How is the board set up?
The Modern board has three territories of 45 intersections and sixteen pieces per faction. Each army has its own palace. ChessPlayX uses a modern three-player ruleset, not a reconstruction of historical Three Kingdoms chess.
What is the turn order?
Turns go White → Black → Red (Wei → Shu → Wu). Each player competes independently.
How do pieces cross the centre?
Play on 135 intersections. The central triangle has three distinct points; each inward line continues into a neighbouring kingdom. Dashed links mark river crossings.
What are the palace and river restrictions?
Generals and guards stay in their own palace. Elephants stay in their territory and can be blocked at the eye; horses can be blocked at the leg. Cannons capture over exactly one screen. Soldiers gain sideways moves after crossing the river.
When is check resolved?
Both opponents can give check. You must leave your own king or general safe. Royals are never captured; checkmate is decided when the checked player's turn begins.
What happens when a player is eliminated?
Mate, resignation or timeout eliminates one player. Their army stays as frozen, uncapturable blockers. The last active player wins; disconnection alone does not immediately eliminate anyone.
When is the game drawn?
Threefold repetition or 150 quiet plies draws the game. In chess, stalemate skips a turn with three active players and draws with two. In Modern Xiangqi, stalemate eliminates that player. Historical special pieces and army transfer are not part of Modern.
What should beginners watch for?
Check threats from both rival factions and examine routes through the centre. Frozen pieces from an eliminated army still obstruct movement.
Rules and references
- ChessPlayX — online rules published on this page
This guide describes play on ChessPlayX. Platform-specific conventions are stated in the relevant sections; tournament administration may differ.