Shogi glossary
Promotion zone
Japanese: 敵陣
In shogi, the promotion zone (tekijin, 敵陣, the enemy camp) is the three ranks farthest from each player: ranks a to c for Black and g to i for White. Pieces moving into, within or out of it may promote.
The three ranks farthest from you, where pieces may promote.
How it works
The zone is the opponent's starting area: their back rank, the rank with their rook and bishop, and their pawn rank. Every move that starts or ends in the zone offers promotion, so a piece already inside may promote on its next move even if that move takes it back out.
Drops are the exception. A piece dropped into the zone lands unpromoted and may promote only on a later move.
Compared with chess
In chess only a pawn reaching the last rank promotes. In shogi the zone is three ranks deep, and six of the eight piece types can promote: rook, bishop, silver, knight, lance and pawn. Each turns into one fixed piece, so there is no choice of what to promote to.
Why it matters
Breaking into the zone is a central aim of the middle game, because that is where rooks become dragons and pawns become tokins. A king can walk into it too; that is called an entering king (nyugyoku) and can change how the game is decided.
FAQ
Does a piece have to promote in the promotion zone?
No, promotion is usually optional. It is forced only when the unpromoted piece could never move again: a pawn or lance on the last rank, or a knight on the last two ranks.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
Learn it by playing
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