Pawn Opening, Cannon Reply
仙人指路对卒底炮 · xiān rén zhǐ lù duì zú dǐ pào
Red pointed the way. Black pointed back. The cannon under the pushed soldier, 卒底炮, is the answer that turns a polite waiting move into a concrete fight: the soldier Red advanced is now attacked along a file, and Red has to decide within a move or two whether to defend it, ignore it or change the subject entirely by taking the centre. This is the most theory heavy corner of the pawn opening complex and the most fun.
The moves
2 moves from the starting position. Step through them on the board.
- Red. Red pushes a soldier one point, freeing a horse's path and asking Black to commit.
- Black. Black answers with a cannon aimed up the file at that soldier. The waiting move now has to be justified.
Red's three choices
- Take the centre with a cannon and treat the advanced soldier as a detail. The most popular practical answer.
- Defend the soldier and play for a slow game where the extra space tells later.
- Ignore it and develop. Winning a soldier costs Black time, and time is worth more than a soldier in the opening.
Black's idea
Gain time by attacking something, then use that time to develop. Black is not really playing to win a soldier. Black is playing to dictate the structure of the game before Red has decided on one, which flips the whole point of the pawn opening.
A word on memorising
These lines get concrete quickly, so a little preparation goes a long way. Learn the first six or seven moves of whichever answer you pick as Red, understand why each move is played, and leave the rest for over the board.
Try it on a real board
Reading an opening and playing one are different skills. Set this line up against the computer, get it wrong a few times cheaply, then take it into a rated game.
Common questions
- What does 卒底炮 mean?
- Cannon under the soldier. Black's cannon takes the file beneath the soldier Red advanced.
- Is it good for Black?
- It is the main line and completely sound. It is also the sharpest reply, so both sides need to know what they are doing.
- Can Red just take the centre instead?
- Yes, and many strong players do exactly that. It is the simplest way to steer toward familiar central cannon structures.
Read next
- Pawn Opening仙人指路A one step soldier push that asks Black to show their plan first. The idea behind 仙人指路, the sharp cannon reply it invites, and how to handle both sides of it.
- Central Cannon中炮Red's cannon swings to the middle file and points straight at the enemy General. The plan behind the Central Cannon, the replies you will face, and the trap that ruins most attacks.
- Horse Opening起马局Develop first, commit later. The Horse Opening keeps every central plan available and transposes into half the opening book, which is exactly why strong players use it.
- Palcorner Cannon士角炮The cannon takes the advisor's file instead of the centre. A sound, less charted alternative to the Central Cannon, with the plans that make it work.
Every named line is listed on the xiangqi openings index. New to the game? Start with the rules of Chinese chess, or learn the Chinese characters on the pieces.