Hobbling the horse's leg
蹩马腿 · bié mǎ tuǐ · lame the horse's leg
Blocking the orthogonal first step of a Horse's move, which makes that move illegal because a xiangqi Horse cannot jump.
A Horse moves one point straight, then one point diagonally. Put any piece, yours or theirs, on that straight step and the Horse cannot travel in that direction at all. It is not a matter of the square being attacked; the move simply does not exist.
Players use this constantly. A soldier advanced to the right point can shut down an enemy Horse for the rest of the opening, and a Horse that is hobbled on both sides is a piece you are effectively a piece down without.
It works in your own camp too. Your own developing pieces can hobble your own Horse, which is why move order matters so much in xiangqi openings.
In practice
When an enemy Horse looks annoying, do not chase it. Look for the point that blocks its leg and put a cheap piece there instead.
Related terms
- Horse马 / 马A knight that moves one point straight then one diagonally, and which unlike a western knight can be blocked by a piece standing in its way.
- Elephant's eye象眼The midpoint of an Elephant's two step diagonal move; a piece standing there makes the move illegal.
- Screen炮架The single piece a Cannon jumps over in order to capture, which may belong to either player.
- Horse in the trough卧槽马A horse planted next to the enemy palace where it checks the General and supports a mating attack from a chariot or cannon.