Lesson 3 of 20 · Rules · 6 min · free
Promotion
Promotion turns small pieces into golds and your rook and bishop into the strongest pieces on the board, so knowing when you may promote wins material.
- Promote when a piece enters, moves inside or leaves the far three ranks.
- Know what each piece promotes to, from tokin to dragon and horse.
- Spot forced promotions, such as a knight landing on the last two ranks.
The three ranks farthest from you are the promotion zone. When a piece moves into, inside, or out of that zone, you may promote it by turning it over.
Pawn, lance, knight and silver all promote to pieces that move like a gold. A promoted pawn is called a tokin—cheap to lose, strong to have.
The rook promotes to a dragon: a rook that can also step one square diagonally. The bishop promotes to a horse: a bishop that can also step one square straight.
Kings and golds never promote. Promotion is optional, except when an unpromoted piece could never move again: pawns and lances on the last rank, knights on the last two ranks.
A captured promoted piece goes back to its original form in the captor's hand. Usually you should promote; keep a silver or knight unpromoted only when its original move is more useful.
Practice
Practice 1 of 4
Push the pawn into the zone and promote it.
Remember: Promote when you enter, move inside, or leave the far three ranks. Small pieces become golds; rook and bishop become dragon and horse. Kings and golds never promote.
Related
Terms:
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
Next: 16 lessons on tactics, castles and endgames
The app continues with forks and pins, castles, openings and endgames — each with practice boards — then lets you use them against eight AI rivals.
Free on iPhone & Android. Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. Privacy