World Xiangqi Rules
Learn the rules. Replay the position. Understand the ruling. Eighteen connected guides grounded in the WXF 2018 rulebook.
18 lessons
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Board, pieces and legal moves in Xiangqi
A Xiangqi board has nine files and ten ranks. Pieces stand on intersections. The river separates the two sides; the two palaces constrain Kings and Advisors. Red moves first. Each side starts with sixteen pieces of seven kinds (Articles 1–2).
Article 1–2How a Xiangqi game ends: mate, stalemate and draws
A player with no legal move loses in Xiangqi, even when the King is not in check. Checkmate and stalemate are both losing outcomes under Article 3.1.A. Resignation, time and tournament infringements can also decide a game; draws have their own conditions.
Article 3; 4.5–4.7Reading and writing WXF Xiangqi notation
WXF Article 7 records a move with a piece identifier, its file, a direction and a destination or distance. The English symbols are K, A, E, H, R, C and P. Files are read from the moving player's side.
Article 7Touch-move and handling pieces at the board
Touching a piece during your turn can commit you to moving or capturing it when a legal move exists. Article 4.2 treats touching your own piece, your opponent's piece and both pieces separately. Intent, order and legal availability matter.
Article 2.10.D; 4.2–4.4Tournament rules
Tournament formats and time controls in WXF 2018
WXF Articles 5–6 describe competition systems and time controls. The system and clock settings for a particular event must be announced in its regulations. Article 6.1's 60 minutes plus 30 seconds per move is a specified control, not a universal setting for every Xiangqi game.
Article 5–6Natural Movecount: counting, checks and a draw claim
Natural Movecount is the WXF procedure for a long sequence without captures. Article 8 uses “one hundred moves by both players”, while Article 3.2.D uses “50 moves by both players”. These wordings must be read together; this guide does not invent a boundary ruling where the English text is unclear.
Article 3.2.D; 8Game points, team points and tournament results
Article 9.1 gives 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. It also permits the alternative 1, ½, 0 scale. Apply the scale announced for the event consistently; do not mix it with a rating or a website leaderboard.
Article 9WXF tie-breaks: round-robin and Swiss ranking
When tournament points are equal, Article 10 applies a sequence of tie-break criteria. Round-robin and individual Swiss competitions use different first criteria. Continue to the next criterion only while the tie remains.
Article 10Player duties, technical fouls and violations
WXF Articles 11–13 cover conduct, participation and offences. “Technical foul” and “violation” are distinct categories; treating every incident as one generic warning changes the rule. Articles 4.6–4.7 set different losing thresholds for them.
Article 11–13; 4.6–4.7Organisers & arbiters
Organising a Xiangqi event under WXF rules
Articles 14–16 separate the published tournament regulations, the Organizing Committee and the Tournament Committee. Prepare both the sporting rules and the practical arrangements before players arrive.
Article 14–16Chief Arbiter: duties, decisions and escalation
Article 17 makes the Chief Arbiter responsible for implementing and explaining the rules, leading the arbiter team and dealing with irregularities. Penalties must come from the rules and tournament regulations, not from an improvised scale.
Article 17Appealing a ruling: the WXF procedure
A formal appeal is a documented request for review. Article 12.4 specifies a written appeal within two hours after the game and a fee stated as “50 dollars”. The English source does not identify the currency; confirm the event's published arrangements.
Article 12.4; 18Repetition & disputes
WXF glossary: check, chase, root and repetition
Article 19 defines the terms used to classify disputed sequences. Start by naming each move accurately, then examine the repeated pattern. A piece being attacked is not, by itself, proof of a forbidden perpetual chase.
Article 19Perpetual check: who must change the move?
A player who checks on every move in the repeated sequence must change the sequence. Article 20.1 prohibits perpetual check; simultaneous perpetual checks by both sides are drawn. The classification depends on each side's entire cycle, not just its last move.
Article 19.8; 19.12; 19.17; 20.1; Chapter 5 §§1–3Mating threats and alternating checks
A mating threat is a move preparing a check or series of checks leading to mate (19.2). It is distinct from an immediate check. Article 20.2 allows perpetual mating threats and alternating check/mating-threat sequences to be drawn if neither side varies, subject to the actual nature of the moves.
Article 19.2; 19.9; 19.16; 20.2; Chapter 5 §§4–6,36.4Perpetual chase: target, reply and legal protection
A Chase threatens to capture a non-King piece on the next move (19.3). Perpetual Chase additionally concerns a succession against the same target, with the opponent moving that target away or resolving the chase (19.10). Articles 20.3–20.9 provide important exceptions.
Article 19.3; 19.10; 20.3–20.9; Chapter 5Real Root and Fake Root: can the defender recapture?
A protector is a Real Root when it can immediately recapture the enemy piece that captures the protected piece (19.14). If it cannot legally make that recapture, it is a Fake Root (19.15). A pinned defender can look protective while being unable to move.
Article 19.13–19.15; 20.6; Chapter 5 §§12,29–30WXF casebook: difficult repetition rulings
The difficult cases turn on identity, timing and legal responses. This casebook groups Chapter 5 examples that look similar on a still board but receive different rulings. Replay each complete line before reading the explanation.
Chapter 5 §§27–30,36