Useful Rooks

In the last year I started to improve my game simply by activating my rooks. I must say thanks to gp34 for that, he looked over some games and pointed out my stagnant rooks. So I make an effort now to get them active, but I have some questions now. Is there a guilding principal as to which rook to send to an open 1/2open file? Should I keep my castled rook in place longer than the other, when I do that I noticed they are easier for bishops to snag.

Your Rooks are there to exchange for your opponent's Knights and Bishops, didn't you get the memo?

what I do, when I have to decide wich rook to play to wich file, is I remove them (mentally from the board) and place them on their ideal spots on the rank. After a while it becomes instinctive.

I don't think there is any specific rule about castled rooks, generally you move the rook that is less active or less well placed, it all depends on the position

Originally posted by heinzkat
Your Rooks are there to exchange for your opponent's Knights and Bishops, didn't you get the memo?

no they are not, they are there to move to the 7th rank

Actually, they are there to help you checkmate the opponent's king and to prevent the opponent from checkmating your king.

Originally posted by Jasen777
Actually, they are there to help you checkmate the opponent's king and to prevent the opponent from checkmating your king.

yes, and so are all other pieces

Several authors of chess books have noted that one of the earmarks of an improving player is they have their rooks activated before the opponent does. One standard answer to the question. "where do the rooks go?" is "Open files or files soon to be open or if nothing else, the middle files (c-d-e-f) since those are often the first files to be open because in many openings those pawns come into contact quickly and may be exchanged.

Those three answers have one thing in common: open files. Why? Because rooks are at their best in attacking mode and that requires open lines. Also open files provide a way for rooks to get to the 7th rank to attack pawns, box in the enemy King, and in general raise hell in the enemy camp. 🙂

Chariots are best used to eliminate elephants 😉

Originally posted by heinzkat
Your Rooks are there to exchange for your opponent's Knights and Bishops, didn't you get the memo?

I thought they were ashtrays for my cigarettes.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I thought they were ashtrays for my cigarettes.

I'd rec it 😛😛

Originally posted by cheshirecatstevens
Is there a guilding principal as to which rook to send to an open 1/2open file? Should I keep my castled rook in place longer than the other, when I do that I noticed they are easier for bishops to snag.

OK get yourself ready, here comes your answer:

"Whenever you have to make a rook move and both rooks are available for said move- you should evaluate which rook to move and, once you have made up your mind, move the other one". Vasily Panov.

now how to make your mind up in the first place, that you have to find out for yourself. This is all I can offer.

This position occurred in one of my games from like 2 years ago.


Black has just played 19...Rad8. You're a pawn up and you need to play a rook to the d file. One rook move puts white in serious advantage. Which one is it? 20. Rfd1 or 20.Rad1 ?

I played the wrong move and eventually lost.

Originally posted by philidor position
OK get yourself ready, here comes your answer:

"Whenever you have to make a rook move and both rooks are available for said move- you should evaluate which rook to move and, once you have made up your mind, move the other one". Vasily Panov.

now how to make your mind up in the first place, that you have to find out for yourself ntage. Which one is it? 20. Rfd1 or 20.Rad1 ?

I played the wrong move and eventually lost.

Rad1 i think is the move, the f2 pawn just seems a little vulnerable, blacks f rook bearing down on it through the half open file. Is that correct?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Rad1 i think is the move, the f2 pawn just seems a little vulnerable, blacks f rook bearing down on it through the half open file. Is that correct?

exactly. the game went on 21.Rfd1 Rd5 and this is where I realized I couldn't exchange the weak pawn with 22.dxc5 because of 22... Bxc5 and now there's just no way to save the f pawn.

I went on to play 21.Ba3 and lost the game due to horrible endgame play.

Originally posted by philidor position
exactly. the game went on 21.Rfd1 Rd5 and this is where I realized I couldn't exchange the weak pawn with 22.dxc5 because of 22... Bxc5 and now there's just no way to save the f pawn.

I went on to play 21.Ba3 and lost the game due to horrible endgame play.

ok, a very insightful game, i love positional ideas such as these, any-more from your own games?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
ok, a very insightful game, i love positional ideas such as these, any-more from your own games?

um, not on this theme I think, at least I don't remember any.