---
title: "Can a Cannon Pin a Piece in Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Yes, and it works backwards from a chariot pin: the pinned piece is the cannon's screen, so moving it disables the cannon rather than exposing a capture."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-a-cannon-pin-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 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](https://xiangqimaster.com/tactics/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.

## Related xiangqi resources

The pin

The piece that cannot move

How the cannon moves

Captures only by jumping exactly one screen

Cannon tactics

Screens, batteries and discoveries

## Try it on a real board

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