A clear xiangqi rules FAQ: how the board and pieces work, how you win by checkmate or stalemate, the flying-general rule, draws, and perpetual check explained.
The xiangqi rules can look mysterious at first, but they are elegant and consistent once explained clearly. Xiangqi (象棋), also called Chinese Chess or Cờ Tướng, is played by millions worldwide, and nearly every newcomer asks the same handful of questions.
This FAQ answers them in plain language: how the board and pieces work, how a game is won or drawn, and the special rules around the two Generals and repeated checks. Read it once and you will have the confidence to sit down and play a real game.
How is the board set up, and how do pieces move?
The board has 9 files and 10 ranks, and pieces sit on the intersections of the lines, not inside the squares. A central river divides the two halves, and each side has a 3x3 palace where the General and Advisors live.
The General moves one point orthogonally and stays inside its palace. Advisors move one point diagonally, also confined to the palace, while Elephants move exactly two points diagonally and may not cross the river. The Chariot slides any distance along ranks and files like a rook; the Horse moves one point then one diagonally outward and can be blocked; the Soldier advances one point, gaining a sideways step after crossing the river.
The Cannon is the special one: it moves like the Chariot along open lines, but to capture or give check it must jump over exactly one piece, called a screen. No screen means no capture. Understanding the Cannon's screen is the single biggest key to reading Xiangqi positions.
How do you win a game of Xiangqi?
You win by checkmate: your opponent's General is under attack (in check) and has no legal move to escape. This is the same winning idea as in Western chess, focused on the enemy General instead of the king.
You also win by stalemate, and this is where Xiangqi surprises newcomers. If your opponent has no legal move at all, even though their General is not in check, they are stalemated and they LOSE. In Western chess that situation is a draw; in Xiangqi it is a win for the side that trapped them.
Because both no-escape-from-check and no-legal-move mean defeat, the practical goal is the same: take away every legal option from your opponent. Keep this dual condition in mind and you will spot wins other beginners miss.
What is the flying-general rule?
The flying-general rule forbids the two Generals from facing each other directly along the same open file with no piece in between. If nothing blocks them, they would in effect threaten each other, and the rule makes that position illegal.
In practice this means you may not make a move that leaves your General staring at the enemy General on an open file, and you can never place a blocker in a way that opens such a face-off to your disadvantage.
The rule is also a weapon. A distant General can pin an enemy defender that stands between the two Generals, because that defender cannot legally move away. Skilled players use this ghost pin to win material and deliver mates in the endgame.
When is a game a draw?
Draws happen in a few clear ways. The players can agree to a draw by mutual consent. A game is also drawn when there is insufficient material for either side to force a win, or more broadly when neither side can force checkmate or stalemate no matter how they play, such as against a solid fortress.
Notice what is not automatically a draw. Because a stalemated player loses, you cannot rely on running the opponent out of moves to save yourself. And you cannot force a draw by repeating illegal checks, which brings us to the next question.
If a position simply repeats with legal moves and neither side can make progress, it is drawn. The important distinction is between a legal repetition, which draws, and a banned perpetual, which does not.
Is perpetual check allowed?
No. Perpetual check is not allowed in Xiangqi. A player who keeps giving check endlessly, with no other purpose, must vary the moves; if they refuse, they are ruled to lose. This prevents a losing side from escaping by checking forever.
A related rule bans perpetual chasing: you may not endlessly chase an unprotected enemy piece to force a repetition. Both rules exist to keep the game decisive rather than looping forever.
The simple takeaway: repetition through ordinary moves can be a draw, but repetition built on endless checks or endless chasing of a loose piece is forbidden and can cost you the game. When you find yourself repeating, make sure your moves are legal, not perpetual.
Next steps: play your first game
The fastest way to internalize these rules is to play. Start a friendly game, keep this FAQ open, and you will find the pieces and rules click into place within a few moves.
On XiangqiPlay you can play against the engine or other people, with legal moves highlighted so you learn the rules as you go. Try a game today and turn these answers into real experience over the board.