--- title: "Can a Cannon Move Without a Screen in Xiangqi? ยท Xiangqi Master" description: "Yes. Moving requires a completely clear line โ€” exactly like a chariot. Only capturing needs a screen." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-a-cannon-move-without-a-screen 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 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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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. ## Related xiangqi resources How the cannon moves Captures only by jumping exactly one screen How the chariot moves Like a rook, and the strongest piece on the board Cannon tactics Screens, batteries and discoveries ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.