---
title: "Can the General Be Skewered to Win the Piece Behind It? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Yes. A check that forces the general to move can expose a more valuable piece standing behind it on the same line, which is then simply captured."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/can-the-general-be-skewered-to-win-the-piece-behind-it
updated: 2026-09-23
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Can the general be skewered to win the piece behind it?

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.** If a chariot or cannon checks the general and a second, more valuable piece happens to sit behind it on the same line, the general has no choice but to move, and once it does, the piece behind it is exposed and can simply be taken. Because the general is compelled to move by the check itself, this version of the skewer is unusually reliable.

## Why it works so cleanly against the general

An ordinary skewer relies on the front piece being valuable enough that its owner chooses to move it. A skewer through the general removes that choice entirely, the general must move because it is in check, not because moving is the best option, so the tactic cannot simply be declined.

## Setting one up

Look for lines where your opponent's general and a valuable piece share a file or rank, with nothing but the general itself standing in front. Bringing a chariot or cannon onto that line, with a genuine screen if it is a cannon, forces the sequence: check, forced general move, then the capture behind it.

## Related questions

Is this the same tactic as an ordinary skewer?

Yes, the same underlying idea covered generically as [the pin](https://xiangqimaster.com/tactics/the-pin) and skewer tactics, just applied specifically through the general because of the forced response.

Can the general block this by moving sideways instead of along the file?

If it has a legal point off that file, yes, which is exactly why the defence is to keep the general somewhere with more than one escape option available.

## Related xiangqi resources

The pin

The piece that cannot move

Check and checkmate

Including why stalemate is a loss

How the general moves

One point orthogonally, never leaves the palace

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.