How to Free the Rook in Chess

Rooks resemble the turrets of a castle.

The rook is the second most powerful offensive piece in the game of chess. It can move any number of spaces along any straight row or column (but not diagonally) as long as no pieces stand in its way. Learning how to free to rook from the back row quickly and efficiently helps you become a significantly better chess player. Although there many different ways to do this, only one strategy will allow you to free the rook in as few as three moves.

Instructions

1. Move the pawn directly in front of the rook you wish to free up two spaces. Each pawn can only move two spaces the first time it is moved. If you have already moved the pawn in front of the rook you would like to free, move it up one more space.

2. Move the rook up two spaces so it is sitting directly behind the pawn you just moved. If you have already moved some pieces to the third row, you may need to move them again before you can free your rook, especially if a piece is inhabiting the space directly next to the moved rook.

3. Slide the rook to the right of the left, depending on which rook you have freed, placing it in the column where you think it will be most useful. This rook is now free to move about the board. You will, however, still have to contend with your own pieces, so be careful not to box in your rook again.

4. Repeat this process for the other rook if you would like to free both. Do not ignore your opponent while you do this, though. Remember to protect your king at all costs.

Tips & Warnings

• Although rooks are very powerful pieces, it is not always best to be in a huge hurry to free them. Rows and columns will naturally thin out during the course of most games of chess, leaving the rook free to wreak havoc without using a few precious turns to get it out in the open.

• Castling, an advanced move that allows you to switch the positions of a rook and the king, can also help to free a rook later in some chess games.

References

• Expert-Chess-Strategies: How the Chess Rook moves
• Chess: Learn How to Play Chess -- The Rules

Resources

• Avler Chess: Special Moves -- Castling and En Passant