Shogi glossary
Promote
Japanese: 成る
In shogi, to promote (naru, 成る) is to turn a piece over at the end of a move that enters, stays inside or leaves the opponent's three ranks. The promoted piece gains new moves and keeps them while it stays on the board.
To turn a piece over when it enters, moves within, or leaves the promotion zone.
What each piece becomes
Pawn, lance, knight and silver all become pieces that move like a gold: the tokin, promoted lance, promoted knight and promoted silver. The rook becomes a dragon and the bishop a horse; both keep their sliding moves and add one-step moves. Kings and golds never promote.
Rules to remember
Promotion is your choice on every eligible move, decided as you complete the move. If you decline, you may promote on a later move that starts or ends in the zone. It becomes compulsory only for a pawn, lance or knight that would otherwise be stuck with no move.
Once promoted, a piece cannot turn back by itself. The only way it reverts is by being captured: it then joins the captor's hand in its original form, and every drop starts unpromoted.
Rule of thumb
Promote the rook, bishop and pawn practically every time, since their promoted forms keep every original move. Think before promoting a silver, knight or lance, because each gives up something its basic form could do.
Try it · from “Promotion”
Push the pawn into the zone and promote it.
FAQ
Can you promote a piece when you drop it?
No. A dropped piece always lands unpromoted, even inside the promotion zone. It may promote on its next move if that move starts or ends in the zone.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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