What is 單提馬 (the single-horse system)?
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
單提馬 develops just one horse out to the edge file rather than bringing both horses to central, symmetrical squares. It looks slower than a standard development, but it keeps the rest of the position genuinely flexible, and the edge horse supports specific wing-based plans that a centrally developed horse cannot.
Why give up a central horse square
The trade is speed of development for the shape of the attack. A horse on the rim can support an advance on that side of the board in a way a centrally placed horse does not, so 單提馬 suits a player planning a one-wing attack from early on rather than deciding later.
The risk
An edge horse has only four reachable points instead of eight, so it needs the rest of the plan to justify the reduced mobility. Played without a clear follow-up, it is simply a worse developing move than the alternatives.
Related questions
Is this the same as a beginner accidentally developing a horse to the rim?
No. Here it is a deliberate structural choice supporting a specific plan, not a wasted move.
Which colour plays it?
It appears for both sides, though it is more commonly seen as part of a Red attacking setup.
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