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Xiangqi strategy and tactics

Middlegame plans, tactics and calculation in Chinese chess: how to attack the palace, how to defend it, and how to stop blundering.

51 articles

Strategy

Essential Xiangqi Tactics: Forks, Pins, and Discovered Attacks

Master the essential tactical patterns of Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng): forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks. Learn how Chariots, Horses, and Cannons combine to win material and crack open the enemy palace.

Mr. Tan WeiApr 29, 2026 8m

Strategy

The Double Cannon Attack: A Devastating Xiangqi Weapon

The Double Cannon Attack is one of the most feared weapons in Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng). Learn how to stack two Cannons on a file, use screens for checkmate, and crush the enemy General inside the palace.

Zhang WeiApr 26, 2026 9m

Strategy

Horse and Chariot Coordination: The Engine of a Winning Attack

In Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng), the Horse and Chariot are the engine of every winning attack. Learn how to coordinate their movement, control key files, and build unstoppable threats against the enemy palace.

GM Lê MinhApr 23, 2026 8m

Strategy

When to Sacrifice in Xiangqi: Turning Material into Attack

Sacrifices win games in Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng) when they buy an unstoppable attack. Learn when to give up a Chariot, Horse, or Cannon to strip Advisors, open files, and deliver checkmate against the enemy General.

FM Elena PetrovaApr 20, 2026 9m

Strategy

Attacking the Palace: How to Break Through the Enemy Defense

The enemy palace is where every Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng) game is won. Learn how to strip Advisors and Elephants, exploit the flying-general rule, and coordinate Chariot, Cannon, and Horse to break through and deliver checkmate.

Mr. Tan WeiApr 17, 2026 9m

Strategy

Middlegame Planning in Xiangqi: Turning an Opening into a Win

The middlegame is where Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng) games are decided. Learn how to form a plan, seize open files, activate your Horses and Cannons, and convert an opening advantage into a winning attack.

Zhang WeiApr 14, 2026 10m

Strategy

Defensive Technique in Xiangqi: How to Hold a Worse Position

Great defense wins Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng) games too. Learn how to hold a worse position: keep your Advisors and Elephants coordinated, trade off attackers, build fortresses, and turn defense into counterattack.

Coach Aisha RahmanApr 11, 2026 9m

Strategy

Master the Cannon: The Most Unique Piece in Xiangqi

The Cannon is the most unique piece in Xiangqi (象棋, Cờ Tướng), moving like a Chariot but capturing only by jumping a screen. Master cannon tactics: screens, discovered attacks, batteries, and deadly checkmates against the palace.

GM Lê MinhApr 8, 2026 10m

Strategy

Xiangqi Mate in One: Learning to Spot the Kill

Learn to spot a xiangqi mate in one instantly. Master the chariot, cannon, horse, and flying-general patterns that trap the enemy general in a single move.

FM Elena PetrovaFeb 6, 2026 7m

Strategy

Xiangqi Mate in Two: Common Forcing Patterns

A xiangqi mate in two relies on forcing moves. Learn the sacrifice, decoy, and battery patterns that turn a check into an unstoppable two-move checkmate.

FM Elena PetrovaFeb 13, 2026 8m

Strategy

Discovered Attacks and Double Checks in Xiangqi

Master the discovered attack in xiangqi, where moving a cannon's screen unveils a hidden threat. Learn discovered checks, double checks, and the flying general.

FM Elena PetrovaFeb 20, 2026 8m

Strategy

Pins and Skewers: Essential Xiangqi Tactics

Xiangqi pins and skewers immobilize enemy pieces along a line. Learn chariot pins, the absolute flying-general pin, and cannon skewers to win material.

Coach Aisha RahmanFeb 27, 2026 7m

Strategy

Forks in Xiangqi: Winning Material with a Single Move

The xiangqi fork tactic wins material in one move. Master the horse fork, chariot double attacks, and soldier forks that hit two targets at once.

Coach Aisha RahmanMar 6, 2026 7m

Strategy

Cannon and Chariot: Deadly Mating Patterns in Xiangqi

The cannon and chariot mate is Xiangqi's most feared attacking duo. Learn the hollow cannon, iron-bolt, and back-rank patterns that finish games fast.

FM Elena PetrovaMar 13, 2026 8m

Strategy

How to Calculate Deeper in Xiangqi

Master xiangqi calculation with a practical method: find forcing moves, track cannon screens, and verify each line so you stop blundering in sharp positions.

FM Elena PetrovaMar 20, 2026 8m

Strategy

5 Common Xiangqi Blunders and How to Avoid Them

These five common xiangqi blunders cost players games every day. Learn to spot exposed generals, weak palaces, and cannon-screen traps before they strike.

Coach Aisha RahmanMar 27, 2026 7m

Strategy

Essential Chess Tactics for Beginners

Master the essential chess tactics for beginners, from forks and pins to skewers and discovered attacks, with clear examples that help you win material fast.

Coach Aisha RahmanMar 20, 2026 7m

Strategy

Forks in Chess: Winning Material with One Move

The fork chess tactic lets one piece attack two targets at once. Learn knight forks, pawn forks, and royal forks, plus how to spot and defend them.

Mr. Tan WeiMar 22, 2026 8m

Strategy

Pins and Skewers in Chess Explained

The pin chess tactic freezes an enemy piece in place. Learn absolute and relative pins, deadly skewers, and how to exploit or break them over the board.

Zhang WeiMar 24, 2026 9m

Strategy

Discovered Attacks and Double Checks in Chess

The discovered attack chess players fear unleashes two threats in one move. Learn discovered checks, the windmill, and unstoppable double checks here.

Mei LinMar 25, 2026 10m

Strategy

Chess Combinations: Stringing Tactics Together

Learn how chess combinations weave forcing moves into a single winning idea, plus the sacrifice, motif, and calculation habits that let you spot them at the board.

FM Elena PetrovaMar 27, 2026 7m

Strategy

The Back-Rank Checkmate Explained

The back rank mate is a deadly pattern: a rook or queen mates along the first rank while the king is trapped by its own pawns. Learn to attack and defend it.

Daniel OkaforMar 29, 2026 8m

Strategy

The Smothered Mate: A Knight's Masterpiece

The smothered mate is chess's most elegant finish: a lone knight mates a king boxed in by its own pieces. Learn the pattern and the queen sacrifice behind it.

Coach Aisha RahmanMar 30, 2026 9m

Strategy

The Double Attack in Chess

The double attack chess tactic wins material by threatening two targets at once so the opponent can only save one. Learn forks and how to set up double threats.

Mr. Tan WeiApr 1, 2026 10m

Strategy

Zwischenzug: The In-Between Move

The zwischenzug, or in-between move, inserts a more forcing move before an expected recapture, flipping the result of an exchange. Learn to spot and use it.

Zhang WeiApr 3, 2026 7m

Strategy

Deflection and Decoy Tactics in Chess

The deflection chess tactic drags a defender off its post, while the decoy lures a piece to a fatal square. See how these twin tactics win material and force mate.

Mei LinApr 4, 2026 8m

Strategy

How to Calculate Variations in Chess

Learning how to calculate in chess is the single biggest jump in playing strength. This guide breaks down candidate moves, visualization, and clean cutoffs.

FM Elena PetrovaApr 6, 2026 9m

Strategy

Sacrifices in Chess: When to Give Up Material

Chess sacrifices win games when material is traded for attack, time, or structure. Learn the real vs sham sacrifice, classic patterns, and how to judge one.

Daniel OkaforApr 8, 2026 10m

Strategy

Chess Mate in One: Spotting the Kill

Spotting mate in one chess positions trains the eye that wins games. Learn the core checkmate patterns and a simple checklist to never miss the kill again.

Coach Aisha RahmanApr 9, 2026 7m

Strategy

Chess Mate in Two: Common Patterns

Solving mate in two chess puzzles builds the calculation muscle behind every attack. Learn the quiet-move idea, common patterns, and a reliable solving method.

Mr. Tan WeiApr 11, 2026 8m

Strategy

The Windmill: Chess's Deadliest Combination

The windmill chess tactic is a see-saw of discovered checks that harvests material by force. Learn the mechanics, the Torre-Lasker game, and how to set one up.

Zhang WeiApr 13, 2026 9m

Strategy

How to Get Better at Chess Tactics

Want to improve chess tactics fast? Combine pattern recognition, daily puzzle drills, calculation, and a blunder-check routine to spot combinations first.

Mei LinApr 14, 2026 10m

Strategy

Famous Checkmate Patterns Every Player Should Know

Learn the essential checkmate patterns in chess, from the back-rank mate to smothered mate, and train your eye to spot winning attacks before they appear.

FM Elena PetrovaApr 16, 2026 7m

Strategy

Chess Strategy Basics for Improvers

Master the chess strategy basics that separate improving players from beginners: development, king safety, piece activity, weak squares, and long-term planning.

Daniel OkaforApr 18, 2026 8m

Strategy

Controlling the Center in Chess

Discover why you should control the center in chess, how classical and hypermodern approaches differ, and practical ways to dominate the four central squares.

Coach Aisha RahmanApr 19, 2026 9m

Strategy

Understanding Pawn Structure in Chess

A clear guide to pawn structure in chess: doubled, isolated, backward, and passed pawns, pawn chains, majorities, and how structure shapes your whole plan.

Mr. Tan WeiApr 21, 2026 10m

Strategy

The Isolated Pawn: Strength or Weakness?

Is the isolated pawn a weakness or a weapon? Learn how to attack, defend, and use the isolated queen pawn, and when its dynamic energy outweighs its risks.

Zhang WeiApr 23, 2026 7m

Strategy

The Passed Pawn and How to Use It

The passed pawn wins endgames. Learn how to create a passed pawn, support its march to promotion, blockade the enemy's, and use it as a decisive weapon.

Mei LinApr 24, 2026 8m

Strategy

Open Files, Rooks and the Seventh Rank

A practical guide to open files in chess: how to seize an open file, double your rooks into a battery, and invade the deadly seventh rank to win.

FM Elena PetrovaApr 26, 2026 9m

Strategy

Good Bishop vs Bad Bishop

Learn the difference between a good bishop and a bad bishop in chess: how pawn structure decides bishop quality, and how to fix, trade, or exploit one.

Daniel OkaforApr 28, 2026 10m

Strategy

Knight vs Bishop: Which Is Better?

Knight vs bishop is one of chess's oldest debates. Learn when the bishop dominates, when the knight rules, and why the bishop pair is so prized.

Coach Aisha RahmanApr 29, 2026 7m

Strategy

King Safety in Chess

King safety in chess is the foundation of every sound plan. Learn about castling, the pawn shield, back-rank mates, and keeping your king out of danger.

Mr. Tan WeiMay 1, 2026 8m

Strategy

How to Attack the King in Chess

Attacking the king in chess is a skill you can learn. Master opening lines, classic sacrifices, and how to count attackers to launch a winning assault.

Zhang WeiMay 3, 2026 9m

Strategy

Prophylaxis: Stopping Your Opponent's Plans

Prophylaxis in chess means preventing your opponent's ideas before they start. Learn the mindset of Nimzowitsch and Petrosian to quietly strangle counterplay.

Mei LinMay 4, 2026 10m

Strategy

Weak Squares and Outposts in Chess

Weak squares chess strategy starts with spotting the holes in your opponent's camp. Learn to build outposts, plant knights, and turn a weakness into a win.

FM Elena PetrovaMay 6, 2026 7m

Strategy

How to Make Plans in the Middlegame

Great chess middlegame plans begin with an honest evaluation. Learn to read the pawn structure, target weaknesses, and turn ideas into winning moves.

Daniel OkaforMay 8, 2026 8m

Strategy

Positional Chess Explained

Positional chess is the art of small, lasting advantages. Learn how pawn structure, weak squares, open files, and space quietly decide the game.

Coach Aisha RahmanMay 10, 2026 9m

Strategy

How to Improve at Chess: A Roadmap

Wondering how to improve at chess? This practical roadmap covers tactics, openings, endgames, and smart study habits to help you climb the rating ladder.

Mr. Tan WeiMay 11, 2026 10m

Strategy

How to Study Chess Effectively

Learn how to study chess the smart way: a proven framework built on tactics, master games, strategy, and endgames that turns study hours into real rating points.

FM Elena PetrovaJun 25, 2026 9m

Strategy

How to Analyze Your Own Chess Games

Learn to analyze chess games the right way: think first, engine second. A step-by-step method to find your critical moments, fix recurring mistakes, and gain rating.

Daniel OkaforJun 27, 2026 10m

Strategy

How to Checkmate in Chess

Learn how to checkmate in chess: check versus checkmate, the three ways to escape check, and reliable mating patterns like the back-rank and queen mate.

Mr. Tan WeiMar 27, 2026 8m