Rook (chess)

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Rook in the standard Staunton pattern.
Rook in the standard Staunton pattern.

A rook ( , borrowed from Persian رخ rokh, Sanskrit roth, "chariot") is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Each player starts with two rooks, one in each of the corners nearest their own side.

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[edit] Initial placement and movement

In algebraic notation, the white rooks start on a1 and h1, while the black rooks start on a8 and h8. The rook moves horizontally or vertically, forward or back, through any number of unoccupied squares, as shown in the diagram. Like other pieces, it captures by occupying the square on which an enemy piece stands. The rook also participates, along with the king, in a special move called castling.

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 rd b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 rd Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 rl b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Starting location of the rooks
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 __ b8 __ c8 __ d8 xw e8 __ f8 __ g8 xo h8 __ Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 __ b7 __ c7 __ d7 xw e7 pl f7 xo g7 rd h7 xo
a6 __ b6 __ c6 __ d6 xw e6 __ f6 __ g6 xo h6 __
a5 __ b5 __ c5 __ d5 xw e5 __ f5 __ g5 pd h5 __
a4 xw b4 xw c4 xw d4 rl e4 xw f4 xw g4 xw h4 xw
a3 __ b3 __ c3 __ d3 xw e3 __ f3 __ g3 __ h3 __
a2 __ b2 __ c2 __ d2 xw e2 __ f2 __ g2 __ h2 __
a1 __ b1 __ c1 __ d1 xw e1 __ f1 __ g1 __ h1 __
Image:chess zhor 26.png
The white rook may move to any square with a white dot. The black rook may move to any square marked with a black dot or capture the white pawn.
Chess pieces
Image:Chess kdt45.svg King Image:Chess klt45.svg
Image:Chess qdt45.svg Queen Image:Chess qlt45.svg
Image:Chess rdt45.svg Rook Image:Chess rlt45.svg
Image:Chess bdt45.svg Bishop Image:Chess blt45.svg
Image:Chess ndt45.svg Knight Image:Chess nlt45.svg
Image:Chess pdt45.svg Pawn Image:Chess plt45.svg

[edit] History

Originally, the rook symbolized a chariot. The Persian word rokh means chariot, and the corresponding pieces in Oriental chess games such as xiangqi and shogi have names meaning chariot. Persian War Chariots were heavily armoured, carrying a driver and at least one ranged-weapon bearer, such as an archer. The sides of the chariot were built to resemble fortified stone work, giving the impression of small, mobile buildings, causing terror on the battlefield. However, in the West, the rook is almost universally represented as a crenellated turret. One possible explanation is that when the game was imported to Italy, the Persian rokh became the Italian word rocca, meaning fortress. Another possible explanation is that rooks represent siege towers. Rooks are usually made to look like small castles, and as a result, a rook is sometimes called a "castle", usually by non-players and those new to the game. This usage was common in the past ("The Rook, or Castle, is next in power to the Queen" —Howard Staunton, 1847) but today it is rarely, if ever, used in the literature or among players, except in reference to castling. (Here, "castle" is a verb referring to a move, not a noun referring to a piece.)

[edit] Strategy

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 unite 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. 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. When you are going to search for the rook so at that time you think it is an elephant but it not at elephant it is rook

[edit] Symbology

In heraldry, chess rooks are often used as charges. Unlike a real chess rook, they are conventionally shown with two outward-curving horns. This is because they would otherwise appear to be castle towers, since there is no proportion on a coat of arms. This charge is always blazoned "chess rook" so as not to be confused with the bird of that name; it is also not to be confused with the zule, a similar-looking object with two outward-curving horns at both top and bottom.

In Canadian heraldry, the chess rook is the brisure of the fifth daughter.

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[edit] Notes

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