Xiangqi Endgame

How to play

Xiangqi (中國象棋, Chinese Chess) endgame compositions — 殘局 — are some of the oldest puzzle traditions on the planet. Each puzzle drops you into a small, dangerous-looking position with one job: find the forced checkmate within the move budget. Red plays first; the response tree is scripted, so there is exactly one correct move at each turn. Wuti Zone ships hand-curated mate-in-1, mate-in-3 and mate-in-5 problems with bilingual descriptions, a deterministic daily puzzle, free-play random mode, hints, and a streak tracker.

Rules

• Red plays first. Tap a red piece to select it, then tap a destination to move.
• Each puzzle has exactly one correct first move. Wrong moves cost a mistake.
• Black's responses are scripted and applied automatically.
• Three mistakes ends the puzzle. The correct line is then revealed move by move.
• Mate-in-N labels how many red moves are needed to force checkmate.
• A new daily puzzle drops at UTC midnight — same puzzle worldwide.

Strategy tips

• Find the king's escape squares first. Mate means every escape is covered.
• Cannon moves need exactly one screen. Look for files where you already have (or can place) a single blocker.
• Horses check from L-shaped distance; advisors block diagonally; chariots own ranks and files.
• Sacrifices are common — giving up a chariot or cannon to strip defenders is the heart of 殘局.
• When stuck, hit Hint: it briefly highlights the next expected red move so you still play it yourself.

FAQ

Is Xiangqi free?

Yes. Wuti Zone's Xiangqi endgame puzzles are completely free, no signup, no download.

Do I need to know Chinese chess rules?

Helpful but not required. Every puzzle accepts only the scripted correct move, so trial-and-error works — and every wrong attempt teaches you something about the position.

When does the new daily puzzle come out?

A new puzzle drops at UTC midnight every day. Everyone in the world solves the same puzzle that day.

Does my streak save?

Yes. Current streak and best streak are stored in your browser's localStorage. Today's in-progress puzzle also persists if you close the tab.

Can I play unlimited puzzles?

Use the Next Puzzle button to pull random puzzles from the curated pool. Random puzzles do not count toward your daily streak.