Banqi (Dark Chess)

Flip to claim a color. Higher ranks capture lower.

Offline

Play against bots, no connection needed.

Bot skill
Draw after

Online play

Match with other players. Start when the table is full.

Live matches

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How to play

  • All 32 xiangqi pieces, red and black, are shuffled face down on half a xiangqi board (4 rows × 8 columns). Who moves first is decided at random.
  • The color of the first piece flipped by the first player becomes that player’s color; the opponent takes the other color.
  • On your turn, do exactly one thing: flip any face-down piece, move one of your face-up pieces one square up, down, left or right onto an empty square, or capture.
  • Higher ranks capture lower ones, and equal ranks can capture each other: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Cannon > Soldier. However, the general cannot capture a soldier, while a soldier can capture the general.
  • A cannon cannot capture an adjacent piece. It captures by jumping in a straight line over exactly one piece (face up or face down) and takes any face-up enemy piece where it lands. Face-down pieces cannot be captured.
  • You win by capturing all of your opponent’s pieces, or when it is their turn and there is no face-down piece to flip and none of their pieces can move. If a set number of moves in a row (50 by default) pass with no flip and no capture, the game is a draw.
  • Online games have a time limit per move; running out of time or leaving mid-game counts as a loss. Offline games are untimed, but undo is disabled because of the hidden pieces.

Playing guide

These options and rules describe the current JoyPip version. Choose a mode above before starting; rules are also available during play.

Step-by-step examples

Select a step to see what changes. These are partial examples, not full starting positions.

Practice options

Bot skill
Beginner · Normal · Expert
Draw after
30 moves · 50 moves · 100 moves

Private room options

Time per move
20 seconds · 30 seconds · 60 seconds
Draw after
30 moves · 50 moves · 100 moves

Detailed rules and controls

Pieces
  • 16 pieces per side: 1 general, 2 advisors, 2 elephants, 2 chariots, 2 horses, 2 cannons, 5 soldiers
  • Pieces are marked with Chinese characters, and red and black use a different character for the same piece. Only the character differs; the piece works the same way.
  • Ranks from highest to lowest: general, advisor, elephant, chariot, horse, cannon, soldier
  • A soldier can capture only soldiers and the general; the general can capture every piece except soldiers
  • A cannon can capture any face-up enemy piece by jumping over one piece, but it cannot capture when moving one square
Controls
  • Tap a face-down piece to flip it
  • Tap your piece, then a green dot to move one square or a red ring to capture
  • With a piece selected, tapping a face-down piece only cancels the selection; it does not flip it
  • The board edge shows coordinates (letters a–h, numbers 1–4), which the move list uses to record each move
  • Keyboard: arrow keys move the cursor; Enter or Space flips, selects or moves a piece; Esc cancels the selection

Frequently asked questions

Why can’t the cannon capture an adjacent piece?

When your horse is next to a face-up enemy chariot, the chariot can capture the horse but not the other way around, so move the horse away first. If exactly one piece (face-down pieces count) stands between your cannon and that chariot, the cannon can jump over and capture it. Before flipping a piece, also consider whether it might turn out to be yours right next to a strong enemy piece.

Do I need a download or a linked email?

Play directly in your browser without a download. Linking email is an optional way to recover your account. Before clearing browser data, consider whether you need to keep your account or local records.

Do matches earn or spend coins?

Earn coins by checking in and spend them on cosmetics. Matches never cost or award coins.

Report a problem

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