From: "STOUTEN, PIETER [R&D/0467]" <pieter.stouten <at> PHARMACIA <dot> COM>
Date: 23 sep 2002
Subject: Re: Another request for rules clarification

[Forwarded on behalf of Jeroen Tiggelman <jtiggelm <at> wanadoo <dot> nl>]

> suppose I drop a pawn on the last rank of the board... [..] Well,
> when I place the pawn on that last rank, doesn't that count as a move
> "ending in the enemy camp"?? So, can the pawn promote there and then,
> or does it actually have to make a move in order to be promoted? ...
> [..] Without promotion, they would have no legal moves on any
> subsequent turn.

A piece is always dropped in its unpromoted state. A piece is only
promoted at the end of a move [on the board] that begins or ends in the
enemy camp. As you indicate, a pawn drop on the last rank would leave
no valid move. Therefore, such a drop is illegal.