Tags: rook chess move, rook strategy, rook piece, rook play, rook game

The Rook Chess Move

“The Rook moves horizontally along ranks,“

“and vertically along files.“

“The Rook play cannot move OVER another piece (of either color).

“When blocked by an Opponent’s piece, the Rook game strategy may capture it by moving to the square it occupies.“

“Like the Queen, the Rook is a strong piece because of its ability to attack several squares simultaneously.”

ROOK STRATEGY GAME
Quoted in wikipedia

In general, rooks are stronger than bishops or knights and are consequently considered about two pawns greater in value. Winning a rook for a bishop or knight is referred to as winning the exchange. Two rooks are generally considered to be worth slightly more than a queen (see Chess piece point value). Rooks and queens are called heavy pieces or major pieces, as opposed to bishops and knights, which are called minor pieces.

In the opening, the rooks are undefended by other pieces, so it is usually desirable to connect one’s rooks on the first rank by castling and clearing all pieces except the king and rooks from the first rank. In that position, the rooks protect each other, and can easily move to threaten the most favorable files.

A common goal with a rook is to place it on the first rank of an open file, i.e. one unobstructed by pawns of either player, or a half-open file, i.e. one unobstructed by friendly pawns. From this position, the rook is relatively unexposed to risk but can control every square on the file. If one file is particularly important, a player may advance one rook on it, and move the other behind, doubling the rooks.

A rook on the seventh rank (the opponent’s second rank) is usually very powerful, as it threatens the opponent’s unadvanced pawns and hems in the enemy king. A rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a pawn (Fine & Benko 2003:586). In this position between Lev Polugaevsky and Larry Evans, the rook on the seventh rank enables White to draw, despite being a pawn down (Griffiths 1992:102-3).

Two rooks on the seventh rank are often enough to force victory, or at least a draw by perpetual check. These rooks are sometimes colloquially referred to as “pigs on the seventh”, because they often threaten to “eat” the opponent’s pieces or pawns.

Rooks are most powerful towards the end of a game, where they can move unobstructed by pawns and control large numbers of squares. They are somewhat clumsy at restraining enemy pawns from advancing towards promotion, unless they can occupy the file behind the advancing pawn. By the same token, a rook best supports a friendly pawn towards promotion from behind it in the same file.

A rook is a very powerful piece to deliver a checkmate. Below follows a few examples of rook checkmates that are easy to force.