--- title: "Can a Cannon Stop an Enemy Chariot? ยท Xiangqi Master" description: "Not by blocking its line the way another piece would; a cannon defends by threatening to capture the chariot itself, or by controlling the specific point it wants to land on." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-a-cannon-stop-an-enemy-chariot updated: 2026-09-23 source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com) license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- # Can a cannon stop an enemy chariot? 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 > > Not by simple obstruction, a cannon in an enemy chariot's path is just a piece the chariot will capture. What a cannon can do is **threaten the chariot** directly, through a screen, or control the point the chariot is heading toward, making the advance too costly rather than physically impossible. ## Defending through threat, not blockade Because a chariot simply captures the first piece it meets on a clear line, a cannon cannot act as a wall the way it might against a horse's approach. Instead, a well-placed cannon can pin down a chariot's activity by threatening it whenever it steps onto a particular file or rank, forcing it to stay cautious. ## A cannon versus chariot endgame In simplified positions, a lone cannon generally struggles against a lone chariot, since the chariot can often manoeuvre to avoid ever giving the cannon a useful screen while still finding ways to attack. Extra defenders on the cannon's side change this balance considerably. ## Related questions Is cannon versus chariot ever winning for the cannon side alone? Generally the chariot is considered stronger in a bare endgame; the cannon usually needs help from other material to hold or win. Can a cannon capture a chariot outright? Yes, exactly like capturing any other piece, if it can arrange exactly one screen between them. ## 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 endgames The piece that fades as the board empties ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.