Immortal Guides the Way is one of the most flexible first moves in Chinese chess. It does not commit to a fixed formation; it pushes one soldier forward and keeps the choice in Red's hands.

1. What it is

Red's first move is Soldier 7 forward (Soldier 3 is a mirror version). It looks modest, but it does three things:

  • frees the horse on that side, paving the way for both horses to develop;
  • keeps the strategic choice open — centre cannon, elephant opening or horse opening;
  • asks Black to commit first, so Red can then choose the best structure for the position.

This "act second, decide last" idea is exactly where the name comes from.

2. Where it can lead

Depending on Black's reply, Red can transpose into several systems:

To the Central Cannon — if Black plays a cannon behind the pawn or an elephant, Red plays Cannon 2 to 5 and gets a Central Cannon position with the extra benefit of having chosen the timing.

To the Elephant Opening — Red plays Elephant 3 to 5 for a solid, coordinated game based on piece harmony.

To a Horse Opening — Red brings a horse out first and develops according to what happens next.

To a Pawn Duel — if Black also pushes the opposing pawn, the position becomes symmetric and the middlegame skill of both players decides it.

3. How Black answers

Three main attitudes:

  • Cannon behind the pawn — aiming at the soldier Red just pushed, fighting for the initiative;
  • Push the opposing pawn — creating a symmetric pawn duel and a balanced game;
  • Elephant or horse first — a steady reply that builds Black's own structure.

Each reply leads to a completely different position, which is exactly what makes the opening attractive.

4. Practical value

  • Keeping options is an advantage. Do not rush to fix the structure just because the opponent plays quietly — wait for the weakness.
  • The soldier must earn its keep. It frees a horse, but it should also matter in the middlegame; do not push it for nothing.
  • Mind the direction. After Soldier 7, the piece set-up on the two wings differs, so later moves must fit.
  • Avoid repeated soldier pushes. Pushing soldiers again and again weakens the centre and wastes tempo.

This opening demands good positional judgement. Learn a fixed system such as the Central Cannon first, then come back to it. Try it against the AI at several levels and watch how it answers.

Read next: the Central Cannon and Screen Horse guides — the foundation of any opening repertoire.