What is the difference between a chariot and a cannon 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
They move identically, any distance along a clear rank or file, but they capture differently. A chariot captures the first piece in its path, the same way it moves. A cannon can only capture by jumping exactly one piece first; with an empty or doubly-occupied line it cannot capture at all. That single difference is worth roughly half the chariot's value, about 4.5 against 9.
Same movement, opposite capture logic
It is the cleanest way to see what makes the cannon unusual: strip away the capture rule and it is simply a second chariot. Add back the requirement that a screen must sit between it and its target and it becomes a piece whose threats appear and disappear as other pieces move around it, with no equivalent in western chess at all.
What this means at the board
A chariot's threat is reliable: if the line is open, the capture is real. A cannon's threat depends on a piece neither player necessarily controls staying put, which is why counting screens before trusting a cannon's apparent attack is one of the first habits a new player has to build.
Related questions
Which is more valuable, chariot or cannon?
The chariot, clearly, at roughly double, as the strongest piece on the board.
Do they ever work together?
Yes, very naturally: the chariot controls open lines while the cannon fires across occupied ones, which is a common attacking pairing against the palace.
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