How the rook moves
Updated
A rook moves in a straight line, forward, backward or sideways, as many squares as it likes, until another piece is in the way. It also takes part in castling, the one move where the king and a rook move together.
How the rook moves
Tap the rook on d4. It can slide along the rank or the file and capture the pawn on d7, but its own pawn on g4 blocks the way to the right.
A rook moves along ranks (rows) and files (columns): forward, backward, left or right, as many squares as it likes, until it reaches the edge or another piece. It never moves diagonally and it can't jump. On an empty board a rook always reaches 14 squares, wherever it stands.
How the rook captures
A rook captures the first enemy piece in its line by moving onto that square. Anything behind that piece is safe until the line opens.
Special rules and ideas for the rook
Castling
The rook is the king's partner in castling: the king moves two squares toward a rook, and the rook hops over to the square on the king's other side. It is the only time a rook jumps. If a rook has already moved, you can no longer castle on that side.
Open files and the 7th rank
Rooks start hidden in the corners and usually join the game last. They are strongest on an open file (a column with no pawns on it), where they can see all the way down the board, and on the opponent's second rank (your 7th), where enemy pawns are still waiting on their starting squares.
Common beginner mistakes
- Moving a rook before castling. Moving a rook, even one square and back, takes away castling on that side for the rest of the game.
- Bringing rooks out too early. Pushing the a-pawn to swing a rook out sounds fun, but a rook in the open early is easily chased by knights and bishops.
- Forgetting the back rank. If your king is castled behind three unmoved pawns, an enemy rook on your back rank can deliver checkmate. See how in the back-rank mate lesson.
The bot named after it
The Iron Rook lives up to the name: cold, patient, and happy to trade pieces and head for an endgame, where rooks often decide the game. “Every pawn matters. I will prove it.” If you want to learn to use your rooks in the endgame, this is a demanding teacher.
What the rook is worth
A rook is usually counted as worth about 5 pawns. These numbers are a rough guide for judging trades, not a rule: a piece's real value depends on the position.
The usual scale: pawn 1 · knight 3 · bishop 3 · rook 5 · queen 9. When it misleads:chess piece values.
Questions people ask
- Can a rook move diagonally?
- No. A rook moves only along ranks (rows) and files (columns). Diagonals belong to the bishop and the queen.
- Can a rook jump over pieces?
- Only when castling, when it hops over the king. In every other move a piece in its line stops it.
- Is the rook the same as the castle?
- Yes. Many people call it a castle because of its shape, but its proper name is the rook.
Keep learning
- Castling in chessKing two squares toward a rook, rook hops over. Not out of, through or into check.
- How the queen movesAny distance in any straight line or diagonal: the strongest piece.
- How chess pieces moveAll six pieces on one page, with a board to try them on.
- What is a skewer in chess?Attack a valuable piece along a line, then take the piece behind it.