Comparison

Marshal Chess vs Xiangqi Match

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Marshal Chess

This app offers a focused Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) experience with multiple game modes including adaptive AI coaching, traditional AI matches, and unique puzzle challenges. It features local multiplayer options and tools for studying real-world games, all within a clean, ad-free interface.

Highlights
  • Adaptive AI coaching
  • AI matches with difficulty levels
  • Jieqi (Hidden Chess) mode
  • Endgame Puzzles
  • Nearby Duel (local multiplayer)
  • Game Study with board recognition
Features
Read full description

Marshal Chess is a clean, focused Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) app for iPhone and iPad. No social noise — open it and play. Six modes: · Adaptive Coaching — the AI silently reads your level and stays just one step ahead, easing off when you are far ahead and pushing harder when you are behind. On your turn it lifts the piece for the strongest move to show you. No difficulty picker, no tests, no prompts · AI Match — five difficulty levels (Beginner to Master); the on-device engine's evaluation is a neural network distilled from a top engine, so you get a strong opponent even offline, and online Hard / Master are computed by a top engine on our server; save and resume any game, take back moves · Jieqi (Hidden Chess) — every piece except the generals starts face-down in a shuffled position and is revealed after its first move; revealed advisors and elephants may leave the palace and cross the river. The computer never peeks at hidden pieces · Endgame Puzzles — 90 classical compositions from the Ming-dynasty collection "Shi Qing Ya Qu", each with its source and original number; all 1,416 moves of the reference lines verified for legality and checkmate. Search by name or number, filter to unfinished · Nearby Duel — play someone next to you over a direct device-to-device connection. No data usage, no server, no shared network needed; just turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. Game clocks with a per-move countdown, take-backs, Jieqi and automatic reconnection; a player who leaves can return to the same game from the lobby, and an optional password keeps strangers out · Game Study — when you face a real opponent over a physical board, enter both sides' moves and get the strongest move on your turn. Start from the opening position or use the board editor. Live camera and photo recognition run on-device, with a review step to correct or complete the position; optional cloud enhancement is available Design notes: · Calm, modern Chinese look: warm paper background, clerical-script glyphs and nine board themes to choose from (Warm Ivory, Kaya Wood, Pale Celadon, Ebony and more), switchable even mid-game; a bundled Kai typeface works offline and dark mode is supported · Just the board: no title bar or status line during play — Menu at the top left, More at the bottom right, in Liquid Glass · Background music, a full sound set and Mandarin move announcements, adjustable in-game or silenced to let your own music play · Move and capture animations play in sequence for a clear rhythm · No ads, no in-app purchases, no account required. Recognition runs on-device by default. If you choose cloud enhancement and consent, the selected photo is sent through Cloudflare to Anthropic; see our privacy policy Xiangqi is interesting enough on its own. We just built a good board for it.

About

Xiangqi Match

Features
Read full description

Play Xiangqi (Chinese chess) for free with no sign-up. Quick Match and Same-Rank Match share one queue with a 20-minute clock per side. Opponents are matched by platform rating, with the rating range gradually widening as you wait. Actual wait time depends on who is online. Same-rank matchmaking Quick Match and Same-Rank Match use the same pool and match players by platform rating. The rating range gradually widens while you wait. Each move is limited to 120 seconds, with a countdown during the last 30 seconds. Internet is required. Play with friends Create a six-digit room code and share it with a friend. Choose 5-, 10-, or 15-minute clocks for friend games. Play against the computer Choose from Novice, Standard, Expert, or Master. Play as Red or Black, take back moves, offer a draw, or resign. For face-to-face practice, two players can share one phone or tablet and take turns. Game records, points, and ranks Computer and pass-and-play records stay on your device. Completed online games and results sync to the server. The leaderboard shows player ratings, points, wins, draws, and losses. New players start at Novice I without placement games. Platform ranks and point titles track in-app progress; they are not official tournament titles. Choose wood-inspired board styles and sound effects for moves, captures, checks, and the countdown. In Settings, change your player name, manage blocked players, read the Community Guidelines, or permanently delete your account and related data. You can optionally link an Apple Account to restore your player profile on another device. Player names, platform ratings, and leaderboard information are visible to other app users. Names are screened. You can report or block an opponent during a game; blocked players are avoided in future matchmaking. There is no free-text chat. A Google AdMob banner may appear in the lobby, and an interstitial may appear after a game when you return to the lobby. Ads use a limited-ad mode without personalized advertising.

Screenshots

Marshal Chess3 screens
Xiangqi Match4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Marshal Chess at none against Xiangqi Match's shown. Xiangqi Match's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Marshal Chess ships an update every 3 days, Xiangqi Match daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Marshal Chess versus Xiangqi Match: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarshal ChessXiangqi Match
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB12 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSANOINV INCHsueh kaiyen

In-app purchases

None

Marshal Chess

No in-app purchases

None

Xiangqi Match

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Marshal Chess free?
Marshal Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Xiangqi Match free?
Xiangqi Match is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Marshal Chess or Xiangqi Match have ads?
Xiangqi Match shows ads; Marshal Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Marshal Chess or Xiangqi Match?
Marshal Chess ships an update every 3 days, and Xiangqi Match daily. Most recently, Marshal Chess was updated on October 31, 2026 and Xiangqi Match on November 5, 2026.

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