---
title: "How Much Is a Crossed Soldier Worth in Xiangqi? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "About double an uncrossed one — roughly 2 against 1 — because crossing the river adds sideways movement."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-a-crossed-soldier-worth
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# What is a crossed soldier worth in xiangqi?

These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.

> Direct answer
>
> Roughly **double**: about 2 against 1. Crossing the river adds sideways movement, so the soldier goes from attacking one point to attacking three. A soldier that reaches the enemy palace can be worth far more than 2, because a soldier covering one palace point is often the difference between check and checkmate.

## Count them separately

Material counts that treat all five soldiers alike are simply wrong. Three crossed soldiers are an attacking force; three at home are almost nothing. When you evaluate a trade, count crossed and uncrossed soldiers as different pieces, because they are.

## Where to push them

Toward the palace, not the edge. A soldier on the last rank in a corner can only shuffle sideways for the rest of the game. The same soldier two files inward may be a mating piece — and soldiers cannot come back to fix the mistake.

## Related questions

Is a crossed soldier worth more than an advisor?

Usually not in the endgame — the advisor decides whole classes of mate. Near the enemy palace, a soldier can be worth more.

Can a soldier beat a bare general alone?

No. Soldier and general together can, with accurate play; the soldier alone cannot.

## Related xiangqi resources

Soldier endgames

Why a crossed soldier is worth double

What the pieces are worth

And the three times the numbers stop being true

How the soldier moves

Forward only, until it crosses the river

## Try it on a real board

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