---
title: "Skewers in Xiangqi · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Yes, mostly with chariots: attack a valuable piece so that moving it exposes a lesser one behind. Cannon skewers work differently."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-a-skewer-in-xiangqi
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Do skewers exist 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
>
> **Yes**, mainly with chariots, and they work exactly as in chess: attack a valuable piece so that when it moves, a lesser piece behind it is captured. **Cannon skewers are stranger**, because the cannon needs a screen — so the "front" piece is the screen, and moving it exposes whatever is beyond.

## The chariot version

Ordinary and frequent. The best targets are along the rank in front of the palace, where a defending general and an advisor often line up. Because the general must move when attacked, a skewer against it is forcing rather than merely annoying.

## The cannon version

A cannon attacking through a screen already threatens the piece behind. If the screen moves away, the cannon stops attacking entirely — so the cannon "skewer" is really a pin, and it is the screen that is stuck. Working out which you are looking at means counting the pieces on the line.

## Related questions

Is the flying general pin a skewer?

No, it is a pin — the piece cannot move at all, rather than being pushed off a line.

Which piece skewers best?

The chariot, because it needs no screen and can attack along any clear line.

## Related xiangqi resources

The pin

The piece that cannot move

How the chariot moves

Like a rook, and the strongest piece on the board

Xiangqi tactics

Forks, pins and discovered attacks

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