---
title: "What Is the Strongest Piece in Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "The chariot, by a wide margin. It is worth roughly two horses, and controlling an open file with one decides many games."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/which-is-the-strongest-piece-in-xiangqi
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Which is the strongest piece 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
>
> The **chariot**, clearly. On the usual scale it is worth about **9**, against 4.5 for a cannon and 4 for a horse — so one chariot is worth roughly two horses, or a horse and a cannon together. No other piece is close.

## The comparison that decides trades

A chariot against two minor pieces looks level on paper and is usually bad in practice: two pieces need time to coordinate and a chariot does not. If you are offered that trade, ask whether your opponent's two pieces are already working together — if they are, it is a fair deal; if not, you are the one being given a tempo problem.

## A chariot is only worth 9 when it has a line

A chariot with no open file is a big piece doing nothing. Before counting it at full value, ask what it attacks. The corollary is the practical one: open a file for it early, rather than hoping one appears.

## Related questions

Is a cannon worth more than a horse?

Early yes, late no. The cannon needs a screen and fades as the board empties; the horse gains freedom.

Is the general worth anything?

It has no trade value — losing it ends the game — but in bare endgames it is a genuine attacking piece.

## Related xiangqi resources

What the pieces are worth

And the three times the numbers stop being true

How the chariot moves

Like a rook, and the strongest piece on the board

Chariot endgames

The most common endgame of all

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.