there should be a chess.com for xiangqi

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nickfransadrien

Hi, I'm suggesting that it would be interesting if there was some xianqqi equivalent site or even shogi equivalent site for chess.com where you can learn to play the Chinese and japanese variants. I can sometimes play Chinese chess but it's always really limited in what you can do. There are not always that many players. And other sites you can't store the games. I know that chess.com probably won't do it. But I just wanted to know if there's someone who agrees with me and what they think about the topic.

Meadmaker

try clubxiangqi.com.

 

It isn't as good as chess.com, but it's pretty good.

 

If you play for free, though, you have to use the Chinese pieces, and don't expect to be able to chat with anyone unless you speak Vietnamese.

 

(And I haven't actually used the site in almost two years, so things could have changed.)

Tjornan

I personally enjoy shogi very very much, less so Chinese Chess (simply due to its tactical difference from chess).

Shogi is hilarious to play with friends though. Chess, while a game primarily about attack, is also about defense. Not so with Shogi. It is for bloodthirsty fiends, that is for sure. 

verybadbishop

I've played chinese chess on occasion, and to me, if not for the canons, xianqi would feel like a very static game due to all the extra restrictions on mobility (compared to western chess) and perfect symmetry of the starting position (as opposed to western chess who's mirrored queen position creates a slight imbalance from the start).  It's not better or worse as a game, just different is all I can say.  I'd be interested in a xianqi chess.com equivalent as well, since it's still something I grew up with when my Dad first taught me the game in a merciless hold nothing back manner lol.   

nickfransadrien

Thanks for the replies.

I tried out club xiangqi but there are a different drawbacks. You can't store your games and it's not as straightforward to find and opponent, especially when you're just starting out.

I do believe however that xianqqi isn't even remotely more static than normal chess. the piece restrictions give the game more balance and the fact that pawn chains aren't really feasible makes the game a lot more dynamic than chess.You're pieces are mostly defended by each other very rarely by your pawns or soldiers in the case of xiangqi. And you're king is in constant jeopardy because he can't leave the middle of the board.

I learned it when I was in China so the chinese pieces don't give me any trouble.

HGMuller

For Shogi you could try http://81dojo.com/ . It even features a Chu Shogi server.

christeochristeo

I second that. Xiangqi should have a section under chess variants, like chess960 has.

I have long been thinking that the current staunton design pieces have to change one day. All chess variants shall use the standardized pieces blending elements from the Staunton design and Xiangqi.

As for Xiangqi, the restriction in mobility is an illusion! verybadbishop
Count the number of attacking pieces. 2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Cannons (replacing 2 Bishops) so the total number of riders and leapers are conserved. Except the Cannon is a hopper when it captures.

The Queen in Xiangqi is unnecessary. The king is restricted to a 3x3 poential well and can't move anywhere. The Kings can't face each other so even a King can participate in checkmating (in Xiangqi).

Xiangqi does not have the solved openings of Chess. THere is thus no need for a Xiangqi960. Neither does it have the standard endgames of Chess, like King and rook vs King, bishops plus king vs king, etc. Xiangqi action centers about the midgame in Chess when pieces immediately start to be exchanged.

In Chess, as an act of chivalry stalemate is considered less honorable and is a draw. But the contradiction is that the cowardly king has to have a castle move to get to safety. Xiangqi has chivalry in that the king stays at the center. The king is brave enough to engage another king in combat thus no two kings can face each other.

All in all, both games have their pros and cons. I once thought Xiangqi was a less developed game but after reading a Xiangqi book I understood the depth of the game better and am now convinced both games are on par. No one better than the other.

XiaoYao08

I enjoy xiangqi from time to time.  It'd be great to see it as a varient on chess.com.

Murgen

It would be great to have a site/sites that does/do for Xinanqi, Shogi what Chess.com does for Chess. Smile

__mig__

You can give a try to https://www.jocly.com/#/game/xiangqi . Default representation is chinese but you can switch to western pieces from the options. There is an offline AI, but you can also play remotely by creating a table or joining an existing one. There is also a bot running the AI from HGMuller if you are an above-beginner level. Online games are automatically recorded and can be replayed/analyzed. Offline games need to be saved explicitely if you want to keep them. The system maintains a ELO rating for games being played online.

DrSpudnik

No one can spell xiangzi.

Benzodiazepine

I, for my part, firmly believe, that, it, would, be, called, xiangqi.com.

riccuadra

Try "playok" with staunton pieces, more more  comprehensive  that  chinese character in pieces.

BattleChessGN18

"Comprehensive" to whom, riccuadra? American and English players who don't know how to read Chinese? lolTongue Out

wb_munchausen

Here is a newly created youtube channel with xiangqi beginner lessons in English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8R8a8CqVw0

 

drop64

I just looked for the first time in ages.

The link below is quite good, it has a wide variety of games.

I used to play Thai Makruk and used to watch XQ + Shogi + Others.

 

You would think that XQ would be popular on the internet but the Chinese are a bit funny with internet access, state control, blah, blah.

I know that there are 15+ million registered Shogi players in Japan, only a handful play chess.

Same thing in Thailand, millions play Thai Makruk, you see it everyday, but hardly any Thai people know or even care about chess.

 

https://www.playok.com/

drop64

I know lots of the top Thai Makruk players play there, they chat in Thai and practice lots of theory and openings, LOL.

I think I read once that the server is based somewhere in South America and that there is a large proportion of Spanish speaking people that use it...including European Spanish people.

drop64

Never really been a big fan of the oriental games.

Very tactical in nature, mainly because the pawns move and capture the same way.

There is no pawn structure really, no blocked pawns, pawn breaks, pawn chains, everything is fluid and tactical.

drop64

Go would be good for this website.

Just did a google, 20 million active members of Go federations worldwide.

Not sure how many are from Chinese federations and what that story is re the internet.

There are Go websites out there, looked at them in the past, but not really interested now.

Pokicelol5

There is Xiangqi.com and I think the game is gonna grow now somehow