Capture changes the side a piece serves
と
Capture a promoted pawn
歩
In your hand
歩
Drop on a later turn
Captured pieces become yours to reuse. A promoted piece loses that status when reused; its direction on the board shows which player it serves.
JAPANESE CULTURE, EXPLAINED
Shogi drops: putting captured pieces back into play
持ち駒を打つ
In shogi, a captured piece can become a piece in your hand. On a later turn, you may place it on the board as your own piece. This is a drop, and it uses your turn.
01
How captured pieces return
One turn, one empty square
A drop uses one turn and an empty square. The piece enters unpromoted, even in the opponent’s promotion zone; only a later qualifying move can promote it.
02
Three limits on drops
Leave a possible move
Pawn / lance
×
Knight
×
×
Rank restriction only; other rules still apply.
In your forward direction, pawns and lances cannot drop on the furthest rank, nor knights on the furthest two. They would be unable to move. Your own king must remain safe.
Nifu: two unpromoted pawns in a file
A file containing your unpromoted pawn cannot receive another pawn. A tokin—a promoted pawn—does not count. The opponent’s pawns do not affect this test.
Nifu comparison only. You move upwards and hold another pawn. A–I and 1–9 label this illustration; arrows mark each side’s forward direction.
You move ↑; opponent moves ↓
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 玉 | ||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 5 | |||||||||
| 6 | 歩 | ||||||||
| 7 | 歩 | ||||||||
| 8 | |||||||||
| 9 | 玉 |
You move ↑; opponent moves ↓
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 玉 | ||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 5 | |||||||||
| 6 | 歩 | ||||||||
| 7 | 歩 | ||||||||
| 8 | |||||||||
| 9 | 玉 |
A narrow ban on pawn-drop mate
Yes
Not pawn-drop mate
No
Pawn-drop mate: illegal
Checkmate leaves the attacked king no legal escape from capture. A pawn drop causing immediate mate is forbidden; a pawn drop giving escapable check or a move by an existing pawn giving mate is allowed.
Check your understanding
Can I drop a piece already promoted?
No. Every dropped piece enters play in its unpromoted form.
Does a tokin prevent another pawn drop in its file?
The tokin does not count towards nifu. Other restrictions still apply.
Can you move another piece after dropping one in the same turn?
No. The drop itself uses your turn.