Plenty of xiangqi games are decided in the middlegame by a mating attack. But many more reach an endgame where one side is ahead — an extra soldier, a horse for a cannon, a chariot against defenders — and the question becomes whether that advantage turns into a win. In xiangqi, it often does not. Fortresses of advisors and elephants hold, "old soldiers" stall on the last rank, cannons run out of screens.
These seven principles come up again and again in practical endgames. They are not a substitute for concrete calculation, but they tell you what to look for.
1. Your general is an attacking piece
Your general cannot leave the palace, but because the two generals may not face each other on an open file, it controls its whole file across the board. In almost every winning endgame, the attacker's general moves to the file next to the centre early and stays there. The enemy general then loses a third of its palace.
If you remember only one principle, remember this one. See flying general mates for examples.
2. No legal move is a loss
In xiangqi, a player who cannot make a legal move loses, even if not in check. There is no stalemate draw. So you do not always need a checkmate: taking away every move is a win.
This matters most with weak pieces. A horse or a soldier cannot trap a general alone, but together with your general they can leave it without a move. See stalemate is a loss.
3. Count the defenders before you trade
The defender's advisors and elephants decide more endgames than the attacker's pieces. The broad picture that experienced players rely on:
- A chariot beats a bare general easily and normally beats two advisors or two elephants.
- A lone chariot usually cannot break the full set of two advisors and two elephants.
- A horse or cannon alone struggles against almost any defence.
So when you are ahead, trade into endings where the defender has lost defenders, or keep an extra soldier. When you are behind, protect your advisors and elephants almost at any cost. See chariot against defenders.
4. Keep screens for your cannon
A cannon needs a piece to jump over. In the endgame, with few pieces left, a lone cannon cannot beat a bare general. Keep an advisor or a soldier if your winning plan depends on a cannon, and remember that the enemy's defenders can be screens too. See cannon endgames.
5. Don't push your soldiers too far
A soldier that reaches the enemy back rank can only move sideways and loses most of its power. A soldier on the second rank in front of the palace is usually far more useful. Advance soldiers with purpose, not just because they can move. See soldier endgames.
6. Watch for forks and pins
Endgames have few pieces, so each one matters. Two tactical dangers appear constantly:
- The horse fork. A horse jumping to a point that attacks your general and your chariot at once. Before every chariot move, check where the enemy horse can land.
- The general pin. A piece standing between the two generals on a file cannot move off that file. Use this to freeze enemy pieces; avoid it with your own.
7. Don't hurry, but don't repeat
When you are winning, there is no rush. Improve your pieces one at a time: general to the right file, pieces to the centre, soldiers to useful points. But avoid repeating the same position. Under the official Asian rules, perpetual checking and perpetual chasing are forbidden and the side doing it must change its move; on this site, a position that repeats three times is scored as a draw. Either way, repetition throws away your advantage.
A simple checklist for every endgame move
Before you move, ask:
- Is my general on the best file?
- What are the enemy general's legal moves, and can I take one away?
- Can any enemy piece fork or pin mine after this move?
- Am I trading a piece I will need later — a defender, a screen, a soldier?
- Am I making progress, or just moving?
It takes ten seconds and prevents most endgame disasters.
Common endgame mistakes
- Checking for the sake of it. Checks that let the general step to a better point waste time.
- Leaving the chariot unprotected next to the enemy general. Unless your general guards the file, the enemy general simply captures it.
- Trading the last attacking piece. An ending with only defenders left is a draw.
- Giving up advisors in the middlegame. It feels harmless when there are many pieces on the board. In the endgame you will miss them.
- Forgetting the no-move rule when defending. Always keep a spare move for your general or a defender.
Practise it
- After each game against the computer at the home board, look at the last twenty moves and ask which of the seven principles you followed and which you broke.
- Save your online games in your account and replay the endgames step by step.
- Browse all the endgames articles for the specific piece endings.
How the principles fit together
The seven principles are not independent. Your general's file (principle 1) is what makes the no-move win (principle 2) possible with weak pieces. Counting defenders (principle 3) tells you whether you need to keep a screen (principle 4) or a soldier (principle 5). And forks, pins and repetition (principles 6 and 7) are the ways a winning position is thrown away. When an ending feels confusing, go through the list in order and one of them will usually point to the right plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important endgame principle in xiangqi?
Using your general. Because it controls its whole file, placing it on the file next to the centre restricts the enemy general in almost every ending.
Is stalemate a draw in xiangqi?
No. A player with no legal move loses. Taking away every move is a normal way to win.
Why do so many xiangqi endgames end in draws?
Because advisors and elephants together form strong fortresses, soldiers lose power on the last rank, and cannons lack screens when the board empties.
What should I avoid trading when I am ahead?
Your last soldier, your cannon's screens, and generally any piece you need to break the defender's advisors and elephants.
How are repetitions handled?
Under official Asian rules, perpetual check and perpetual chasing are forbidden for the side doing them. On this site, a position repeated three times is simply scored as a draw.
