FUN XIANGQI GUIDES
How to Play Against the Classic Engine
By The Fun Xiangqi Team · Published · 4 min read
Video walkthrough coming soon
Steps
Open "New game" from the home screen
On the home screen, find "START A BATTLE" and tap the "New game" card. Its subtitle reads "Choose an opponent and start".
Select the "Classic engine" opponent card
In the "Opponent" section, tap "Classic engine", tagged "FREE". It plays the same way every time, at a level you choose.
Pick a level in "Opponent strength"
Tap a level chip from 1 to 9. Levels 1–4 are free; "Levels 5–9 need Fun Pro." Matches at level 5 and up are rated, and level 1–4 games stay unrated.
Choose your side and time control
Under "Your side", pick "Red", "Black", or "Random". Under "Time control", pick "No clock", "10 + 5", "5 + 3", or "3 + 2".
Tap "Start game"
Tap the red "Start game" button to begin. The board opens with your pieces ready to move.
Play your moves on the board
Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted point to move it there. Open "Match options" in the header if you want to resign.
Before you start
The Classic engine is Fun Xiangqi's fixed-strength computer opponent. It plays the same way every time at whatever level you pick, so it's a good way to warm up, drill an opening, or just play a quiet game without a clock ticking against you. You don't need an account or a subscription to use it — the "Classic engine" card is tagged "FREE" on the opponent picker, and levels 1 through 4 are open to everyone.
Levels 5 through 9 step the engine up to a much stronger playing strength, and those need Fun Pro. If you're not on Pro yet, you can still see the higher chips in "Opponent strength" — tapping one opens the Fun Pro screen instead of starting the match. Everything from level 1 through 4 plays exactly the same whether or not you're on Pro.
Choosing a level
Level 1 is the gentlest, so it's a friendly place to learn the board. Each level up plays noticeably stronger, and level 9 is the strongest the Classic engine gets. If you're not sure where to start, try a few games at level 2 or 3 and move up once you're comfortably winning.
Only games from level 5 up count toward your rating. Anything below that — levels 1 through 4 — is unrated, because the engine is deliberately too weak there to rate a game fairly. That makes the low levels a safe space to try new openings or just relax, and the higher levels the place to actually test your rating.
Your side and time control are remembered between games, so setting up your next match against the Classic engine only takes a tap or two: pick your level and start.
If something goes wrong
If you tap a piece and nothing seems to happen, tap it again — a second tap on the same piece deselects it, and a tap on a highlighted point moves it there. Only your own pieces are selectable, and only the points a piece can legally reach light up once you've picked it, so if a point looks unavailable, the move isn't legal from there.
Mid-match, "Match options" in the header is where you go to resign — hold the resign control until it fills to confirm, since a quick tap never resigns by accident. If you want to keep the game going, just tap "Stay in the match" and carry on.
Quick questions
Can I change the level partway through a game? No — pick your level before you start. To play at a different strength, start a new game and choose again.
Does the Classic engine ever change its play style? No. Unlike the AI Player, it plays the same way at a given level every time, which is what makes it useful for practising a specific idea.
What if I want an opponent that adapts to me instead? That's the AI Player, a Fun Pro opponent that matches its strength to your rating as you improve.
Ready to try it? Fun Xiangqi is free to play, and the Classic engine's first four levels are open the moment you open the app. Head back to the home page to start a game, or see how a puzzle challenge sharpens your tactics between matches.