Best Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) Games to Play Free Online

A cannon that can only capture by leaping over another piece. A horse that a single pawn can trip up. Two generals that are not allowed to look at each other. Chinese chess plays like Western chess with a twist on every rule, and you don’t need a board to try it. These are the best browser versions, from a quick game against the computer to rated matches against people around the world.

What makes Chinese chess different

Xiangqi is the most popular board game in China and a member of the same family as Western chess, shogi and Janggi. Its present form dates back to around the Song dynasty. The board is 9 points wide and 10 deep, and the pieces stand on the intersections rather than inside squares.

A river splits the board in two, and each side has a palace, a 3×3 zone marked with an X. The general and its two advisors may never leave the palace. Elephants cannot cross the river, and both horses and elephants can be blocked by a piece in their path. The cannon moves like a rook but captures only by jumping exactly one piece. The two generals may not face each other on an open file, and stalemate counts as a loss rather than a draw.

A good browser version enforces all of that, so you never have to argue about whether a horse is hobbled. It should also show legal moves for beginners, offer an option for players who do not read the Chinese characters, and give you someone to play.

Quick picks

If you want…	Play
Chinese chess vs the computer, right now	Xiangqi (Dinogame)
Two players on one phone or laptop	Xiangqi (Dinogame)
Computer levels, lessons and puzzles in one place	Xiangqi.com
Casual xiangqi against real people	Board Game Arena or PlayOK
An open-source server with xiangqi variants	PyChess
The Korean cousin of xiangqi	Janggi on PyChess
Chess from another tradition	Shogi or Chess (Dinogame)

1. Xiangqi (play it right here on Dinogame)

Our Xiangqi is the full game on the traditional 9×10 board with the river and both palaces. It runs in any modern browser on a laptop, Chromebook, tablet or phone, with no download or sign-up.

How it plays: Play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, as Red or Black, or play a friend on the same device. Easy makes loose moves that suit beginners, and Hard looks several moves ahead while still answering in about a second. Every rule is enforced: the palace, the elephant eye, the hobbled horse, the cannon screen, soldiers that move sideways only after crossing the river, and the flying-general rule. Checkmate wins, and so does stalemate, as in real xiangqi. Draws are simplified: the same position three times, or 60 moves each without a capture, instead of the official perpetual check and chase rules.

Controls: Tap a piece and its legal points light up, then tap one to move. The pieces carry traditional Chinese characters in red and black, and a Letters switch changes them to K, A, E, H, R, C and P. Undo, a move list, captured pieces and a last-move highlight help you follow the game, and your record against each level is saved in your browser. Best for: Learning the rules, a quick game against the computer, or two players at one screen.

2. Xiangqi.com

Xiangqi.com is a large site built only for Chinese chess, with a web version and mobile apps. It covers playing, studying and solving in one place, and it advertises free play.

How it plays: You can create or join games against other players, choose sides and timers, or play the computer at five difficulty levels. The site also has a large set of puzzles, which you can add to with your own, more than 70 lessons in English and an analysis board. Some features, such as untimed online games, are for registered players. Controls: Click or tap to move, on desktop or phone. Best for: Players who want to get seriously better at xiangqi, not just play a game.

3. Xiangqi on Board Game Arena

Board Game Arena is a big site for playing board games in a browser, and its Xiangqi table has been running since 2016. It is free to play with a free account, with nothing to download.

How it plays: It is a straight game of Chinese chess against another person, with the standard rules. Board Game Arena’s version was built by a community developer with the site’s own studio tools. A preferences option switches the pieces from Chinese characters to Western-style pieces, which helps a lot in your first few games. Controls: Click a piece, then its destination. Best for: Board game fans who already use Board Game Arena and want a chess game with a difference.

4. Xiangqi on PlayOK

PlayOK is a long-running free site for classic board and card games, and it has offered xiangqi for many years. The focus is on games against live opponents rather than the computer.

How it plays: You pick a room, sit at a table and play another person. The site offers rankings, detailed stats, player profiles, contact lists, private messages and saved game records, and it supports mobile devices. The look is simple, which suits players who just want a quick game of Chinese chess online. Controls: Click or tap to move. Best for: Casual games against real people with no fuss.

5. Xiangqi on PyChess

PyChess is a free, open-source server for chess variants, and xiangqi is one of its main games. It uses Fairy-Stockfish, a strong open-source engine for chess variants, for move checking, analysis and engine play.

How it plays: You can play other people, create a game with your own settings, or join tournaments. The site’s rules guide uses real xiangqi rules, including stalemate as a loss and perpetual check losing after three repetitions, and it writes moves in World Xiangqi Federation notation. Controls: Click or drag pieces. Best for: Players who want a free, open-source server and like to explore other variants on the side.

6. Janggi on PyChess

Janggi is Korean chess, a close cousin of xiangqi with almost the same pieces on a 9×10 board. If you enjoy xiangqi, it is the natural next game to try, and PyChess lets you play it in a browser.

How it plays: Janggi has no river, so elephants and soldiers behave differently, and the general starts in the middle of its palace instead of on the back rank. Cannons must jump a piece to move as well as to capture, and a player may pass instead of moving. The result often feels more positional than xiangqi. Controls: Click or drag pieces. Best for: Xiangqi players who want a fresh challenge with familiar pieces.

7. More xiangqi variants on PyChess

PyChess also hosts several smaller variants of Chinese chess. Each one keeps the core rules but changes one big thing, which makes them a good way to see xiangqi from a new angle.

Manchu chess

Manchu chess is a lopsided variant said to come from the Qing dynasty. One side gives up most of its army in exchange for the Banner, a super piece that moves as a chariot, cannon and horse combined. PyChess plays a rebalanced version called Manchu+.

Jieqi

In Jieqi, every piece except the general starts face down in a random order. A hidden piece moves like the piece whose starting point it stands on, and turns face up after its first move. Revealed advisors and elephants may even leave their usual areas, so no two games feel the same.

Minixiangqi

Minixiangqi squeezes the game onto a 7×7 board with no river, advisors or elephants. Soldiers can step sideways from the start. Games are short and tactical, which makes it a good warm-up.

8. Shogi (play it right here on Dinogame)

Shogi is Japanese chess, and if you like xiangqi’s sharp tactics it is well worth learning. Our Shogi runs in the browser against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or against a friend on the same device.

How it plays: The board is 9×9, and the twist is that captured pieces join your side. On a later turn, you can drop one back onto an empty square. Pieces also promote when they reach the last three ranks. Controls: Tap a piece, then a highlighted square, and switch on English labels if you do not read the Japanese characters. Best for: Players who want another member of the chess family with a very different feel.

9. Chess (play it right here on Dinogame)

Sometimes the best way to appreciate xiangqi is to switch back to Western chess for a game. Our Chess lets you play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, with undo and a button to flip the board.

How it plays: Standard chess rules on an 8×8 board, with pieces on squares, castling and promotion. Many xiangqi ideas carry over, such as rooks on open files and attacks aimed at a king that has few places to hide. Controls: Click or tap a piece, then its destination. Best for: A quick change of pace between xiangqi games.

How we picked these Chinese chess games

Every game here runs in a standard web browser. We favored sites that enforce the real rules, give you someone to play, whether a computer or people, and make the Chinese characters less of a barrier for new players. We then added the closest relatives of xiangqi for players who want to branch out.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I play xiangqi against the computer for free?

Our own Xiangqi has three computer levels and needs no account. Xiangqi.com also offers games against the computer at five difficulty levels, along with puzzles and lessons.

What is the best site to play Chinese chess online against people?

Xiangqi.com is built entirely around Chinese chess, with online games, lessons and puzzles. Board Game Arena and PlayOK are simpler options for casual games, and PyChess suits players who also enjoy variants.

Is Chinese chess harder than Western chess?

Not really. The rules take about as long to learn, and games are often sharp and tactical because cannons and chariots create threats early. Players who already know chess usually pick it up quickly.

Can I play xiangqi without reading Chinese characters?

Yes. Our Xiangqi has a Letters switch, and Board Game Arena lets you switch to Western-style pieces in its preferences. After a few games, most players recognize the characters anyway.

Is stalemate a draw in Chinese chess?

No. In xiangqi, a player who has no legal move loses, whether or not their general is in check. Our Xiangqi follows that rule, so trapping the enemy general without checking it is a real way to win.

Cross the river

Whether you want to learn the rules against a gentle computer, sharpen your play with lessons or face real people, there is a browser version of Chinese chess here for you. Start with our Xiangqi for an instant game, then try Janggi or shogi when you want something new. And when you need a break from palaces and cannons, the Chrome Dino game asks for nothing more than a well-timed jump.