Play Janggi Online Free

About Janggi

Janggi — Korean chess — shares a family tree with xiangqi but plays on a riverless 9×10 board with Cho (楚) and Han (漢) armies. Generals stay inside palaces connected by diagonal X-lines, cannons must jump over a screen to move or capture, and soldiers can step sideways from the opening position. Face-to-face generals (bikjang) are legal here, which opens mating ideas xiangqi players never see.

This board enforces the full traditional rule set: palace X-lines, cannon screens with no cannon-on-cannon jumps or captures, elephant blocks, hobbled horses, sideways soldiers, and bikjang are all checked automatically. Train against four AI levels, share the screen with a friend, or open an online room and play across the internet with a single invite link. Undo and hints are there whenever you need them.

How to play Janggi

Cho moves first. Pieces sit on intersections, and the goal is to checkmate the enemy general inside its palace.

1. The general stays inside the 3×3 palace and moves one point along palace lines — including the diagonal X. Cho and Han generals may face each other on an open file (bikjang); this is legal and often decisive.
2. Advisors stay in the palace moving one point along palace lines; elephants move one point straight then two diagonally, and both intervening points must be empty.
3. Horses move one point straight then one diagonal, and are blocked if the adjacent straight point is occupied. Chariots slide like rooks — they are the strongest pieces.
4. Cannons cannot move or capture without jumping exactly one piece between themselves and their destination; they cannot jump over or capture another cannon.
5. Soldiers move one point forward and may also move one point sideways from the start — they never retreat. Checkmate the enemy general to win.

Janggi strategy tips

• Develop chariots early to open files — a chariot on an open file dominates just like in xiangqi.
• Cannons need a screen for every move: park one behind a friendly soldier aimed at the enemy palace.
• Use sideways soldier moves to control the center without committing to a one-way advance.
• Watch for bikjang: clearing the file between generals can force an immediate reply or win material.
• Keep advisors and elephants home early; a bare palace collapses to a chariot-cannon battery.

Janggi FAQ

How is janggi different from xiangqi?

There is no river, palace movement follows diagonal X-lines, soldiers can step sideways from the start, and generals may face each other on an open file (bikjang) without it being illegal. Cannons must jump to move or capture and cannot interact with enemy cannons.

What is bikjang?

When the two generals stand on the same file with nothing between them, the position is called bikjang. Unlike xiangqi's flying-general rule, this is legal in janggi and often used as a tactical threat — the opponent may need to break the line or accept a draw claim in tournament play.

Do cannons move like xiangqi cannons?

Similar in spirit but stricter: a cannon must always jump exactly one piece to move or capture, and it cannot jump over or take another cannon. A cannon with no valid screen has no legal moves at all.

Can I play janggi online with a friend here?

Yes. Open a room from this page and send the invite link; your friend joins the same live board from any browser with moves syncing in real time. No account or download is needed.

Do I need to read the Korean or Chinese characters on the pieces?

It helps but is not required — Cho and Han mirror each other, and the board highlights every legal move for a selected piece. Once you learn the seven piece types, position and color are enough to play.

Is there an easier way in for chess or xiangqi players?

Start on the easy AI and reuse your chariot and horse instincts; the new habits are sideways soldiers, cannon screens on every move, and watching for bikjang instead of the flying-general rule. Undo is one tap away.

Games like Janggi

XiangqiChinese chess with a river and the flying-general rule instead of bikjang.ShogiJapanese chess where captures return as drops.ChessThe Western baseline — rooks and knights without palaces or cannons.