The computer is the most patient opponent you will ever have. It is available at three in the morning, it never gets annoyed when you take back a move, and it can play at whatever strength you need. Used well, it is one of the best learning tools in xiangqi. Used badly, it is a machine for losing games without learning anything.
This article explains how to use it well.
The levels on this site
The board on the home page offers four levels:
- Beginner plays loosely on purpose and regularly leaves pieces undefended. It is ideal for learning the rules and practicing how to spot free material.
- Easy plays reasonable moves most of the time but still makes clear mistakes.
- Medium looks a few moves ahead and punishes loose pieces.
- Hard searches much deeper and rarely gives anything away.
The computer runs in your browser, so it works even on a phone and does not need an account.
Choosing the right level
The right level is the one where you win some games and lose some. If you win every game easily, you are not being challenged. If you lose every game, you mostly learn frustration.
A practical rule: move up a level after you win three games in a row; move down after you lose five in a row.
Practice with a purpose
The biggest mistake with computer practice is playing game after game without a goal. Instead, give each session a theme:
Theme: opening development
Play five games where your only goal is to get both horses and both chariots out by move twelve. Ignore the result. Follow the ideas in the Central Cannon and Screen Horses guides.
Theme: finding free pieces
At the Beginner level, play games where before every move you scan the whole board for undefended enemy pieces. The computer will leave some. Your job is to never miss one.
Theme: defending
At a level slightly above your comfort, play games where you prioritize safety. Before every move, check which of your pieces are attacked and whether they are defended. Count how many pieces you lose for free. Try to make that number zero.
Theme: finishing
When you get a winning position, do not accept anything less than a checkmate or a no-move win. Many players reach a won position and let it slip. Converting wins is a skill; the computer is the perfect partner for practicing it.
Using take-backs well
The Take back button is useful — if you use it for learning. A good rule: take back a move only after you understand why it was bad. Then play the better move and continue.
Bad use: taking back every time you lose a piece, without thinking. That turns the game into trial and error.
Some players use a stricter rule: no take-backs during the game, but replay the critical moment afterwards. Both approaches work. Choose the one that makes you think.
What the computer cannot teach you
The computer is excellent at tactics and never tires, but it has limits:
- It does not explain. It will punish a mistake without telling you why.
- It plays differently from people. Humans get nervous, set traps, play favorite openings, and fall into typical patterns. You need human games to learn that side of xiangqi.
- Weak levels make unnatural mistakes. A Beginner-level computer might leave a chariot hanging in a way no human would. Do not let those wins give you false confidence.
That is why it is best to combine computer games with games against people. When you feel ready, try the online page — you can find an opponent or invite a friend with a link.
Reviewing computer games
After a loss, do a quick review:
- Find the first move where you lost material or allowed a dangerous attack.
- Ask what you missed: a horse fork, a cannon capture, a chariot on the second rank, a check?
- Replay from that moment and try a different move.
If you are signed in to your account, your games against the computer are saved and you can step through them later.
A four-session example
Here is what a week of purposeful computer practice might look like:
- Monday: three games at Beginner, goal: never miss a free piece.
- Wednesday: two games at Easy as Red with the Central Cannon, goal: both chariots out by move twelve.
- Friday: two games at Easy as Black with Screen Horses, goal: no piece lost for free.
- Sunday: one slower game at Medium, then a ten-minute review.
Four short sessions like this will teach you more than twenty games played on autopilot.
Special exercises only a computer allows
Some useful exercises are awkward with a human partner but easy against the computer:
Replay the same opening twenty times. Choose one opening as Red, play it again and again, and watch how the computer answers differently. You learn the typical middlegame positions that come out of it far faster than by reading.
Play from a disadvantage. Deliberately start a game by giving the computer a soldier — for example, leave your center soldier undefended — and try to hold on. Defending worse positions is a skill most players never practice.
Play the same position with both colors. Reach an interesting middlegame, then flip the board and play the other side against the computer. Understanding what your opponent wants is half of good defense.
Speed drills with no pressure. Play a game where you try to move within ten seconds, but with no clock and no consequences. It trains pattern recognition without the stress of an online blitz game.
A note on honesty with yourself
It is easy to fool yourself against a machine: take back a few moves, win at the end, and feel strong. There is nothing wrong with take-backs, but keep a simple record — wins with no take-backs, wins with take-backs, losses. The first column is the real measure of your progress, and watching it grow is more satisfying than any number of assisted wins.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheating to take back moves?
Not against the computer. It is a training tool. Just make sure each take-back teaches you something.
Why does the computer sometimes make obviously bad moves?
The lower levels are designed that way, to give learners a chance to practice spotting and punishing mistakes.
Can I leave a game in the middle?
Yes. There is always a Leave button, and leaving a computer game does not count as a loss.
When should I switch to playing people?
When you can beat the Easy level regularly and play both colors with a sensible opening, you are ready for human opponents. Keep playing the computer too, for focused practice.
