Straight chariot against horizontal chariot
顺炮直车对横车 · shùn pào zhí chē duì héng chē
Two cannons on the middle file, and now the chariots choose their routes. Red's comes straight up the open file it was given; Black's travels sideways along the back rank to reach the fight from the other direction. That single difference in route is the oldest strategic argument in the same direction cannons, and the names in Chinese, 直车 and 横车, are simply straight chariot and horizontal chariot.
The moves
4 moves from the starting position. Step through them on the board.
- Red. Red takes the middle file with the cannon.
- Black. Black answers with a central cannon from the same wing. The position is mirrored and the race has begun.
- Red. Red develops the horse next to the cannon, opening the file for the chariot to come straight up.
- Black. Black develops the other horse, preparing to swing the chariot sideways instead.
Straight or sideways
A straight chariot arrives fast on one file and stays there. A horizontal chariot takes a move longer but can choose its file after seeing where the fight is. Fast and committed against flexible and slightly slower: that is the whole trade.
Neither is better in the abstract. The question is always whether Red's extra speed produces a threat before Black's extra flexibility finds the right file.
What decides these games
- Tempo. In a symmetrical structure, one wasted move is a real disadvantage rather than an inconvenience.
- The first exchange. Whoever initiates the trades usually gets to choose which pieces remain, and in sharp positions that choice is the game.
- General safety. Both sides are attacking, so the player who spends one move on defence at the right time is often the one still standing.
If you are learning this structure
Pick one side and play it repeatedly. The positions are too sharp to improvise from both sides at once, and the patterns transfer once you know one of them properly.
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 do 直车 and 横车 mean?
- Straight chariot and horizontal chariot. They describe whether the chariot comes up its own file or travels sideways along the back rank first.
- Is this line good for beginners?
- It is sharp, so it is a demanding place to start. If you want the same opening with less risk, meet the Central Cannon with Screen Horses instead.
Read next
- Same-Direction Cannons顺炮Black answers a central cannon with a central cannon from the same wing. Symmetrical, double edged and famously unforgiving. Here is what both sides are racing for.
- Central Cannon vs Screen Horses, Chariot Files中炮过河车对屏风马Both sides finish the standard setup and the game turns into a race for the chariot files. The classic four move main line, with the plans that decide it.
- Opposite-Direction Cannons列炮Black meets the Central Cannon from the other wing, unbalancing the game at once. What the asymmetry gives each side, and the plans that follow.
- 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.
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.