FUN XIANGQI GUIDES
How to Play the Central Cannon in Xiangqi (中炮)
By The Fun Xiangqi Team · Published · 3 min read
Video walkthrough coming soon
Steps
Pick one of your cannons
Your two cannons start on the third line from your edge, in front of your horses. Either one can go to the middle; this guide uses the one on your right.
Slide it to the middle file
Move the cannon sideways along its line until it reaches the middle file, just behind your central soldier. It's an ordinary move, not a jump.
Aim at the central soldier
Your own central soldier is now the screen. The cannon threatens to jump it and capture your opponent's central soldier, and it looks down the file toward their general.
Expect Screen Horses in reply
The classic answer is Screen Horses: both enemy horses come up to guard their central soldier. Plan to keep developing rather than rushing the capture.
Bring your chariots out early
Follow up with your horses and chariots instead of moving the same cannon again and again. The opening works best when the rest of your army joins in.
Before you start
An opening is simply the plan behind your first few moves. The Central Cannon, 中炮, is Red's most common first move and an attacking one: it puts pressure on the middle of the board straight away. You only need two rules to play it — the cannon moves like a chariot and captures by jumping exactly one piece, the screen.
The position on the board
Here is Red's half of the board after the move. Files run a to i from Red's left, lines 1 to 5 from Red's edge.
a b c d e f g h i
5 . . . . . . . . .
4 S . S . S . S . S
3 . C . . C . . o .
2 . . . . . . . . .
1 R H E A G A E H R
G = general, A = advisor, E = elephant, H = horse, R = chariot, C = cannon, S = soldier, o = the point the cannon left. The cannon slid from h3 to e3 along an empty line. It now sits right behind the soldier on e4, on the same file as your general and your opponent's general.
That soldier is the screen. If your opponent does nothing, the cannon can jump it next move and take the enemy's central soldier. Even when that capture is guarded, the cannon keeps the middle file under watch for the rest of the opening.
Tips for playing it
- Don't rush the capture. Your opponent will usually guard their central soldier. Grabbing it and losing the cannon back is no gain.
- Develop the rest. Bring your horses out and get your chariots into play early. Moving the same cannon again and again wastes time.
- Keep your horses' legs clear. A horse can't jump, so don't park pieces on the point right next to it in the direction you want it to go.
- Leave the general at home. It never needs to march out in the opening.
Quick questions
Which cannon should I move to the middle? Either works. The idea is the same: one cannon on the middle file, behind your central soldier.
What if my opponent also plays a Central Cannon? Both sides then aim at each other's centre. Keep your central soldier guarded and keep developing — the same tips apply.
Is the Central Cannon only for Red? It's best known as Red's first move, but Black can use the same idea.
The usual answer to this opening is Screen Horses — read it next to see the game from the other side. Then try the Central Cannon against the classic engine from the Fun Xiangqi home page; levels 1–4 are free.