---
title: "Can a Cannon Defend a Piece in Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Yes, but only across a screen, the same way it attacks. A cannon defends a piece by being able to recapture on that point through exactly one piece in between."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-a-cannon-defend-a-piece
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Can a cannon defend a piece 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
>
> **Yes**, but only under the same condition it captures with: there must be **exactly one piece** between the cannon and the point it is defending. A cannon aimed at a friendly piece with a clear line in between is not defending it at all, because a clear line means no capture, and therefore no recapture either.

## Why defenders miss this

The instinct is to see a cannon lined up behind a piece and assume it is protected, the way a chariot behind it would be. But [the screen rule](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-counts-as-a-screen-for-a-cannon) applies to defence exactly as it applies to attack, so an empty line between the cannon and the piece it appears to guard means no real protection at all.

## Setting up real cannon defence

To actually defend a piece with a cannon, you need a second piece sitting between the cannon and the piece being defended, functioning as the screen for the recapture. That is a more demanding structure than a chariot's defence, and it is why cannons are usually poor choices for guarding a single square.

## Related questions

Is a cannon-defended piece as safe as a chariot-defended one?

Only if the screen stays in place. Move the screen and the defence disappears, which is not a risk a chariot's protection carries.

Can a cannon defend the general?

Yes, on the same condition: exactly one piece between the cannon and the general's point, ready to recapture whatever takes it.

## Related xiangqi resources

How the cannon moves

Captures only by jumping exactly one screen

Cannon tactics

Screens, batteries and discoveries

Cannon endgames

The piece that fades as the board empties

## Try it on a real board

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