Bottom cannon
沉底炮 · chén dǐ pào · cannon sunk to the base
A cannon dropped onto the opponent's back rank, where it attacks the palace from behind and works with a chariot or horse.
Sinking a cannon to the bottom rank puts it behind the defence, aiming along the rank the Advisors and General live on. It is awkward to dislodge and it combines with almost every other attacking piece.
It is especially strong once an Elephant has moved, because the back rank then has holes that were covered a moment ago.
Defending against one is mostly about geometry. Keep a piece able to interpose on the rank, avoid moving the Elephant that covers the entry point, and remember that the cannon needs a screen, so an empty rank makes it harmless.
In practice
The bottom cannon is a slow move that pays late. Play it when you have another attacker coming, not as a threat on its own.
Related terms
- Cannon炮 / 砲A piece that moves like a chariot but can only capture by jumping exactly one piece, called the screen, on its way to the target.
- Advisor士 / 仕A short range defender that moves one point diagonally and never leaves the palace, protecting the General from cannons and chariots.
- Iron gate bolt铁门栓A mate where a cannon on the middle file freezes the palace and a chariot delivers the blow the defender cannot answer.
- Checkmate将死A check the defender cannot answer, which ends the game immediately in the attacker's favour.