---
title: "Central Cannon vs Opposite Cannons (列炮) · Xiangqi Master"
description: "列炮: both sides take the central file, but the cannons come from opposite wings. Why that one difference makes the game sharper than the same-direction…"
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/central-cannon-vs-opposite-cannons
updated: 2026-10-05
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Central Cannon vs Opposite Cannons

Every position, move and legality claim on this page is verified programmatically against our open rules engine, which implements 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.

> Direct answer
>
> 列炮 is the matchup where both players put a cannon on the central file, but from opposite wings. It looks almost identical to 顺炮 and plays very differently: because the cannons arrive from different sides, the two positions are not mirror images, and neither player can simply copy the other. It is the sharper of the two symmetrical cannon openings and the one where a tempo matters most.

## The opening moves

Red takes the centre, and Black answers in kind from the other wing. Step through it.

列炮. Both central cannons are on the e-file, but they came from opposite sides, so the position is not symmetrical.

> Diagram: Xiangqi position. Red: soldier a3, soldier c3, soldier e3, soldier g3, soldier i3, cannon b2, cannon h2, chariot a0, horse b0, elephant c0, advisor d0, general e0, advisor f0, elephant g0, horse h0, chariot i0. Black: chariot a9, horse b9, elephant c9, advisor d9, general e9, advisor f9, elephant g9, horse h9, chariot i9, cannon b7, cannon h7, soldier a6, soldier c6, soldier e6, soldier g6, soldier i6. Red to move.

## Why the wing matters

Two central cannons facing each other cancel out as a direct threat: neither can jump the other profitably, and the file is crowded. So the game is decided elsewhere, and where "elsewhere" is depends on which wing each side developed.

- **The position is not a mirror.** In [顺炮](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/same-direction-cannons) both sides build on the same wing and the play is a race on that side. Here the two attacks point at different flanks, so each player is attacking where the other is not defending.
- **The tempo is worth more.** Red moves first and both sides are building on opposite sides of the board, so Red's attack lands first if it lands at all. Black's compensation is that Red's pieces are committed and cannot easily be recalled.
- **Nobody can copy.** Symmetrical defences work by answering each move in kind until the imitation stops being good. That is not available here after the second move.

## Where it goes from here

Both sides now choose how to use the wing they have committed to. The usual shapes are a chariot lift to the third or fourth rank, so it can swing across, and a second cannon added behind the first. The practical warning in this opening is that a position with two crowded central cannons tempts both players into a trade that releases the tension and leaves whoever is better developed with a free attack.

If you are learning one of the two symmetrical cannon openings first, [顺炮](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/same-direction-cannons) is the kinder introduction: the plans are more obvious and mistakes punish less quickly.

## Related questions

What is the difference between 顺炮 and 列炮?

Which wing the cannons come from. In 顺炮 both central cannons arrive from the same side, making the position close to a mirror. In 列炮 they come from opposite wings, so the two attacks point at different flanks and neither player can copy the other.

Is 列炮 good for beginners?

It is playable but sharper than the alternatives, because mistakes are punished faster when the attacks point in different directions. [顺炮](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/same-direction-cannons) or [the plain Central Cannon](https://xiangqimaster.com/openings/central-cannon) are easier starting points.

Why do both first moves spell C2=5?

Because each side numbers the files from its own right-hand edge. The same spelling therefore describes moves from opposite sides of the board. See [reading the notation](https://xiangqimaster.com/rules/notation).

## Related xiangqi resources

Same direction cannons (順炮)

The other symmetrical version

Central Cannon (中炮)

The opening both sides are playing

vs Screen Horses

The main line, if Black declines the centre

## Put it into practice

Play a game against the computer or a real opponent. It is free, it starts instantly, and there is nothing to install.