---
title: "Soldier Endgames in Xiangqi · Xiangqi Master"
description: "A crossed soldier can win a xiangqi endgame on its own. Why soldiers gain value across the river, where to place them, and why there is no promotion to race for."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/endgames/soldier-endgames
updated: 2026-08-15
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# Soldier endgames

Every position, move and legality claim on this page is verified programmatically against our open rules engine, which implements the WXF laws and is tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook.

> Direct answer
>
> A soldier that has crossed the river gains sideways movement and is worth roughly double one that has not — near the enemy palace it can be worth more than a horse. There is no promotion, so the goal is never the last rank; it is the points beside and in front of the palace, where a soldier restricts the general directly.

## What a soldier is worth, and when

A soldier's value changes more across a game than any other piece's:

| Position | Approximate value | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Own side of the river | 1 | Forward moves only |
| Just across the river | 2 | Gains sideways movement |
| Beside the enemy palace | 3–4 | Directly restricts the general |
| On the enemy back rank | 1 | No forward move left; sideways only |

That last row is the one to internalise. A soldier on the final rank has spent itself — there is no promotion waiting, and it has lost the move that made it dangerous.

## Where to put them

The strong points are the ones next to the palace, where a soldier covers points the general needs and cannot be driven away by anything except an equal trade. A soldier there, supported by a chariot, is frequently the whole winning plan.

- **Central soldiers** are strongest — they bear directly on the palace.
- **Two connected crossed soldiers** are far more than twice one, since they cover each other's advance points.
- **Advance only with support.** A soldier cannot retreat, so a badly-advanced one is a permanent liability.

## Related questions

Do soldiers promote in xiangqi?

No. A soldier stays a soldier for the whole game, and reaching the last rank actively weakens it by removing its forward move.

How much is a crossed soldier worth?

Roughly twice an uncrossed one, and more still beside the enemy palace, where it can be worth more than a horse. The gain comes from sideways movement, which it only has after crossing the river.

Can a soldier alone win an endgame?

Not on its own against a defended general, but a crossed soldier plus a chariot wins many positions that the chariot alone would only draw. Soldiers are often the deciding extra unit.

## Related xiangqi resources

How the soldier moves

Before and after the river

Chariot endgames

The endings soldiers decide

All endgames

The endgame reference

## Put it into practice

Play a game against the computer or a real opponent — free, instant, nothing to install.