In xiangqi (Chinese chess), you win by checkmate: the opposing general is in check and no move gets it out (the fine print is in winning and draws). Strong players carry dozens of "mate shapes" in their heads; when a position looks close, they know exactly which piece should go where. These shapes have names — they are called checkmate patterns (殺法, *shā fǎ*).
The nine below are the most common and the most worth learning first. Every diagram shows a finished checkmate: it is Black's turn and Black has no way out. Each one has been verified by this site's rules engine, not drawn from memory.
| Pattern | Main pieces | Key idea |
|---|---|---|
| Horse-cannon mate (馬後炮) | Horse + cannon | The horse covers the escape squares; the cannon checks from behind it |
| Horse in the trough (臥槽馬) | Horse | The horse lands in the "trough" diagonally in front of the palace and checks |
| Double cannon (重炮) | Two cannons | The front cannon is the screen, the rear cannon gives check |
| Smothered palace (悶宮) | Cannon | The general is boxed in at home by its own advisors |
| Heaven-and-earth cannons (天地炮) | Two cannons | One cannon on the central file, one on the enemy back rank |
| Double chariot mate (雙車錯) | Two chariots | One chariot checks, the other seals the rank in front |
| Iron bolt (鐵門栓) | Chariot + general | Your general holds the central file, the chariot checks on the file beside it |
| Facing generals (對面笑) | General | Using the "generals may not face each other" rule, your general helps deliver mate |
| Two ghosts knocking (二鬼拍門) | Two soldiers | Two soldiers that have crossed the river stand at the palace doors |
Horse-cannon mate
The classic. The horse stands two points in front of the general, covering both squares beside it; the cannon sits further back on the same file and checks through the horse (馬後炮, *mǎ hòu pào*, "cannon behind the horse").
In Chinese, "cannon behind the horse" became an everyday expression for advice that comes too late. On the board, though, it is the cleanest blow there is. The horse's full moves are covered on the horse page.
Horse in the trough
The horse jumps to the point diagonally in front of the enemy palace — just in front of where the elephant starts, nicknamed the "trough" — and gives check (臥槽馬, *wò cáo mǎ*). A horse's check can't be blocked with a piece; the general can only escape or capture the horse.
Double cannon
Two cannons stacked on the same file: the front one is the screen, the rear one gives check (重炮, *chóng pào*). If the defender tries to block, the block just gives the front cannon a screen of its own, and it's still check.
Smothered palace
The general's escape squares are blocked by its own advisors, so a single cannon can smother it (悶宮, *mèn gōng*). This is why old players warn you not to shuffle your advisors around carelessly.
Heaven-and-earth cannons
One cannon on the central file ("heaven") and one sunk on the enemy back rank ("earth"), pressing the general from a file and a rank at the same time (天地炮, *tiān dì pào*).
Double chariot mate
Two chariots staggered one behind the other: one checks on the back rank, the other seals the rank in front of the general (雙車錯, *shuāng chē cuò*). The chariot is the strongest piece, and two working together are almost impossible to stop.
The chariot's full moves are on the chariot page.
Iron bolt
Your general holds the central file, so the enemy general can't step onto it (that would be facing generals); your chariot checks on the file beside it, pinning the general in the corner like a bolt across a door (鐵門栓, *tiě mén shuān*).
Facing generals
This one uses the rule that the two generals may never face each other: if nothing stands between them on the same file, neither may move there. So although your general can't leave its palace, it can "watch" a whole file from home and help deliver mate. The Chinese name 對面笑 (*duì miàn xiào*) means "laughing face to face"; it is also called 白臉將, the "white-faced general".
The facing-generals rule is explained on the general page.
Two ghosts knocking
Two soldiers that have crossed the river stand right at the doors of the palace, like two little ghosts knocking (二鬼拍門, *èr guǐ pāi mén*). They cover the points in front of and beside the general, and your own general finishes it off through the facing rule.
Once a soldier reaches the enemy palace door it is every bit as dangerous as a chariot or horse — see soldier.
How to practise mates
- Learn the shapes, not move sequences. When you see "a horse two points in front of the general", think horse-cannon mate; when you see "two cannons on one file", think double cannon.
- Think through the defender's three answers: escape, capture, block. Only when all three are shut is it really mate.
- Gather your pieces around the enemy palace. Most mates need two pieces working together; a lone piece rarely mates on its own.
FAQ
Do I need to memorise every pattern?
No. Learn horse-cannon mate, double cannon and horse in the trough first — they come up most in real games. Play enough and you'll start spotting the other shapes on your own.
What is the difference between checkmate and stalemate?
Checkmate is being in check with no way out; stalemate is not being in check but having no legal move. In xiangqi both are losses — see winning and draws.
How can the general help deliver mate?
Because the two generals may never face each other directly on the same file. Just by standing on a file, your general stops the enemy general from moving onto it, sealing off an escape route.
If my opponent keeps checking me to force a draw, is that a mate pattern?
No. Checking over and over until the position repeats is called "perpetual check", and in xiangqi the side giving perpetual check loses — see winning and draws.
Try it yourself
Looking at diagrams isn't enough; the best practice is to play xiangqi online against the computer and try to set up these shapes. Start on the beginner level, where the computer leaves more openings. To learn the game from the start, go back to the xiangqi home page.
