Strategy guide
Xiangqi Strategy for Beginners: Openings, Tactics and Endgames
Updated October 6, 2026
Once you know how the pieces move, the next step is knowing why a move is good. This guide covers four areas beginners use most: opening principles, piece values, basic tactics and the endgame. At the end you will find how to practise with the AI and the replay feature on this site.
Four opening principles
In the opening your goal is to bring your strong pieces into play quickly without giving your opponent an easy target.
- Develop your horses and cannons first, then bring the chariots out of the corners. The chariot is the strongest piece and should join the fight early, but only once the horse has cleared its path.
- Avoid moving the same piece again and again in the opening. Each move should bring a new piece into the game.
- The central soldier is the main target for both sides. Keep it protected by a horse, a cannon or an elephant.
- Do not rush a chariot or cannon deep into enemy territory to grab soldiers. A lone raider is easily trapped by horses and elephants, and you lose a strong piece.
The three most common openings
Xiangqi has many opening systems, but knowing these three will cover most of your early games:
- Central Cannon: Red moves a cannon to the centre file on the first move, aiming straight at Black’s central soldier and general. It is aggressive and by far the most popular opening.
- Screen Horse defence: Black’s most common answer to the Central Cannon. Both horses jump to the sides of the central soldier, protecting each other and guarding the centre.
- Elephant opening: Red starts by moving an elephant, building a solid shape first and choosing a plan after seeing Black’s reply. Slower, but very safe.
What each piece is worth
These values are a common rule of thumb for deciding whether an exchange is worth it. Real value depends on the position: the cannon is stronger in the opening, while the horse often becomes more useful in the endgame when fewer pieces remain.
| Piece | Approximate value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chariot | 9 | Moves any distance along ranks and files; the strongest piece |
| Cannon | 4.5 | Dangerous in the opening and middlegame; weaker in the endgame when screens are scarce |
| Horse | 4 | More active in the endgame; watch out for a blocked leg |
| Advisor, elephant | 2 each | Mainly defensive; they protect the general |
| Soldier | 1, or 2 after crossing the river | After crossing the river it can also move sideways and becomes much stronger |
Four tactics every beginner should know
- Fork: one move attacks two enemy pieces at once, so your opponent can only save one. The horse is the best forking piece because its moves are easy to overlook.
- Pin: a chariot or cannon aims at a piece that has a more valuable piece behind it, such as the general, so the front piece cannot move.
- Discovered attack: move a piece out of the way so that a chariot or cannon behind it suddenly opens a line of attack, creating two threats with one move.
- Use the “generals may not face each other” rule: when both generals stand on the same file, the only piece between them cannot leave. That is a built-in pin you can exploit.
Endgame ideas
- A single chariot beats a bare general, so keeping a chariot in the endgame is often enough to win.
- In Xiangqi, stalemate (no legal move while not in check) is a loss, unlike in chess. Leaving the enemy general with no moves is a valid way to win.
- Advisors and elephants matter a lot in the endgame. Without them, even a small attacking force can checkmate you, so think about your defence before trading them off.
- A soldier that has crossed the river is valuable in the endgame, especially near the enemy palace, where it can join a chariot or horse in the attack.
How to practise on this site
Play a few games against the AI to get used to the openings and tactics above, then open the replay after each game and step through the moves to see where you lost material. Results follow the server’s rulings: stalemate is a loss, a side that keeps giving perpetual check or perpetual chase may lose, and 120 half-moves in a row without a capture is a draw. To play people, use ranked matchmaking or send an invite link to a friend.