Chess – Rooks and their use in the game
Are you one of those people who have just recently glimpsed the magic of chess? Are you willing to enter and become entranced by the black and white jungle? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you have come to the right place in order to be captivated
because we are going to introduce you to the magic-makers of chess.
To make it a more enriching experience for you, we will introduce you to the magicians one at a time. In this way you will remember them and their use in the game easily.
Alexei Suetin, the international chess master, said “Like mortars in old war films, they are often ready to destroy the opponent's unsupported defences,” about the chess piece we are going to talk about, the Rook.
Each player has a pair of rooks with her at the start of the game. The rooks are positioned on the first rank, which is the row nearest to a player. Each rook is placed at the corners of the rank, acting as guards to the rest of the pieces. The rook which
is present on the queen’s side is called the queen’s rook. Similarly, that which is present on the king’s side is called the king’s rook.
The rook is an important piece in chess. Beginners typically want to hang on to it as long as possible because it is of greater value than most of the other pieces. The rook is valued higher than the knight and queen.
The reason behind this higher valuation lies in the capabilities a rook possesses. This chess piece can move in straight lines and covers all four directions: north, east, south and west. The rook makes a capture the same way it moves. A factor that adds
to the importance of the rook is its range. It can reach all squares on a chess board as long as another piece is not in its way. If the piece blocking the rook’s path is friendly, then it will be stuck. In case it is an enemy piece, then the rook has the
option to make a capture.
This was a general introduction to the rook and now we come to some specifics. There is a defensive maneuver involving the king which only a rook can perform. This move is called castling. By making this move, a player protects his or her king by shielding
it in a corner. The king is protected by a line of pawns in the first rank, whereas on the exposed side of the corner, the rook stands guard and blocks any attempt at a check.
Castling is usually done in the opening game so that the players do not have to worry about an exposed king when they are making attacking strategies. Castling can be done both at the king’s side as well as the queen’s side. If it is done at the king’s side,
the castled king is better tucked in as compared to a queen’s side castled king because in the latter, a square in the castle is left vacant.
There are several other positions where the rook is the most useful chess piece. For instance, if a player has an advanced pawn, then it needs some protection as the pawn has ventured far into enemy grounds. The ideal piece that can defend an advanced or
even a passed pawn is a rook. This is so because it can stay back on the first rank and provide its defensive services by on the same file on which the pawn is present.
These were some of the basic charms that the rook casts over a chess player. If you want to feel the magic for real, then you should go ahead and play some chess.
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