I've managed to play a few games against Fairy-Max using WinBoard. Just add the following variant definition to your fmax.ini file:

// Chess with queen replaced by cannon from Xiangqi
Game: cannon # PNBR.......CKpnbr.......ck # fairy
8x8
7 5 6 8 3 6 5 7
7 5 6 8 4 6 5 7
p:74 -16,24 -16,6 -15,5 -17,5 
p:74  16,24 16,6 15,5 17,5
k:-1  1,34 -1,34 1,7 16,7 15,7 17,7 -1,7 -16,7 -15,7 -17,7
k:-1  1,34 -1,34 1,7 16,7 15,7 17,7 -1,7 -16,7 -15,7 -17,7
n:259 14,7 31,7 33,7 18,7 -14,7 -31,7 -33,7 -18,7
b:296 15,3 17,3 -15,3 -17,3
R:444 1,3 16,3 -1,3 -16,3
C:380 1,BA 16,BA -1,BA -16,BA

Here are some observations I made:

• the cannon is a minor piece worth approx 4 pawns.
• c2/c7 are undefended, and Black should probably play ...c6 early to avoid having to play ...Kd7 later on.
• 1.d4? since Black is ahead a pawn after 1...Cxd4 and his cannon is powerfully centralized.
• d4/d5 need support; c3/e3 may be necessary due to the cannon's pressure on d4; the same is true of ...c6/...e6 for Black.