Anqi (Dark Chess) Rules & Guide
1. Flipping & Factions (Start & Flip)
32 pieces are shuffled face-down on a 4x8 board. The first flipped piece establishes the player's color (Red or Black). The other player automatically assumes the opposing faction. Click face-down pieces to flip them.
2. Movement & Capture Hierarchy
Revealed pieces move one square orthogonally (Up, Down, Left, Right). Higher or equal ranks capture lower ranks: General > Advisor > Elephant > Chariot > Horse > Soldier.
3. Soldier Beats General & Cannon Jumps
Soldiers beat Generals, but Generals cannot capture Soldiers! Cannons move 1 step when not capturing, but to capture, they MUST jump over exactly one intermediate piece (friend, foe, or face-down) at any orthogonal distance.
4. AI & P2P Multiplayer
Features 2-Player mode, AI self-play, and 3 AI difficulties. Hard AI uses 2-ply Minimax depth search with Alpha-Beta pruning and hidden-piece probabilistic valuation.
🌐 Online Multiplayer (P2P) Guide
① Host a Room (Host Player)
Switch mode to "Online 2-Player (P2P)". The system automatically generates your Peer ID. Share this code with your friend. The first piece flipped during the game determines each player's faction.
② Join or Spectate
Enter your friend's Peer ID. Click "Connect" to play against them, or click "Spectate" to watch the live match with real-time move sync and chat without interfering.
③ Undo & Rematch Requests
In P2P matches, clicking "Undo" or "Restart" sends a confirmation request to your opponent. The action only executes if agreed by both players.
④ In-Game Chat & Resignation
Use the live chat sidebar to communicate with opponents and spectators. Click "Resign" anytime to concede the match gracefully.