--- title: "How to Stop Blundering Pieces in Xiangqi ยท Xiangqi Master" description: "Check what their last move attacked before choosing yours, and count the pieces on every cannon line. Most blunders are missed threats, not bad calculation." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-i-stop-blundering updated: 2026-09-22 source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com) license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- # How do I stop blundering pieces 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 > > **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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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. ## Related xiangqi resources Common mistakes The errors that decide most club games How the cannon moves Captures only by jumping exactly one screen How the horse moves An L-shape that can be blocked โ€” it never jumps ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.