About Korean Chess
Korean Chess, known as Janggi, is a two-player strategy game played on a 9x10 board where two armies of sixteen pieces maneuver to checkmate the enemy general. Each general is confined to a guarded palace, and unlike Chinese Chess there is no river to cross.
Its leaping cannons, blockable horses and far-striding elephants, and the palace diagonals travelled by chariots and generals give Janggi a rich tactical character that rewards both bold attacks and patient defence. The first player to trap the enemy general wins.
Play Korean Chess vs AI
Play Korean Chess online against the computer to learn the openings, sharpen your tactics, and get comfortable with cannons, screens, and palace defence.
Start on an easy level to absorb how each piece moves, then raise the difficulty to face an opponent that punishes loose defence and finds forcing checkmates.
How to play Korean Chess
Korean Chess rules reward understanding how each piece works: chariots sweep open lines and palace diagonals, cannons must jump a screen to move or capture, horses and elephants can be blocked, and soldiers gain sideways movement from the start.
The general and guards never leave the palace, the general begins on the palace centre, and cannons can neither jump nor capture other cannons, a rule that shapes every plan you make.
Improve by learning strategy
Strong Janggi strategy balances a fast attack with a solid palace. Open lines for your chariots, arrange screens so your cannons bear on the enemy general, and coordinate your elephant and horse around the palace.
Keep your guards beside the general, watch the palace diagonals on both sides, and aim to convert an early initiative into a decisive checkmate before your opponent untangles.
Frequently Asked Questions
You win by checkmating the enemy general, meaning it is under attack and cannot avoid capture on the next move. You also win if your opponent has no legal move at all. Protecting your own general inside its palace while cornering your opponent's is the heart of the game.
Similar games you might like
If you enjoy Korean Chess, you will probably like these other abstract strategy board games.
Learn, Play, and Have Fun!
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