---
title: "How to Mate With a Chariot and a Cannon Against a Bare General · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Use the chariot to restrict the general's squares while the cannon finds a screen to deliver the mating check, coordinating rather than relying on either piece alone."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-mate-with-a-chariot-and-a-cannon
updated: 2026-09-23
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How do I mate with a chariot and a cannon against a bare general?

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
>
> Use the **chariot to restrict** the general to as few points as possible while manoeuvring the **cannon into a position where it has a screen** to deliver the final check. Neither piece needs to do all the work alone, the chariot's job is confinement, and the cannon's job is the mate itself once a screen is available.

## Why the two pieces divide the labour this way

A chariot alone can force a bare general to the edge of the palace but cannot itself deliver mate without support, since a lone chariot's check always leaves an escape unless the general is already fully boxed in. A cannon needs a screen to check at all, so bringing a chariot in first to restrict the general's squares is what creates the opportunity for the cannon to find one.

## The general shape of the technique

Drive the general toward one edge or corner of the palace with the chariot, keeping it confined to as few points as possible, then bring the cannon toward a file or rank where a piece, often the general's own remaining palace boundary or a point you control, can serve as its screen. This is considerably faster than either [mating with a chariot alone](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-mate-with-a-chariot) against reduced material or relying on the cannon by itself, which cannot force mate at all unsupported.

## Related questions

Which piece should lead the attack?

Generally the chariot, since it restricts squares fastest; the cannon then completes the mate once a screen becomes available.

Is this mate faster than chariot alone?

Usually, since the second piece removes the extra escape squares a lone chariot's checks cannot cover by itself.

## Related xiangqi resources

Basic checkmates

Mating with ordinary material

Chariot endgames

The most common endgame of all

Cannon endgames

The piece that fades as the board empties

## Try it on a real board

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