囲碁将棋盤 榧寿堂 ／ What Is Written on the Back of Shogi Pieces? The Six Promoted Names, and Why the King and Gold Are Blank
What Is Written on the Back of Shogi Pieces? The Six Promoted Names, and Why the King and Gold Are Blank
Every shogi piece has two faces. Six of the eight kinds of piece have a character on the back; two — the king and the gold general — are blank. When a newcomer first turns a piece over, two questions come up almost immediately: “I can’t read this character” and “why does this one look like a gold?” This page answers both, based on the Japan Shogi Association’s (Nihon Shogi Renmei) beginner’s guide.
The back is there for promotion
The Japan Shogi Association explains promotion (naru, 成る) like this, in summary: when a piece moves into the opponent’s camp (the three ranks furthest from you), you may turn it over and change how it moves; you may also promote when a piece moves out of the opponent’s camp. The king and the gold general are the exceptions.
Two further points:
- You may choose not to promote when you are allowed to (narazu, 不成).
- Once a piece has promoted, it cannot turn back while it stays on the board. If the opponent captures it, it becomes an ordinary piece in hand and is dropped again unpromoted.
So the character on the back is simply the name of the promoted piece, shown on the board.
Six promoted names, two blank backs
| Front | Promoted name (back) | How the promoted piece moves |
|---|---|---|
| Hisha (飛車, rook) | Ryuo (竜王 / 龍王, “dragon king”), shortened to ryu | Rook moves, plus one square diagonally |
| Kakugyo (角行, bishop) | Ryuma (竜馬 / 龍馬, “dragon horse”), shortened to uma | Bishop moves, plus one square orthogonally |
| Ginsho (銀将, silver general) | Narigin (成銀, promoted silver) | Same as a gold general |
| Keima (桂馬, knight) | Narikei (成桂, promoted knight) | Same as a gold general |
| Kyosha (香車, lance) | Narikyo (成香, promoted lance) | Same as a gold general |
| Fuhyo (歩兵, pawn) | Tokin (と金, often just “to”) | Same as a gold general |
| Kinsho (金将, gold general) | Cannot promote — back is blank | — |
| Gyokusho / Osho (玉将・王将, king) | Cannot promote — back is blank | — |
The Association notes that the promoted rook may be written 竜 or 龍, and the promoted bishop 竜馬 or 龍馬. Either way, it is the same piece. It also confirms that the “gyoku” king (玉将) and the “o” king (王将) are the same piece.
Why the backs of four pieces look like “gold”
The promoted silver, knight and lance all move like a gold general, and according to the Association, the characters on their backs are cursive forms of 金 (“gold”). For the pawn, the Association says the “to” on the back is a cursive form of either 金 or 今 (also read kin) — it gives both possibilities and does not settle on one.
This is the reason behind a common beginner’s mistake: a gold general (金) and a promoted silver (成銀) can look very similar. Until you are used to them, lay the two side by side and compare. When you capture pieces, place them on the piece stand (komadai) face-up — captured pieces always return to their unpromoted side, and keeping them face-up avoids confusion.
Promoting a blank-backed piece is a foul
In its explanation of fouls, the Japan Shogi Association includes promoting a piece that cannot promote. In shogi, a player who commits a foul loses the game on the spot. Remembering that the king and the gold never need to be turned over removes the problem.
The back of the pawn decides who moves first
The backs are also used in furigoma (振り駒), the usual way to decide who plays first. In the Association’s description, one player takes five pawns (or three) and tosses them on the board: if more land showing “fu” (歩), the tosser plays first; if more land showing “to” (と), the tosser plays second. Its FAQ adds that pieces which land on top of each other or on their edge are not counted, and if the counts are equal, the pieces are tossed again. The method only works because the front and back of the pawn are so clearly different.
What to check about the back when choosing a set
Shops usually photograph the front of the pieces so you can compare calligraphy styles; the backs are often not shown. When buying, it is worth checking:
- Is there a photo of the backs? If not, it is reasonable to ask the seller.
- Can you tell the gold from the promoted silver? Some highly cursive styles make this harder, which can be a burden for beginners.
How pieces are made — stamped, written, carved, inlaid or raised lacquer — is explained in Types of Shogi Pieces, and what else you need to start (board, piece stands, box) in The Equipment You Need to Start Shogi.
Summary
- Only the king and the gold general have blank backs. The other six show their promoted names: ryu, uma, narigin, narikei, narikyo and tokin.
- The backs of the promoted silver, knight and lance are cursive forms of “gold”; the pawn’s “to” is a cursive 金 or 今.
- Gold and promoted silver look alike — compare them side by side at first, and keep captured pieces face-up.
- Promoting a piece that cannot promote is a foul.
- In furigoma, more “fu” means the tosser plays first; more “to” means second.
Sources (checked 12 October 2026): Japan Shogi Association — Basic knowledge: piece movement, promotion, fouls, starting a game and rules FAQ (Japanese).