Can a cannon pin 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 it works backwards. With a chariot, the pinned piece shields something behind it. With a cannon, the piece in the middle is the screen — so the cannon is attacking through it, and the piece is pinned because moving it would expose whatever stands beyond.
Working out whether it is real
Count. A cannon two pieces away from your general is attacking nothing; the front piece is free to move. A cannon one piece away is attacking through it, and that piece is genuinely pinned.
This is why cannon pins are missed so often in both directions — players either respect a pin that does not exist, or move a piece that was the only thing keeping a check off.
Breaking one
The usual answers apply — move the piece behind, capture the cannon, or add a second piece to the line, which switches the cannon off entirely. That last option has no chess equivalent and is frequently the cheapest.
Related questions
What is the strongest pin in xiangqi?
Not a cannon pin — it is the flying general pin, where a piece alone between the two generals cannot move at all. See the pin.
Can a cannon pin against the general?
Yes, and those are the ones that matter: the screen cannot move without exposing the general to check.
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