, but a few rules change the whole feel of the game:

• Pieces sit on intersections, not squares, on a 9×10-point board cut in half by a river.
• The river matters: elephants (象/相) cannot cross it, and soldiers (卒/兵) only gain sideways movement after crossing it.
• There is no queen and no castling. Advisors (士/仕) and elephants are defensive pieces that stay near your own half.
• Stalemate is a win, not a draw. Leaving the opponent with no legal move wins the game, so endgames convert differently than in international chess.

If you want the Western version in 3D, try King's Gambit 3D, which also includes Xiangqi, Go, and Shogi boards.

Choose Your AI Level

The four tiers are a training ladder, not just a difficulty switch. Beginner is for learning legal moves and seeing hints. Intermediate punishes pieces you leave undefended. Advanced builds multi-move threats, so you have to read the position before pushing. Master is the exam: slow, structured games where every open file counts. When a level stops feeling stressful, move up; when you lose without understanding why, move back down and review with undo.

Xiangqi Tips for Beating Stronger AI

• Start on Beginner or Intermediate: Learn piece value and palace safety before Advanced or Master. Getting crushed without feedback teaches little.
• Respect the river and cannon lines: Many losses come from ignoring open files and cannon screens. Check both before every aggressive push.
• Use hints as post-mortems: When a position feels forced, compare the hint with your intended move. That grows judgment faster than restart spam.
• Train endgames separately: Daily and library endgames isolate technique you can convert into better full-game finishes.
• Keep one defensive piece near the general: Overextending every attacker is how Master AI turns small cracks into mating nets.

Chinese Chess FAQ

Is Chinese Chess the same as international chess?

No. Xiangqi is played on the intersections of a 9×10-point board with a river in the middle, generals confined to a palace, and a cannon that captures by jumping over one piece. Stalemate wins the game instead of drawing it.

What is the goal of Xiangqi?

Checkmate the enemy general (将/帅). Because stalemate also counts as a win, trapping the general so it has no legal move is enough.

Can I play Chinese Chess on mobile?

Yes. The board runs in the browser with touch controls, so it works on phones, tablets, and Chromebooks with no download.

Is Chinese Chess free online here?

Yes. The live Xiangqi board is free in the browser with no account wall.

How many AI levels are there?

Four: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master.

Where are the full rules?

Use the Chinese Chess details guide for piece movement, river and palace rules, openings, and tactics.

Can I practice endgames and famous games?

Yes. Daily challenges, an endgame library, and classic qipu study are built into the same page.

What should I play next?

Minesweeper or Sudoku for pure calculation, or Gomoku if you want another board duel with faster tactics.