---
title: "What Is 單提馬, the Single-Advance Horse System? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "單提馬 develops only one horse to the edge file, keeping the other horse and both cannons flexible for a plan chosen once the opponent commits."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-dan-ti-ma-the-single-horse-system
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# 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.

## Related xiangqi resources

How the horse moves

An L-shape that can be blocked — it never jumps

Choosing an opening

How many you need, and which pair to learn

Xiangqi openings

The opening reference

## Try it on a real board

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