How to play Chinese chess

Nine files, ten ranks, a river across the middle and a palace at each end. Learn those three and the pieces explain themselves.

楚 河汉 界Palace — general stays insidePalace — general stays insideRiver — soldiers gain a sidestep, elephants never cross車馬象士将士象馬車砲砲卒卒卒卒卒兵兵兵兵兵炮炮车马相仕帅仕相马车

Local table

Ready to cross?

A quiet game against the local AI. No lobby, no waiting.

Difficulty
Guards the palace

Moves

Red opens. Moves will list here after the first piece lands.

Record

Kept in this browser only. Clearing site data wipes it.

Wins
0
Losses
0
Games
0
  • This gameNot started
  • Plies played0
  • Red clock00:00
  • Black clock00:00

On this page

Chinese chess setup

Setup is the photograph before the first move. Sixteen discs a side. Generals in the palace centers. Soldiers on the third rank from each end. Cannons behind the soldiers on the second file in from each edge.

The board above is already set that way. This page names the photo so you can reset a physical set at home without guessing.

When

When to use

Placing a wooden set after years away. Checking whether advisors sit beside the general.

When not

When not to

Wanting move rules — how-to or rules. Wanting opening theory — openings stays short on purpose.

Defaults

Assumptions

Standard modern starting array. Red at the bottom of the screen unless you flip.

Steps

How

  1. Place both generals on the palace center files at each end.
  2. Advisors beside them; elephants beside advisors; horses; chariots in the corners.
  3. Cannons on the file next to the horses’ file, two ranks forward from the back rank.
  4. Five soldiers across the third rank, every other file.

Worked notes

Examples

  • Physical set, river painted mid-board → soldiers face each other across the water before anyone moves
  • You flipped the digital board → setup is the same — only the camera turned

Watch-outs

Gotchas

  • Pieces sit on intersections, not inside western squares.
  • Don’t put elephants across the river at setup — they never cross later either.
  • Black and red use different characters for some pieces; seats are the same.

Controls

Board controls

New game restores this setup. Flip only turns the view.

FAQ

How many pieces per side?
Sixteen.
Where do cannons start?
On the second rank in from each side’s back rank, files of the horses’ neighbors — the familiar ‘cannon posts.’
Who moves first?
Red.
Can I edit a custom setup here?
Not yet. New game restores the standard array.