A rook in chess – how does a piece move?

A rook in chess is one of the most powerful pieces. Best of all, the potential of the rook can be realized if there are no obstacles in its way in the form of other figures. The efficiency of the rook will be the higher, the more available cells for movement will be at its disposal. Each player at the beginning of the game has two rooks.

The main mistake often made by inexperienced chess players is the underestimation of the rook’s potential.

After castling the rook with the king, it is best to hold these pieces where they have enough space for movement.

If we talk about the value of the rook, then it equals five pawns. Thus, this figure is stronger than an elephant or horse, but it will be weaker than these two figures combined. Two rooks are considered stronger than the queen. Rook is a strong enough, but not maneuverable figure.

A rook is a long-range figure that carries out an attack along the horizontal and vertical axes. By the number of cells covered on a blank board, she surpasses even the queen. Regardless of the location on the field (at the edge of the board or in the center), the rook spans 14 squares. The figure has the ability to fight on different flanks, but requires a good open space for greater maneuverability.

It will be quite useful for novice chess players to increase the experience of playing with this piece and not to forget to introduce it in a chess game in a timely manner, since this can significantly increase the overall skill level.

How does a rook go in chess?
The boat can move along the horizontal and vertical axes.

A figure can move around any distance. The rook is drawn in the same way. It is forbidden to jump over the rook pieces. The rules for moving a rook are similar to those used for an elephant, but the difference is that the elephant moves diagonally and the rook along the horizontal and vertical axes.

If other pieces meet on the path of the rook, she cannot move further, since her path is blocked. So, the illustration below shows that the rook can only move to these cells.

If an enemy piece stands in the way of the rook’s movement, the rook can capture it and occupy this cell. In the illustration below, a white rook captures a black elephant and occupies its cage.

For successful maneuvers, the rook needs open space on the board. There she will be able to demonstrate all her power. Even if the enemy’s position seems more advantageous, the nuances can decide the outcome of the battle. So, even a pair of horses in open space will not be easy enough to overcome the rook. The figure can easily substitute the enemy for a double blow.

But if you leave the rook in a confined space, walled up by other pieces, there is a big risk that the piece will not be able to realize its potential. The outcome of the battle, therefore, is a foregone conclusion.

The following example demonstrates how dangerous a rook on open lines is.

After the only open line is occupied by the rook, a pair of black pawns will certainly be lost.

Rook Mat
A rook checkmate is the most common occurrence in a chess game. The linear mat is simple and is used even by beginners.

The simplest case of a mat rook is the following situation.

Of course, more complex combinations of linear mats are possible.

Castling
The king, as the most important figure in a chess game, requires constant protection. At the beginning of the game, it is located in the central part of the field, so it is important to hide it from enemy attacks. To do this, in chess, it is possible to make castling.

Castling is a chess move, when the king changes his position through one field to the left or right, and the rook closes it, occupying the adjacent field.

Castling can be performed by both white and black pieces. Depending on the rook with which the move is made, castling can be long or short.

Here’s what the situation should look like on a board before a short castling.
And here is the result.

And so a long castling is performed in this way.

This is how the result looks on a chessboard.

Castling is only possible subject to the following rules:

The rook and king in the current game have not yet made a single move. If one rook has already made a move, then castling is possible only with the second piece that did not go.
Not a single field between the king and the rook should be occupied by figures, either his own or the enemy.
The king at the time of castling should not be under the check.
The king at the time of castling should not pass through the field, which is under attack by an enemy figure (broken field).
The king after castling should not be under the check of the enemy figure.
If at the time of castling the rook is under attack or passes through a beaten field, then this does not interfere with castling.

Below is an example where on the board you can only perform brief castling with white.