ROOKS

Rook Development
Like bishops, rooks are long range pieces that can have an influence even
from the edge of the board. As with bishops, you should try to place your
rooks on open lines where their firepower can be directed at the enemy.
Rooks are more valuable than bishops and knights, so you should keep
them in reserve in the early part of the game. Moving rooks out into the
middle of the board too early can be a big mistake, as the enemy bishops
and knights can attack your rooks and chase them about. A rook that goes
on an adventure too early can easily become surrounded and trapped.

1... h6 Black attacks white's advanced rook to drive it back. Instead, white
decides to capture the black pawn on f5. 2. Rxf5? g6. Just as easy as that,
the white rook is trapped. Rooks that don't have a clear path back into their
own camp can often get in trouble this way.

1
United Rooks
Rooks are strongest when they protect each other - this is known uniting or
doubling rooks. You should try to unite your rooks along the back rank as
early as possible. If you look at the starting position, you'll notice that the
rooks are the only pieces on the board that are completely unprotected to
begin with. Uniting rooks reduces the possibility of an unprotected rook
being picked off by the enemy queen, and also helps to guard your back
rank. Another reason to unite your rooks is so that they can compete with
the enemy rooks for open files. Here is an example:

1... Rxe1+ 2. Rxe1White's united rooks allow him to replace the captured
rook on e1 with another rook, maintaining control of the open file.

2
When your rooks have secured an open file, a common way to exploit it is
to double your rooks on the file. This allows the front rook to move into the
enemy camp while being protected by its comrade from behind. The
firepower of the two rooks can also act as an effective battering ram
against the enemy position.

White has an open file to attack the enemy king, but needs some more
firepower.1. Rag1 The rooks are doubled and ready to batter their way into
the enemy fortress.
1... Rf7 2. Rxg7 Rxg7 3. Rxg7 Kxg7 4. Qg5+ Kf7 5. Qxd8 White has won
a pawn and the rooks have made a wreck of black's position. Black's loose
pawns and exposed king will make easy pickings.

3
Rooks on the seventh rank
One of the most powerful attacking posts for a rook is on the seventh rank
(the opponent's second rank). On the seventh rank, the rook attacks enemy
pawns still on their starting squares, but it can also have a powerful
restricting effect on the opponent's defences. If the enemy king is on his
back rank (where he is usually to be found), the rook can restrict his
movement in preparation for checkmate. The rook on the seventh can often
cut the defence in two, as in the example below:

1. Re2 The rook cuts the white queen off from defence of the kingside, and
threatens checkmate with Qg2. The only way for white to prevent this is to
give up queen for rook.

4
Doubled rooks on the seventh rank are even better, and are often decisive.
While the enemy pawn shield can often fend off attacks from the front - for
example, by advancing or defending from the side - it can be difficult to
defend against an attack from the side.

White has one rook on the seventh, but black has everything
covered.1. Ree7 Now, with two rooks on the seventh, black can't cover
everything - his rooks can only defend one pawn at a time from
behind.1... Kg6 2. Rxa7 Because of the danger of rooks on the seventh
rank, it is sometimes an idea in the endgame to station a rook on your
second rank to prevent an enemy rook establishing itself there.

5
The two rooks on the seventh rank are so strong, they can even save a
draw when you're losing, by giving perpetual checks to the enemy king.
Here is rather an exaggerated example to illustrate the point:

Black has a massive advantage in material, and if it was his turn to move,
could give checkmate in a number of ways. However, it is white to move,
and the two rooks on the seventh are enough to make a
draw:1. Rg7+ Kf8 2. Rgf7+ Kg8 3. Rg7+ Kh8 4. Rh7+ Kg8 5. Rhg7+
There is no escape from the checks, so a draw must be the result.