Shogi glossary
Piece with no moves
Japanese: 行き所のない駒
In shogi, a piece with no moves (行き所のない駒) is an unpromoted pawn or lance on the last rank (the far edge of the board), or an unpromoted knight on the last two ranks. It could never move again, so the rules forbid creating one.
A pawn or lance on the last rank or a knight on the last two ranks; such placements are illegal.
What the rule covers
The rule is about geometry, not traffic. Pawns and lances only move forward, so on the last rank they have nowhere to go; a knight jumps two ranks forward, so on either of the last two ranks it is stuck. A piece that is merely blocked by other pieces does not count. Silvers, golds, rooks and bishops always have some move, so the rule never applies to them.
How it shows up
On a drop, the placement is simply illegal: for Black, no pawn or lance on rank a and no knight on ranks a or b (for White, rank i and ranks h and i). On a move, the piece must promote instead. These are the only cases in shogi where promotion is compulsory.
The rule matters most for knight drops. To check a king on 5a, you drop a knight on 4c or 6c; a knight on rank b would be illegal and would not give check anyway.
FAQ
What if I move a knight to the last rank without promoting?
That move is illegal. The knight must promote when it lands on the last two ranks, and in official games an illegal move loses immediately.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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