Learn Chess: The Rook

The Board	The Pieces	The King	The Queen	The Rook	The Bishop
The Knight	The Pawn	Check	Checkmate	Draws	Notation

The Rook

Typical Staunton wood Rook piece used in a game of Chess (Fig. 1). The Rook is considered a major piece and each player start the game with two units.

Staunton wood white Chess Rook piece

Staunton wood white Chess Rook piece

Fig. 1

The following graphic shows white and black Chess Rook figures (Fig. 2). These pieces are widely used in diagrams to illustrate games, positions, and Chess problems.

Chess Rook figures

Chess Rook figures

Fig. 2

This diagram (Fig. 3) shows the position of both Rooks have at the beginning of the game.

Rooks initial position

Fig. 3

The Rook can move up, down, left, and right as many squares it wishes provided they are not occupied by an enemy or friendly piece (Fig. 4 & 5). On a clear board, the Rook commands up to 14 squares.

White Rook’s movement

White Rook's movement

Fig. 4

Black Rook’s movement

Black Rook's movement

Fig. 5

The moving proprieties of the Rook can emulate those of the Queen but not the Bishops as shown in the graphic below with red marks (Fig. 6 & 7).

White Rook cannot move as a Bishop

White Rook cannot move as a Bishop

Fig. 6

Black Rook cannot move as a Bishop

Black Rook cannot move as a Bishop

Fig. 7

When a Rook is blocked by a friendly piece as shown in Fig. 8 & 9, it cannot move to the square occupied by the Knight nor the squares that lie beyond marked with two red “X’s”.

White Rook cannot move to marked squares

Fig. 8

Black Rook cannot move to marked squares

Black Rook cannot move to marked squares

Fig. 9

Rook can capture the opponent’s Knight by removing it from the board and placing itself on the square but cannot move beyond the Knight (Fig. 10 & 11)

White Rook can capture the black Knight

White Rook can capture the black Knight

Fig. 10

Black Rook can capture the white Knight

Black Rook can capture the white Knight

Fig. 11

The following Applet lets you try an interactive feeling to practice the Rook’s moves and capture. Just place the cursor over the white Rook piece, press the left button of your mouse, and drag the Rook to the cell you wish and release it. The computer (black pieces) will move next. This position should end in a draw after all Pawns are captured.

White to move

More about the Rook

The Rook moves an arbitrary number of squares in a horizontal or vertical, direction, but may not move over occupied squares unless it makes a capture.

Rook takes (captures) in the same way as it moves.

Rooks seldom have much scope for action in the early part of the game.

On the same file or rank, they are known as doubled Rooks as they support one another.

When the board is thinned out, no time should be lost in bringing them into the fight. They work best on open files.

Rooks and Kings are the only two pieces that make a double move in the Castling maneuver.

The relative numeric value of the Rook is 5 points.

The Board	The Pieces	The King	The Queen	The Rook	The Bishop
The Knight	The Pawn	Check	Checkmate	Draws	Notation

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