Xiangqi Puzzles — free online Puzzle game
63 Chinese chess checkmate puzzles: mate in 1, 2 and 3 against a defence that fights back.
Xiangqi Puzzles is a free set of 63 Chinese chess checkmate problems you can solve in your browser. Red moves first and must checkmate Black in one, two or three moves; after every move the computer answers with Black's most stubborn defence, so you have to find the real solution, not just a lucky line. Every puzzle has exactly one winning first move, checked by a solver. The problems drill the classic mating patterns of xiangqi — horse behind cannon (马后炮), double cannons (重炮), the two-chariot mate (双车错), the crouching horse (卧槽马) and the flying general (白脸将), where your own general pins the enemy on an open file. Pieces can be shown as Chinese characters or letters, hints reveal the piece and then the square, and the full solution can be replayed. Your progress is saved in the browser. No download, no sign-up.
Quick start
- Press Start. The heading tells you the target: mate in 1, 2 or 3. Red (the bottom side) always moves first.
- Tap a red piece: green dots show where it can go, a green ring marks a piece it can capture. Tap a target to move.
- Black replies with its toughest defence. Keep checking until Black has no legal move left — that is checkmate.
- Solved puzzles turn green in All Puzzles; use ◀ ▶ to move between them.
How to play Xiangqi Puzzles
- Every position follows the normal rules of xiangqi: the general and advisors stay in the palace, elephants cannot cross the river, a horse is blocked by a piece next to it, and a cannon captures by jumping over exactly one piece.
- The two generals may never face each other on an open file. That rule is a weapon: your general can control the whole file, so the enemy general cannot step onto it.
- You must mate within the number of moves shown. If your move lets Black escape, the puzzle says so and you can retry at once.
- In xiangqi a side with no legal move loses, even when it is not in check, so a stalemate also counts as a win for Red.
- Each puzzle has exactly one correct first move. After that, Black picks the defence that lasts longest, so the line you see is the main line.
Mating patterns
- Horse behind cannon马后炮
- The horse controls the general's escape squares and acts as the screen for a cannon on the same line behind it.
- Double cannons重炮
- Two cannons on one file or rank: the front cannon is the screen for the rear one, so the check cannot be blocked.
- Two-chariot mate双车错
- Two chariots take turns checking on neighbouring files or ranks, driving the general to the edge.
- Crouching horse卧槽马
- A horse two files from the palace corner checks the general and covers its exits.
- Flying general白脸将
- Your own general on an open file stops the enemy general from moving onto it, so a single piece can deliver mate.
Controls
- Move: tap a red piece, then a green dot or ring
- Hint: the first press highlights the piece to move, the second shows its destination (H key)
- Retry restarts the puzzle (R key); Solution replays the main line
- Keyboard: ← → change puzzle; Esc cancels a selection
- The 車 / R button switches the pieces between Chinese characters and letters (K general, A advisor, E elephant, H horse, R chariot, C cannon, P soldier)
Solving tips
- Look at checks first. In short mates almost every move is a check, and the strongest one often looks like a sacrifice.
- Count the general's escape squares. A mate is a check that covers all of them, so ask which pieces guard which points of the palace.
- Remember the flying-general rule: if your general sits on an open file, the enemy general cannot use that file.
- A cannon needs a screen. Moving a piece between your cannon and the general can give check — and that piece may give check too.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the puzzles come from?
They were generated for this site and checked one by one by a mate solver: each has a unique first move and no faster mate.
Why did my move fail when Black was in check?
A check is not enough — Black must have no defence within the move limit. The puzzle tells you as soon as Black can escape.
Does using a hint count?
The puzzle is still marked as solved. A trophy shows a solve without hints; viewing the solution does not mark it solved.
Is it free?
Yes. All 63 puzzles are free in your browser, with no download and no account.