What is the most common opening 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
Central Cannon against Screen Horses: 炮二平五 馬8進7. Red's cannon takes the central file and Black's horse defends the central soldier while developing. It is the most played pairing in xiangqi at every level, and the one most players should learn first.
Why this pairing dominates
Red's move is the most direct way to create a threat, and Black's is the most efficient way to answer it. Neither side is doing anything clever — they are both playing the most economical move available — which is exactly why the pairing recurs.
What it teaches
Between them they cover both halves of the game: the Central Cannon teaches how an attack is built, Screen Horses teaches how one is stopped. That is why it is the standard recommendation rather than simply the most frequent.
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