Blocking is one of the least glamorous and most practical tactics in Chinese chess. It does not win a piece; it nails an enemy piece in place so that its strength counts for nothing.

1. What blocking is

Blocking means occupying the squares an enemy piece needs in order to act. It works both ways: it can weaken their defence and it can shut down their attack.

2. The common forms

  1. Blocking the elephant eye — occupy the midpoint of the diagonal so the elephant cannot fly;
  2. Blocking the horse leg — occupy the square the horse must pass through so it cannot jump;
  3. Cutting the chariot's line — stand on the file or rank a chariot needs, breaking its mobility and its connection to the rest;
  4. Breaking the cannon's screen — remove or occupy the screen square so the cannon loses its target;
  5. Self-blocking — provoke the opponent's own pieces into crowding each other and cutting their own lines.

3. Is it worth a move?

Ask three questions:

  1. Is the blocked piece important? Blocking an idle piece achieves nothing;
  2. Is your blocking piece safe? If it can simply be captured, the move was wasted;
  3. What comes next? Blocking produces no gain by itself — the gain comes from the attack that follows.

4. Practical points

  • Block the roads that matter — the routes the opponent's major pieces must use, and the squares around the palaces, are worth the most;
  • Use a small piece to block a big one — a soldier blocking a chariot gives the best value;
  • Block and attack together — follow up immediately, otherwise they will spend one move removing your blocker;
  • Avoid blocking yourself — keep your own pieces from getting in each other's way, and use a clearance move when they do.

5. Why it matters

Blocking is the classic way to buy the maximum restriction for the minimum price. A single soldier across the river blocking an elephant eye can be worth more than an extra chariot.

How to practise:

  1. In your replay, mark the moments when an enemy horse, elephant or chariot was restricted by one of your pieces;
  2. Set up typical positions in the endgame editor and practise blocking elephant eyes and horse legs with a soldier, watching how their defensive efficiency collapses.

Read next: the pin and clearance guides.