Can a chariot move diagonally 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
No. The chariot moves any number of points along a clear rank or file and captures the first enemy piece it meets — exactly like a rook in chess. It has no diagonal move, and the diagonals drawn inside the palace do not apply to it.
The strongest piece on the board
A chariot is worth roughly two horses, or a horse and a cannon. That single comparison decides more trades than any other, and it is why trading a chariot for two lesser pieces is usually worse than the arithmetic suggests: two pieces need time to coordinate, and a chariot does not.
It needs a line
The chariot is also the slowest piece to bring into a game, because it needs a file opened for it. Plan the file before you need the piece — leaving the chariots at home until last is one of the most common opening errors.
Related questions
Which pieces use the palace diagonals?
Only the advisor. They are drawn to show its moves; the general and everything else use the straight lines.
Is the chariot the same as a rook?
Movement is identical. Its relative value is higher, because everything around it is weaker than chess pieces are.
.