How do I stop blundering pieces in xiangqi?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
Check what their last move attacked before you choose yours, and count the pieces on every cannon line. Most blunders are responses to threats that were never noticed, not errors of calculation — so the fix is a looking habit, not a thinking one.
The xiangqi-specific blunder
A cannon threat that appeared without the cannon moving, because some other piece arrived on its line and became the screen. This is the one chess players miss for weeks, because in chess a piece arriving on a line blocks an attack rather than creating one.
The other one
Assuming a horse move is available when its leg is blocked — your own piece included. Check the four orthogonally adjacent points before you count a horse's options, whether it is yours or theirs.
Related questions
Does playing slower help?
Yes, substantially. You cannot build a checking habit at three minutes a game.
Do puzzles help with blunders?
Indirectly. Puzzles train recognition; the blunder problem is mostly attention.
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