Learning xiangqi does not require hours a day. What it requires is regular, focused practice. This plan assumes about 20 minutes a day, five or six days a week, for four weeks. By the end you will know the rules cold, play a sensible opening with both colors, spot the most common tactics, and be ready to play real opponents online.
Each week has one main theme, a short daily routine and a checkpoint.
Week 1: Rules, blocks and basic mates
Theme: play legal, complete games without confusion.
Daily routine (20 minutes):
- 5 minutes: review one piece's movement and its block (horse leg, elephant eye, cannon screen). Use how xiangqi pieces move.
- 15 minutes: play one or two quick games against the lowest computer level on the home page.
Also this week: learn two basic mates — one chariot with the help of your own general on the center file, and two chariots together. Practice them until you can do them without thinking. How a xiangqi game ends shows both patterns.
Checkpoint: you complete five games with no attempts at illegal moves, and you can mate a bare general with a chariot and general.
Week 2: Opening habits
Theme: stop losing in the first ten moves.
Daily routine:
- 5 minutes: review one opening idea.
- As Red: the Central Cannon, C2=5, followed by both horses and a chariot.
- As Black: the Screen Horses, both horses defending the center.
- 15 minutes: one game as Red and one as Black against the computer, following the opening plan.
Rules of thumb to follow in every game this week:
- At least one chariot out by move five.
- Both horses out by move eight.
- Do not push the center soldier early.
- Do not move the same piece twice in the first six moves unless you must.
Checkpoint: in most games you reach move ten with both horses and a chariot developed, and without having lost material.
Week 3: Tactics with horses, cannons and chariots
Theme: win material and stop losing it.
This is the week where your results will change the most, because most beginner games are decided by one tactical shot.
Daily routine:
- 5 minutes: study one tactical idea:
- the horse fork (one horse attacking two pieces),
- the cannon through a screen (one piece in the line turns a cannon into an attacker),
- the chariot on an open file or the second rank,
- the pin by a central cannon (two pieces in front of the general, neither can move freely).
- 15 minutes: one game in which you consciously look for that day's idea for both sides.
The key habit this week: after every opponent move, ask "What does this threaten?" Then, before your own move, ask "Is anything of mine left undefended?"
Checkpoint: you win at least half your games against the second computer level, and you can name the tactic that decided each game.
Week 4: Real opponents and reviewing
Theme: play people and learn from your games.
Daily routine:
- 15 minutes: one online game at a comfortable time control, such as 10+5, from the online page. No rush — slower games teach more.
- 5 minutes: review the game. Find the first moment material changed hands or the first real threat. Ask what you missed or what you did well.
If you sign in to your account, your online games are saved automatically so you can replay them later.
Also this week: play at least two games with the opening you find least comfortable. If you always play the Central Cannon as Red, try the Pawn opening once or twice.
Checkpoint: you have played at least five complete online games and can explain the turning point of each.
What not to do in your first month
- Do not memorize long opening lines. Principles are enough for now.
- Do not play only blitz. Fast games are fun but teach bad habits early. Keep most games at 10 minutes or more.
- Do not skip reviewing. Five minutes of review teach more than one extra game.
- Do not worry about losing. Everyone loses a lot at first. The losses are where the learning is.
Adapting the plan
If you have less time: stretch each week to two weeks. The order matters more than the speed.
If you have more time: add a longer game on weekends and review it in detail. Also start learning a couple of simple endgames, such as chariot against a lone horse.
If a week feels too easy: move on. The checkpoints are there so you know when you are ready, not to slow you down.
After the first month
Month two is about the middlegame: making plans once the pieces are out, coordinating pieces, and deciding when to trade. The middlegame section is the natural next step, together with the patterns in the checkmate section of this site.
A sample day in each week
To make the plan concrete, here is what a single 20-minute session might look like in each week.
Week 1, Tuesday. Five minutes: set up a horse in the middle of an empty board, place a soldier on each of its four legs one at a time, and list which jumps disappear. Fifteen minutes: one game at the Beginner level, saying "leg" out loud before every horse move.
Week 2, Thursday. Five minutes: play the first six moves of the Central Cannon on a physical set and name the purpose of each move. Fifteen minutes: one game as Red against the Easy level, checking at move ten whether both horses and a chariot are out.
Week 3, Monday. Five minutes: set up any position from your last game and count, for each cannon, how many pieces stand in each of its four lines. Fifteen minutes: one game looking specifically for cannon captures through a screen — for both sides.
Week 4, Saturday. Fifteen minutes: one online game at 10+5. Five minutes: replay it from your account page and write one sentence about the turning point.
Sessions like these feel small, but four weeks of them add up to a solid foundation that many casual players never build.
Keeping motivation up
A month is long enough to hit a flat patch. Two things help. First, track something you control, such as "games reviewed" or "days practiced", rather than wins and losses, which depend on your opponents. Second, play with someone you like. A friend learning alongside you turns practice into a shared hobby, and you can invite them with a link from the online page.
Frequently asked questions
Is 20 minutes a day really enough?
For the first month, yes. Regular short sessions build habits better than occasional long ones.
Should I play against the computer or people?
Start with the computer for rules and habits, then add people in week four. Both are useful for the rest of your xiangqi life.
What if I keep losing to the computer?
Drop to a lower level. The goal is to practice the week's theme, not to win at all costs.
Can children follow this plan?
Yes, with shorter sessions and more games with a parent or friend. For children, keep it playful and avoid focusing on results.
