Can a cannon capture without a screen in xiangqi?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.
Direct answer
No. A cannon captures only by jumping exactly one piece along the line — no more, no fewer. With an empty line it cannot capture at all, and with two pieces in between it cannot either. Moving, by contrast, requires a completely clear line.
Moving and capturing are opposite
This is the part that takes a beginner a few weeks:
- To move, the line must be clear — exactly like a chariot.
- To capture, the line must contain exactly one piece, of either colour, and the target sits immediately beyond it.
So a cannon pointing at an undefended piece down an empty file is not attacking it at all.
Why it flips the usual logic
Adding a piece to a line can switch a cannon on, and removing one switches it off. Both directions are tactics: you can activate your own cannon by interposing anything, and neutralise an enemy cannon by moving its screen away.
It is also why a lone cannon cannot force mate — a bare general in an empty palace gives it nothing to jump.
Related questions
Can the screen be my opponent's piece?
Yes. Any single piece of either colour works as a screen.
Can a cannon jump two pieces?
No. Exactly one, or the capture is illegal.
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