Soldiers are the humblest pieces in xiangqi, and in the opening they barely matter. In the endgame, they are often the difference between a win and a draw. A single soldier that has crossed the river can checkmate a bare general with the help of its own general. But soldiers also carry a trap that catches many players: the soldier that runs all the way to the last rank becomes almost useless.
How soldiers move
The soldier (P, Vietnamese Tốt) moves one point straight forward. Once it has crossed the river, it may also move one point sideways. It never moves backwards, and unlike the pawn in chess it never promotes.
So a soldier's value depends heavily on where it stands:
- Before the river: it can only go forward. It controls one point.
- After the river: it controls three points — forward and both sides. This is when it becomes a real attacking piece.
- On the last rank of the enemy side: it can only move sideways. It no longer threatens the points in front of it because there are none. Vietnamese players call it a tốt già, an "old soldier", and it has lost most of its power.
A single soldier can beat a bare general
With your general and one crossed soldier against a bare general, you can win — as long as the soldier has not already reached the last rank. The technique uses the same two helpers as other xiangqi endgames:
- Your general controls its whole file across the board.
- A player with no legal move loses.
In the diagram, the soldier stands one rank in front of the enemy back rank, next to the palace. It attacks the point in front of the black general. The red general takes away the centre point. The black general has no legal move, and loses.
The general idea: bring your soldier to the second rank in front of the enemy palace, not all the way to the back. From there it can still move sideways across the front of the palace and cover the points the general needs.
Why the last rank is a trap
A soldier on the very last rank can only move sideways along the back rank. It attacks only the points beside it. The enemy general can stay one rank above it and the soldier can never attack that rank again, because soldiers do not move backwards.
That is why experienced players are careful not to push a soldier all the way. A soldier one rank short of the bottom is usually worth much more than a soldier that has arrived. The single "old soldier" against a bare general cannot win.
Soldiers against defenders
- A soldier against a single advisor: a well-placed soldier that has not gone too far often has good winning chances, because the advisor alone cannot cover everything. The details matter.
- A soldier against two advisors or more: a single soldier usually cannot win. You need more material.
- Two or three soldiers: soldiers working together are much stronger than one. Two soldiers side by side in front of the palace can take away the points a general needs while protecting each other.
Soldiers in support of other pieces
In practice, soldiers win many endgames not on their own but as helpers:
- With a horse, a soldier covers the points the horse cannot reach, since the horse can never attack two neighbouring points at once. See horse endgames.
- With a chariot, a soldier is often the extra piece that breaks a full set of advisors and elephants. See chariot against defenders.
- With a cannon, a soldier can be the screen that the cannon needs. See cannon endgames.
This is why strong players are reluctant to trade soldiers when they are ahead. A single soldier kept into the endgame is often the winning margin.
Practical tips
- Cross the river early, but walk slowly after that. Getting soldiers across the river gives them sideways moves. After that, advance only when it helps.
- Aim for the second rank, not the first. Stop one rank short of the enemy back rank unless pushing gives immediate mate.
- Keep soldiers connected. Two soldiers side by side protect each other's approach.
- Use your general to take a file. It turns a lone soldier into a winning force.
- Count the defender's moves. Many soldier endings are won by leaving the enemy general without any legal move, not by check.
Practise it
- Set up the diagram on a physical board. Then move the red soldier to the last rank and try to win — you will find the black general always has an answer.
- In games against the computer at the home board, notice how the computer values soldiers across the river. Try not to trade your last soldier when you are ahead.
- Read stalemate is a loss for more about the no-move rule.
How to walk a soldier in
Getting a soldier from its home point to the winning square takes patience. A practical sequence:
- Cross the river on a file away from the defender's pieces. A soldier walking into an elephant or a chariot's line achieves nothing.
- Bring your general to the file next to the centre early. This is the soldier's most important helper and costs you nothing.
- Advance to the rank just in front of the enemy palace, then use sideways moves to reach the file you need. Sideways moves are the soldier's great strength after the river; use them instead of pushing forward.
- Stop on the second rank. From there the soldier covers the point in front of a general on the back rank and can still slide sideways.
- Wait for the no-move moment. When the enemy general has only one or two points left, a single quiet soldier move often leaves it with none.
Two soldiers are more than twice as strong
With two crossed soldiers, many endings that are drawn with one become wins, even against a defender. Two soldiers side by side protect each other's advance: if one is attacked, the other can often defend it by sliding sideways, and together they cover a whole row of points in front of the palace. When you are ahead with several soldiers, keep them together rather than racing one far ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Can one soldier and a general beat a bare general?
Yes, as long as the soldier has not already reached the last rank of the enemy side. With your general controlling a file and the no-move rule, the soldier can finish the job.
Why can't a soldier on the last rank win?
It can only move sideways there, and never backwards, so it can no longer attack the points in front of the enemy general. The general simply stays out of its reach.
Do soldiers promote in xiangqi?
No. A soldier that reaches the last rank stays a soldier and can only move sideways.
Are soldiers worth trading in the endgame?
Usually not when you are ahead. An extra soldier is often exactly what turns a draw into a win.
When does a soldier get sideways moves?
As soon as it crosses the river into the opponent's half of the board.
