Can pieces be pinned 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 — and xiangqi has a pin western chess does not. A piece standing alone between the two generals is completely frozen: every move it has is illegal, because moving would leave the generals facing each other. Ordinary pins against a chariot or cannon exist as well.
The absolute pin
It is absolute in a stronger sense than a chess pin against the king. There is no "it can move along the line" escape and no capturing the pinning piece — the pinning piece is the enemy general, which sits in its palace out of reach.
To break it: move your own general off the file, or add a second piece to the line.
Cannon pins
A cannon pins differently from a chariot, because the pinned piece is the cannon's screen. Moving it does not expose a capture along the line — it removes the cannon's ability to capture at all. Working out whether a cannon pin is real means counting the pieces, every time.
Related questions
Can I capture with a pinned piece?
Not if it is pinned between the generals — every move including captures is illegal. Against an ordinary pin, you can, at the usual cost.
How do I create the absolute pin?
Line your general up on the file of an enemy piece that has only your general's line and their general behind it. Clearing the file is the hard part.
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