What does 顺炮 mean?

Following cannons, or same direction cannons. Black's central cannon comes from the same wing as Red's, so the two setups follow each other.

Is Same-Direction Cannons good for Black?

It is fully sound and very sharp. It gives Black active play immediately at the cost of a safety margin, so it rewards preparation and punishes drift.

How do I punish it if I play Red?

Use the extra tempo for development, not for a premature attack. Get both chariots active first, then strike on the file where Black's defence is one move behind.

Reply · Black

Same-Direction Cannons

顺炮 · shùn pào

Black refuses to defend. Instead of building a screen, Black puts a cannon on the middle file too, from the same wing, and now both Generals are staring down the same open lane at each other. The position looks symmetrical and is not, because Red moves first and every tempo counts double when both sides are attacking. This is the opening that produces the shortest decisive games in xiangqi.

Move 2 of 2

The moves

2 moves from the starting position. Step through them on the board.

Red. Red takes the middle file, aiming at Black's General.
Black. Black answers in kind from the same wing. Both cannons now sit on the middle file, and neither side has a spare move to waste.

Why it is so sharp

In a mirrored position the player who is a move ahead is the player whose threats land first. Red is a move ahead by definition. So Black is not playing for a quiet game, Black is playing to reach an attacking position faster than the extra tempo can be converted.

That makes every developing move a decision about speed. Chariots come out early, attacks are prepared with fewer defenders behind them, and a single slow move can decide the game before move twenty.

The one rule that matters

Chariots first. In these races the side whose chariots reach open files sooner wins the argument almost regardless of what the cannons are doing. Players who lose this opening usually lose it with a chariot still on its starting square.

Who should play it

Attacking players who would rather be judged on calculation than on patience.
Anybody who has studied the lines, because this is the structure where knowing a few moves more is worth the most.
Not the player looking for a safe game against a stronger opponent. Choose Screen Horses for that.

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.

Enter the board Practise against the computer Sharpen your tactics

Common questions

What does 顺炮 mean?: Following cannons, or same direction cannons. Black's central cannon comes from the same wing as Red's, so the two setups follow each other.
Is Same-Direction Cannons good for Black?: It is fully sound and very sharp. It gives Black active play immediately at the cost of a safety margin, so it rewards preparation and punishes drift.
How do I punish it if I play Red?: Use the extra tempo for development, not for a premature attack. Get both chariots active first, then strike on the file where Black's defence is one move behind.