--- title: "Removing the Defender: A Core Xiangqi Tactic ยท Xiangqi Master" description: "Capture or deflect the one piece guarding a target, then take the target itself. It is the tactic behind most advisor and screen sacrifices." url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-a-removing-the-defender-tactic updated: 2026-09-22 source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com) license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) --- # What is a removing-the-defender tactic 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 > > **Capture, trade off, or lure away the single piece guarding something you want, then take it.** Most sacrifices that remove an advisor are exactly this: the advisor is the defender, the mating point behind it is the target, and once the advisor is gone the mate that was previously covered simply becomes available. ## Finding the defender worth removing Work backward from a mating pattern or a winning capture, and identify the one piece standing in the way. If removing that single piece, by any means, makes the rest of the sequence work, you have found the tactic; the removal itself does not need to win material on its own. ## It applies to cannon screens too Removing a screen a defending cannon relies on works the same way, only in reverse: instead of opening a mating point, it switches off a threat the opponent was relying on. Checking which pieces are load-bearing for the opponent's defence is worth doing every few moves. ## Related questions Is this the same as overloading? Related. Overloading exploits a defender doing two jobs; removing the defender eliminates a defender doing one job that matters. Does the removal have to be a capture? No, a check or a threat that forces the defender to move away works just as well. ## Related xiangqi resources Attacking the palace How xiangqi attacks are built Advisors and elephants The defence that decides most endgames Xiangqi tactics Forks, pins and discovered attacks ## Try it on a real board Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.