diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ae1c70561b..48dc3058ac 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 npm-debug.log
 
+/.idea
+
 /build
 
 /appconfig.*.json
diff --git a/src/chessground/Chessground.ts b/src/chessground/Chessground.ts
index c9e9f4ef4f..008e9eef59 100644
--- a/src/chessground/Chessground.ts
+++ b/src/chessground/Chessground.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ export default class Chessground {
     if (!isViewOnly) {
       board.addEventListener('touchstart', (e: TouchEvent) => drag.start(this, e))
       board.addEventListener('touchmove', (e: TouchEvent) => drag.move(this, e))
-      board.addEventListener('touchend', (e: TouchEvent) => drag.end(this, e))
+      board.addEventListener('touchend', (e: TouchEvent) => {
+        const { clientX, clientY } = e.changedTouches[0]
+        drag.placePieceInHand(this, [clientX, clientY], bounds)
+        drag.end(this, e)
+      })
       board.addEventListener('touchcancel', () => drag.cancel(this))
     }
 
diff --git a/src/chessground/board.ts b/src/chessground/board.ts
index 45673627a3..644680506e 100644
--- a/src/chessground/board.ts
+++ b/src/chessground/board.ts
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ export function apiMove(state: State, orig: Key, dest: Key): boolean {
   return baseMove(state, orig, dest)
 }
 
-export function apiNewPiece(state: State, piece: Piece, key: Key): boolean {
-  return baseNewPiece(state, piece, key)
+export function apiNewPiece(state: State, piece: Piece, key: Key, force = false): boolean {
+  return baseNewPiece(state, piece, key, force)
 }
 
 export function userMove(state: State, orig: Key, dest: Key): boolean {
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ export function unselect(state: State): void {
   state.premovable.dests = null
 }
 
+export function setPieceInHand(state: State, piece: Piece | null, force = false): void {
+  state.pieceInHand = piece ? { ...piece, force } : null
+}
+
 export function isMovable(state: State, orig: Key): boolean {
   const piece = state.pieces.get(orig)
   return !!piece && (
diff --git a/src/chessground/drag.ts b/src/chessground/drag.ts
index b401d3d6be..7942c9cd21 100644
--- a/src/chessground/drag.ts
+++ b/src/chessground/drag.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import Chessground from './Chessground'
 import * as board from './board'
 import * as util from './util'
 import { anim } from './anim'
+import {apiNewPiece} from './board'
 
 export interface DragCurrent {
   orig: Key // orig key of dragging piece
@@ -207,6 +208,22 @@ export function cancel(ctrl: Chessground) {
   }
 }
 
+export function placePieceInHand(ctrl: Chessground, position: NumberPair, bounds: ClientRect) {
+  const state = ctrl.state
+
+  if (state.pieceInHand) {
+    const [x, y] = position
+    const key = getKeyAtDomPos(state, [x, y], bounds)
+
+    if (key) {
+      apiNewPiece(state, state.pieceInHand, key, state.pieceInHand.force)
+    }
+    state.pieceInHand = null
+
+    ctrl.redraw()
+  }
+}
+
 function getKeyAtDomPos(state: State, pos: NumberPair, bounds: ClientRect): Key | null {
   if (typeof bounds !== 'object') {
     throw new Error('function getKeyAtDomPos require bounds object arg')
diff --git a/src/chessground/state.ts b/src/chessground/state.ts
index d0e789a8ba..e562ccf3d5 100644
--- a/src/chessground/state.ts
+++ b/src/chessground/state.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { DragCurrent } from './drag'
 
 export interface State {
   pieces: cg.Pieces
+  pieceInHand: Piece & { force: boolean } | null
   orientation: Color // board orientation. white | black
   turnColor: Color // turn to play. white | black
   check: Key | null // square currently in check "a2"
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ export interface State {
 export function makeDefaults(): State {
   return {
     pieces: new Map(),
+    pieceInHand: null,
     orientation: 'white' as Color,
     turnColor: 'white' as Color,
     check: null,
diff --git a/src/ui/editor/EditorCtrl.ts b/src/ui/editor/EditorCtrl.ts
index c4cf1dd680..ad234a783b 100644
--- a/src/ui/editor/EditorCtrl.ts
+++ b/src/ui/editor/EditorCtrl.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import continuePopup, { Controller as ContinuePopupCtrl } from '../shared/contin
 import i18n from '../../i18n'
 import drag from './drag'
 import { EditorState, BoardPosition, BoardPositionCategory, CastlingToggle, CastlingToggles, CASTLING_TOGGLES } from './interfaces'
+import {setPieceInHand} from '../../chessground/board'
 
 export default class EditorCtrl {
   public menu: MenuInterface
@@ -121,8 +122,29 @@ export default class EditorCtrl {
     redraw()
   }
 
-  public onstart = (e: TouchEvent): void => drag(this, e)
+
+  private pickUp = (e: TouchEvent) => {
+    if (e.touches && e.touches.length > 1) return // support one finger touch only
+    const role = (e.target as HTMLElement).getAttribute('data-role'),
+    color = (e.target as HTMLElement).getAttribute('data-color')
+    if (!role || !color) return
+    e.stopPropagation()
+    e.preventDefault()
+
+    const piece = {
+      role: (role as Role),
+      color: (color as Color)
+    }
+
+    setPieceInHand(this.chessground.state, piece, true)
+  }
+
+  public onstart = (e: TouchEvent): void => {
+    this.pickUp(e)
+    drag(this, e)
+  }
   public onmove = (e: TouchEvent): void => cgDrag.move(this.chessground, e)
+
   public onend = (e: TouchEvent): void => cgDrag.end(this.chessground, e)
 
   public editorOnCreate = (vn: Mithril.VnodeDOM): void => {