---
title: "Cannon vs Horse in a Bare Xiangqi Endgame · Xiangqi Master"
description: "The horse improves as the board empties while the cannon needs screens it may not have, so the side with the horse is generally the more comfortable one."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-the-technique-for-cannon-versus-horse-in-a-bare-endgame
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# What is the technique for cannon versus horse in a bare endgame?

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
>
> **The side with the horse is generally more comfortable, because emptiness helps the horse and hurts the cannon.** Neither piece alone forces mate against a bare general, so this pairing usually appears with other material still present, and the practical technique follows the same principle that governs the whole endgame: trade your cannon for their horse whenever you get the chance.

## Why the imbalance favours the horse

A cannon needs exactly one screen to capture at all, and a bare or near-bare endgame simply has fewer pieces available to serve that role. A horse, meanwhile, is only slowed by blocked legs, and there are fewer pieces left to do the blocking, which is the whole case made in [why a horse outpaces a cannon here](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/why-is-a-horse-better-than-a-cannon-in-the-endgame).

## Playing the cannon side

If you hold the cannon, look for ways to keep a piece, even your own, positioned as a usable screen, and avoid trades that strip the board bare while you still need one. The cannon's value depends on the position staying less empty than the horse would prefer.

## Related questions

Does this reverse in a fuller position?

Yes, with more pieces and advisors intact, the cannon holds more of its value and the imbalance is smaller.

Is this pairing ever winning outright for either side?

Rarely on its own without other material; it usually appears as part of a larger imbalance rather than a decisive one by itself.

## Related xiangqi resources

Horse endgames

The piece that gains as the board empties

Cannon endgames

The piece that fades as the board empties

What the pieces are worth

And the three times the numbers stop being true

## Try it on a real board

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