Can a cannon move without a screen?
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 — moving needs no screen at all. A cannon slides any distance along a completely clear rank or file, exactly like a chariot. The screen is required only to capture. Confusing the two is the most common beginner error with the piece, in both directions.
The two rules, side by side
- Move: line must be empty, like a chariot.
- Capture: line must contain exactly one piece, and the target sits beyond it.
So a cannon cannot move past a screen, but it can shoot past one. Those two facts together are what make cannon lines feel so strange at first.
A consequence worth knowing
A cannon deep in enemy territory with a piece behind it may have no way home. Cannons get trapped less often than horses, but it happens — and unlike a horse, a cannon cannot go around an obstruction, only stop before it.
Related questions
Can a cannon jump to an empty point?
No. Jumping is only for capturing. To reach a point it needs a clear path to it.
Can a cannon capture along a diagonal?
No. Ranks and files only, like a chariot.
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