diff --git a/src/engine/ghosts.test.ts b/src/engine/ghosts.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13ed118
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/ghosts.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { DuplicateGame } from './game';
+import { playSymmetric } from './test-helpers';
+import { ghosts } from './ghosts';
+
+describe('ghosts', () => {
+  it('reports no ghosts at the start', () => {
+    expect(ghosts(new DuplicateGame())).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('forms a ghost when a piece is captured on one board but not its twin', () => {
+    const g = new DuplicateGame();
+    // Symmetric opening so all four boards stay identical...
+    playSymmetric(g, [
+      [{ from: 'e2', to: 'e4' }, { from: 'e7', to: 'e5' }],
+      [{ from: 'g1', to: 'f3' }, { from: 'b8', to: 'c6' }],
+    ]);
+    // ...then North & South each play Nxe5 (capturing the e5 pawn),
+    // and East captures that knight only on its boards (NE, SE).
+    g.applyMove({ from: 'f3', to: 'e5' }); // N: Nf3xe5 on NW, NE
+    g.applyMove({ from: 'f3', to: 'e5' }); // S: Nf3xe5 on SW, SE
+    g.applyMove({ from: 'c6', to: 'e5' }); // E: Nc6xe5 on NE, SE — captures the white knight
+    // North's knight on e5 survives on NW but was captured on NE -> NW/e5 is a ghost.
+    // South's knight on e5 survives on SW but was captured on SE -> SW/e5 is a ghost.
+    const result = ghosts(g).sort((x, y) => (x.board < y.board ? -1 : 1));
+    expect(result).toEqual([
+      { board: 'NW', square: 'e5' },
+      { board: 'SW', square: 'e5' },
+    ]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/engine/ghosts.ts b/src/engine/ghosts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8515d02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/ghosts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import type { DuplicateGame } from './game';
+import type { GhostMarker, BoardId, Color, Square } from './types';
+import { PLAYERS, PLAYER_BOARDS, PLAYER_COLOR } from './boards';
+
+/** Squares occupied by a piece of `color` on `board`. */
+function colorSquares(game: DuplicateGame, board: BoardId, color: Color): Set<Square> {
+  const set = new Set<Square>();
+  for (const row of game.boards[board].board()) {
+    for (const cell of row) {
+      if (cell && cell.color === color) set.add(cell.square);
+    }
+  }
+  return set;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ghosts across all four players. A player's non-ghost pieces always occupy
+ * identical squares on both their boards (they move in lockstep), so a piece is
+ * a ghost iff the player's other board has no same-colour piece on that square.
+ */
+export function ghosts(game: DuplicateGame): GhostMarker[] {
+  const markers: GhostMarker[] = [];
+  for (const player of PLAYERS) {
+    const [a, b] = PLAYER_BOARDS[player];
+    const color = PLAYER_COLOR[player];
+    const sqA = colorSquares(game, a, color);
+    const sqB = colorSquares(game, b, color);
+    for (const sq of sqA) if (!sqB.has(sq)) markers.push({ board: a, square: sq });
+    for (const sq of sqB) if (!sqA.has(sq)) markers.push({ board: b, square: sq });
+  }
+  return markers;
+}