Learn to play
Two little teachers, Doudou and Mili, show you every piece and every rule, step by step, until you win a real game!Doudou · Mili
Chess
From the six pieces to castling, en passant and promotion, then a real game for your certificate.
20 steps · explanations, practice and voices for every step
Start →Xiangqi
From the board and the river to the horse’s jump and the cannon’s leap, then a real game for your certificate.
19 steps · explanations, practice and voices for every step
Start →The rules on one page
Read them here, or let the lessons above walk you through them.
Chess
The board has 64 squares, 8 by 8, and the pieces stand on the squares. White moves first, then the players take turns. (On Paper Generals, White is drawn in vermilion.)
How the pieces move
- King:
- One square in any direction.
- Queen:
- Any number of squares across, up and down, or diagonally.
- Rook:
- Any number of squares across or up and down.
- Bishop:
- Any number of squares diagonally.
- Knight:
- Jumps in an “L”: two squares straight, then one to the side — right over other pieces.
- Pawn:
- One square forward, or two on its first move; it captures one square diagonally forward. On the last row it is promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
Two special moves: castling (king and rook move together) and en passant.
How to win
Checkmate the other king to win. If it’s your opponent’s turn and they have no legal move but aren’t in check, it’s stalemate — a draw. The same position three times, or fifty moves each with no capture or pawn move, is also a draw.
Practice it in the lesson →Xiangqi (Chinese chess)
The board has 9 vertical and 10 horizontal lines, and the pieces stand on the points where they cross. The river runs through the middle, and each side has a palace marked with diagonals. Red moves first, then the players take turns.
How the pieces move
- General (帅 / 将):
- Stays in the palace and moves one point across or up and down.
- Advisor (仕 / 士):
- Stays in the palace and moves one point diagonally.
- Elephant (相 / 象):
- Moves exactly two points diagonally and can’t cross the river; it’s blocked if a piece sits on the point in between.
- Horse (马):
- One point straight, then one diagonally outward; it’s blocked if a piece sits right next to it in the direction it wants to go.
- Chariot (车):
- Any number of points across or up and down, but it can’t jump over pieces.
- Cannon (炮):
- Moves like a chariot, but to capture it must jump over exactly one piece (its “screen”).
- Soldier (兵 / 卒):
- One point at a time. Before the river it only goes forward; after crossing it can also go sideways, but never back.
The two generals may never face each other on the same line with nothing in between.
How to win
Checkmate the other general to win. If it’s your opponent’s turn and they have no legal move at all, you win too.
Practice it in the lesson →