The Rook

Game Of The Week

• Name: Rook
• Alias: Chariot (The Persian word rukh means chariot), Tower, Marquess, Rector, Comes, Castle, Longship
• Number: 2
• Starting Square: 1st rank, A and H files
• Motto: “We charge AHead!”
• Move: Any squares, straight
• Capture: Any squares, straight
• Speed: Fast
• Special Ability: None
• Material Value: 5
• Mobility Preference: Open Files
• Spiritual Value: Patience
• Song: Dirty Work, Steely Dan
• Verse: Joel 2:7-8 (NIV)

They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower?  Will he not first send out the other pieces and lay a foundation with the most patient piece?

The King has a special role for the Rooks.  They start in the corner and wait for the King.  While the other pieces may rush off to battle, the Rooks will wait patiently.

Like the castle in its corner

In a medieval game

I foresee terrible trouble

And I stay here just the same

Dirty Work by Steely Dan

Since he will not move until the King is safe, he will stand his ground until his King is ready to build the castle.  He can capture any enemy piece that gets in his path with lightning speed.  He charges ahead as many squares as he wants.  However, he is first concerned to protect his King.

The Rook will take on any mission.  He will defend the King, he will lay down his life, and he will capture his King's enemies.  But most importantly he is the first to surround the enemy King.  More than any other piece he knows there is a time to build a defense and a time to tear down the opponent.  How will you use the rook?

You will have to play to find out!

Here is a position from my game with an up-and-coming, scholastic player, Atharva Vispute, where Rook play was a key to the victory.  See if you can find the best move:

Black to move

The idea that “Rooks belong on open files” is a simple plan, but it was one that I understood.  So, playing Rb7 not only saved the exchange (trading the Rook, a major piece, for a minor piece (Bishop or Knight)), but also it allowed me to control the open b file.  However, it was not the best move.

One doesn't have to play well; it's enough to play better than your opponent.

Siegbert Tarrasch

I do not regret not finding the best move in that position.  I believe that simple plans you understand are better than perfect plans that you have to struggle to comprehend.  They save you time and mental energy that might be needed later in the game.

Chess is a balance between the board and the clock.

Vispute,Atharva - Anderson,Paul [B15]

Decembes 90 Colorado Springs (4r Swis.1), Dec 23, 2014

1.e4 c6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 d5 5.e5 Nh6 6.Be2 Nd7 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Na4 Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Qb4 10.Rb1 Nf8

The Rooks are typically the last piece to develop due to the rules of castling.  In fact, one can define the end of the Opening (when development of the pieces is done) as the move that first connects the Rooks.

Here Atharva moves his Queen-side Rook and can only castle King-side.  This allowed me to plan where to put my King and where to attack.

11.a3 Qa5 12.Ra1 Nf5 13.Bf2 h5 14.b4 Qc7 15.Nf3 Nh6 16.Ng5 Ne6 17.Nxe6 Bxe6 18.Qd2 b6 19.Na2 0–0 20.0–0 a5 21.bxa5 Rxa5

A Rook Lift is a move that gets your Rook off the back rank.

Here the Rook capture allows me to quickly double my Rooks on a half-open file and gain a Pawn shortly after.

22.Nc3 Rfa8 23.a4 b5 24.Rfb1 bxa4 25.Ra3 Ng4 26.Be1 c5 27.h3 cxd4 28.Qxd4 Nh6 29.Rba1 Nf5 30.Qf2 Bd7 31.Bf3 e6 32.g4 hxg4 33.hxg4 Ne7 34.Ne2 R5a6 35.Rc3 Qa7 36.Qxa7 R8xa7 37.Bf2 Rb7 38.Bc5 Nc6 39.Bd6 Bf8 40.Bxf8 Kxf8 41.Rca3 Rba7

Simple plans are not to be confused with quick moves.  Moving the Rook back to a7 was just a waste of time.  The idea that “Rooks belong behind Passed Pawns” is a good one.  However, this Pawn is already blockaded and the Bishop can protect it best until it can progress.

42.c3 Na5 43.Nd4 Nc4 44.R3a2 Rb6 45.Be2 Rab7 46.Bxc4 dxc4 47.Kf2 Rb1 48.Rxb1 Rxb1 49.g5 Rc1

After getting the Rooks back to the open file, I decide that I will have to trade off one to invade and break the blockade of the Passed Pawn.  However, it is good to be especially careful about trading off that last Rook because the Rook is the minimal amount of material needed to force mate.  If you cannot guarantee a Pawn Promotion, you may have just traded away the win.

50.Ne2 Rh1 51.Ke3 Rd1 52.Ra3 Ke8 53.Ra2 Kd8 54.Nd4 Rd3+ 55.Ke2 Rxc3 56.Rc2 Rxc2+

The Rook has done his job.  He was able to pick up another Pawn, giving me a clear winning advantage (2 Pawns are winning), and reduced the enemy’s attack potential to nothing.  Since I saw the King invasion point, I am comfortable saying goodbye to the Patient Warrior!

57.Nxc2 Kc7 58.Kd2 Kb6 59.Kc3 Kc5 60.Na3 Bb5 61.Nc2 Kd5 62.Na3 Ba6 63.Nb1 Ke4 64.Nd2+ Kxf4 65.Nxc4 Bxc4 66.Kxc4 Kxe5 67.Kb4 Kd4 68.Kxa4 e5 69.Kb3 Kd3 70.Kb2 Kd2 71.Kb1 e4 72.Kb2 e3 73.Kb1 e2 74.Kb2 e1Q 75.Kb3 Qe4 76.Kb2 Qb4+ 77.Ka2 Kc2 78.Ka1 Qa4# 0–1

The Rook

[Event "December Swiss 90"]
[Site "https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/"]
[Date "2014.12.23"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Vispute, Atharva"]
[Black "Anderson, Paul"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B15"]
[WhiteElo "1647"]
[BlackElo "2086"]
[PlyCount "156"]
[EventDate "2014.12.02"]
[TimeControl "5400"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. f4 d5 5. e5 Nh6 6. Be2 Nd7 7. Be3 Qb6 8. Na4 Qa5+ 9. Nc3 Qb4 10. Rb1 Nf8 11. a3 Qa5 12. Ra1 Nf5 13. Bf2 h5 14. b4 Qc7 15. Nf3 Nh6 16. Ng5 Ne6 17. Nxe6 Bxe6 18. Qd2 b6 19. Na2 O-O 20. O-O a5 21. bxa5 Rxa5 22. Nc3 Rfa8 23. a4 b5 24. Rfb1 bxa4 25. Ra3 Ng4 26. Be1 c5 27. h3 cxd4 28. Qxd4 Nh6 29. Rba1 Nf5 30. Qf2 Bd7 31. Bf3 e6 32. g4 hxg4 33. hxg4 Ne7 34. Ne2 R5a6 35. Rc3 Qa7 36. Qxa7 R8xa7 37. Bf2 Rb7 38. Bc5 Nc6 39. Bd6 Bf8 40. Bxf8 Kxf8 41. Rca3 Rba7 42. c3 Na5 43. Nd4 Nc4 44. R3a2 Rb6 45. Be2 Rab7 46. Bxc4 dxc4 47. Kf2 Rb1 48. Rxb1 Rxb1 49. g5 Rc1 50. Ne2 Rh1 51. Ke3 Rd1 52. Ra3 Ke8 53. Ra2 Kd8 54. Nd4 Rd3+ 55. Ke2 Rxc3 56. Rc2 Rxc2+ 57. Nxc2 Kc7 58. Kd2 Kb6 59. Kc3 Kc5 60. Na3 Bb5 61. Nc2 Kd5 62. Na3 Ba6 63. Nb1 Ke4 64. Nd2+ Kxf4 65. Nxc4 Bxc4 66. Kxc4 Kxe5 67. Kb4 Kd4 68. Kxa4 e5 69. Kb3 Kd3 70. Kb2 Kd2 71. Kb1 e4 72. Kb2 e3 73. Kb1 e2 74. Kb2 e1=Q 75. Kb3 Qe4 76. Kb2 Qb4+ 77. Ka2 Kc2 78. Ka1 Qa4# 0-1

https://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game-replayer.php?id=99982

This Week In Chess

On February 17th, the Colorado Springs Chess Club hosted the February Flash (4SS, G/24 d/5, $10 entry).  10 players joined.  It is a Quick-rated event and runs for 2 weeks.  So, there is still time to join and get a half point bye.

Here are the standings after 2 rounds:

Score Player

2.0 Rhett Langseth
1.5 Gunnar James Andersen
1.5 Paul Douglas Anderson
1.5 Duwayne Langseth
1.0 Jeff Fox
1.0 Mark McGough
1.0 Brian John Rountree
0.5 Benjamin Maye
0.0 David Silva
0.0 Dean W Brown