Pretty much the same-fourteen! Even
Dejan Bojkov:
experienced players are surprised to see the
result. All our life we are thought how
What Rooks Want
important the centralization is and here
comes the rook that spoils the whole system.
Lazy, clumsy, slow-this is the first
In order to understand best the rooks, we
impression that one gets about the rooks
need to know what their fears are.
when looking at the board, and following
First and foremost, rooks suffer from
closely the development of a game. Indeed,
Claustrophobia:
these straightforward pieces spend a lot of
time watching the others efforts in the
Shavtvaladze N. : Jankovic A.
center and wait patiently while some files
Kalamaria 2008
are open to show what they can.
XIIIIIIIIY
Rooks are unusual, this is for sure. Make a
9-+-+-+-+0
small experiment and you will understand
why. First place your rook in the middle of 9+-+-+-+-0
the open board. Choose any center square.
9-+-+-mkpzp0
How many squares does it hit?
9+p+-zp-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-trPzp-zP0
9-+-+-+k+0
9+-tR-+P+-0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-zP-+K+P+0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9+-+R+-+-0
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9-+-+-+-+0
Grandmaster Jankovic was pushing hard for
9+-+-+-+-0
win in this game and his overambitious
9-+-+-+-+0
approach could have ended badly. in time
trouble the game continued:
9+-+-+-mK-0
38...Rb4?!
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Not yet a decisive mistake but a step in the
The total is fourteen. Now choose a corner
wrong direction.
square for the same piece, but keep the board
39.b3
open. What would be the result?
Forced, but now the a4 and c4 squares are
XIIIIIIIIY
taken from the black rook.
9R+-+-+-+0
39...g5
Black continues with the agression all over
9+-+-+-mk-0
the board. It was not late to retreat the rook
9-+-+-+-+0
on an active position - 39...Rd4=.
9+-+-+-+-0
40.hg5 hg5?
9-+-+-+-+0
The last move in the time-trouble is an
authomatical recapture which could have led
9+-+-+-+-0
to a disaster. Black could have still saved the
9-+-+-+-+0
game with 40...Kg5!, when the line 41.Rd3
9+-+-+-mK-0
Kf6 42.Kd2 Rd4! is not losing for Black, as
xiiiiiiiiy
after 43.Rd4 ed4 44.Kd3 Ke5 45.b4 Black
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 1
has reserve pawn move - 45...h5=, thus from the play we may have significant
avoiding the zugzwang. advantage. This winning strategy is
41.Rd3! demonstrated by the following game:
XIIIIIIIIY
Pfleger M. : Tiemann C.
9-+-+-+-+0
Germany 2008
9+-+-+-+-0
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-mk-+0
9-+-+-+k+0
9+p+-zp-zp-0
9+-+-+p+p0
9-tr-+Pzp-+0
9-+-tR-+p+0
9+P+R+P+-0
9zpr+p+-+-0
9-+-+K+P+0
9-+p+-zPP+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9zP-+-+-+P0
xiiiiiiiiy
9-zPP+-+-+0
Rb4 walked straight into the trap! It is now
9+-mK-+-+-0
limited by both its own Pawn b5 and the
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white pawns on b3 and e4 and the white
Rd3. The only way out is through the d4 If in the prevous example the rook went on a
square, but this is not enough. White will passive position volunateerily, in this case it
spoil the pawn structure of the opponent and was forced:
will win the separated pawn on d file thanks 28.a4! Rb4
to the zugzwang. Or else 28...Rc5 29.c3, followed by
41...g4 Kc1 d2 e3 d4 when all the black pawns
The last try which suddenly works. fall.
42.Kf2?? 29.c3 Rxa4 30.Kb1!
Played a tempo. Right after Shavtvaladze The rook is now locked forever on a4.
played the move did he realize what he had 30...h6 31.Rd5
done.
XIIIIIIIIY
The win was trivial instead: 42.Kd2 the king
9-+-+-+k+0
goes for the trapped rook. 42...gf3 43.gf3
9+-+-+p+-0
Rd4 44.Rd4 ed4 45.Kd3 Ke5 46.b4+ . In
9-+-+-+pzp0
this line it is all the rook to blame for the
loss.
9zp-+R+-+-0
42...Kg5!
9r+p+-zPP+0
Now everything is back to normal. The rook
9+-zP-+-+P0
got unexpected support by the black king.
9-zP-+-+-+0
43.Ke2 Kh4 44.Kf2
Alas, 44.Kd2?? is no longer winning. In fact,
9+K+-+-+-0
it might lose the game after 44...Kg3 45.Kc3
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Rd4 46.Rd4 ed4 47.Kd4 Kg2 +.
Let's stop for a moment to analyze the
44...Kg5 45.Ke2 Kh4 46.Kf2
situation. There are two pictures on the
Draw.
board. Picture one are the completely frozen
This example leads us to the conclusion that
pieces on the queens-flank: the black Ra4,
if we manage to exclude the opponents rook
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 2
and Pawns a5 and c4 as well as the white Tarrasch (Theoretical Position), 1906
Kb1 and Pawns b2, c3. They are not going
XIIIIIIIIY
anywhere and we can easily neglect them
9-+-+K+-+0
and concentrate on the other side of teh
board, where the white R + 3 Pawns is
9+-+-zP-mk-0
fighting the black K and 3 Pawns. The battle
is uneven though and King has no chance. 9-+-+-+-+0
31...Kf8
9+-+-+-+-0
Another possible line is 31...Kg7 32.h4. The
pawns should help the rook find targets:
9-+-+-+-+0
32...Kf6 33.Rd6 Ke7 34.Rb6 Kf8 35.h5!
9+-+-+-+-0
(discovers the h6) 35...gh5 36.gh5 Kg7 37.f5
f6 38.Rb7 Kg8 39.Rc7 and it is zugzwang.
9r+-+-+-+0
Black will have to give up one of the f6 or
9+-+-+R+-0
h6 pawns.
32.h4
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Not the only winning plan, but a very
White threatens to kick away the black king
convincing one.
and to promote his passer. Only a very active
32...Ke7 33.h5 Kf6 34.Rd6
rook can save the day:
34.g5 Kg7 35.hg6 fg6 36.Rd7 would also
1...Ra8
win.
The black rook starts to torture the enemy
34...Kg7 35.Rc6
king until it gets away from the pawn.
White is no hurry as he knows his opponent
2.Kd7 Ra7 3.Ke6 Ra6 4.Ke5 Ra5
has nowhere to go. The immediate 35.f5
Quite an enjoyable thing!
would soon lead to zugzwang as well.
5.Kd4 Ra4 6.Kc5 Ra5 7.Kb6
35...Kh7 36.hg6 fg6 37.Rc7 Kg8 38.f5
Finally the king is showing teeth ...
The R got support and the end is close.
7...Re5
38...gf5 39.gf5 h5 40.f6 h4 41.Rg7
but only to realize that it was outwitted by
A possible end would be 41...Kf8 (41...Kh8
the rook. Draw.
42.Rg4 h3 43.f7) 42.Rh7 h3 43.Rh3 Kf7
44.Rf3 and Black will have sooner or later to
Black succeeded as the rook had enough
give up the Rook on a4 & 1:0.
room to operate. Here is a useful conclusion:
 The rooks like to attack the opponent s king
In the previous example the white rook was
(pieces) from far away.
supported by an even number of pawns in
Let us slightly change the previous position
his battle against the black king. Let us now
to understand how important that conclusion
check what happens if the rook has to handle
is.
the situation all by itself.
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 3
Grigoriev (Theoretical Position) well for the defender. Alas, this tempo is
The Rook is One Vertical Shorter crucial:
5.Ra1!
XIIIIIIIIY
The rook is chased away from the active
9-+-+K+-+0
position and White is in control.
5...Re8 6.Kd7 Kf7 7.Rf1 1:0.
9+-+-zP-mk-0
9-+-+-+-+0 Only one file difference changed completely
the evaluation of the position.
9+-+-+-+-0
From the trainers perspective the
knowledge that we have received so far can
9-+-+-+-+0
be used in explaining typical endgame
9+-+-+-+-0
methods and ideas. Thus, the dry, concrete
knowledge can be supported by abstract
9-tr-+-+-+0
evaluations.
9+-+-+R+-0
Cheron, 1944
xiiiiiiiiy
XIIIIIIIIY
The only difference in comparison to the
previous example is that the black rook is
9-+k+-+-+0
one vertical closer to the white king.
9+-+-+-+-0
1...Rb8
Black lacks any other defensive resource and
9-+-+-+-tR0
sticks to the usual plan.
9+KzP-+-+-0
2.Kd7 Rb7 3.Kd8 Rb8 4.Kc7
The checks ended sooner than expected but
9-+-+-+-+0
Black is still optimistic.
4...Ra8 9+-+-+-+-0
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9-+-+-+-+0
9r+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-tr-0
9+-mK-zP-mk-0
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9-+-+-+-+0 1.Kc6
1.Kb6 Rc1! 2.Kc6 (& 2.Rh8 Kd7 3.c6 Rc6)
9+-+-+-+-0
2...Kb8! Lasker found this idea long time
before the analyzes of Cheron.
9-+-+-+-+0
1...Kb8!
9+-+-+-+-0
The main defensive method in this position.
We can use the knowledge that we have
9-+-+-+-+0
received so far to explain it better to our
9+-+-+R+-0
students. The Pawn c5 separates the board
into two half which are uneven. The longer
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one should be kept for the more active piece,
One more move and everything will end
the piece that likes to give checks from far
away. For the Rook it is all the same which
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 4
side will choose, but we need to make our Bojkov, 2008
pieces work as a team. Thus the king goes on Open File
the short side.
XIIIIIIIIY
Bad is: 1...Kd8? 2.Rh8 Ke7 3.Kc7, followed
9-+-+-trk+0
by c5 c6 and White wins thanks to the
brigde method.
9zp-zp-+pzpp0
2.Rh8 Ka7 3.Rd8
The rook tries to shield the king from the 9-+-zp-+-+0
distant checks.
9+-+-zp-+-0
In case of 3.Kd7 Rg5! 4.c6 Rg7 and Black
starts the annoying checks from the long
9-+-+P+-+0
side!
9+-+P+-+-0
3...Rc1!
9P+P+-zPPzP0
XIIIIIIIIY
9+-+-+RmK-0
9-+-tR-+-+0
xiiiiiiiiy
9mk-+-+-+-0
1.Rb1
9-+K+-+-+0
In the diagrammed position, the side that is
9+-zP-+-+-0
about to move will certainly occupy the open
b-file. In its initial position the rook controls
9-+-+-+-+0
only five squares, while on the b-file the
number of squares within its reached
9+-+-+-+-0
increases to 12. From here it can penetrate
9-+-+-+-+0
the opponent s camp. The seventh rank is an
especially juicy target, as there are several
9+-tr-+-+-0
enemy pawns on this rank. A further typical
xiiiiiiiiy
benefit of putting a rook on the seventh rank
Now the pawn cannot be easily advanced. is that this tends to restrict the enemy king.
4.Kd6 Here is a summary of some useful general
4.Rd7 Kb8=; 4.Rd5 Kb8!=. The familiar pointers for play with open files:
method is demonstrated in case of 4.Rc8 1. Get control over the open file.
Rh1 5.Kd7 Rh7, where the rook is once 2. Double rooks.
again grateful for teh long side. 3. The best place for a rook is on the 7th (2nd)
4...Kb7 5.Rd7 Kb8 rank.
Also good is 5...Kc8 6.Rc7 Kb8 7.Rh7 Rc2 4. Penetrate the enemy position and destroy
8.c6 Rd2=. it.
6.c6 Rd1 7.Ke7 Rc1 Draw.
White cannot reinforce his position. The utility of the seventh rank is
(Analyzes by Nikolay Minev are used.) demonstrated in a beautiful way by A.
Nimtzowitsch in the book  My System :
Then what is the really big thing that the
rooks like?
It is the open file.
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 5
Nimtzowitsch, My System The only open file allows White a chance to
win the game:
XIIIIIIIIY
1.Rc2 Qd4 2.Rc4!
9r+-+-+-mk0
This spoils teh coordination of the black
9snpzpp+RtR-0
pieces.
9-+-+-+-+0
2...Qb6
2...Qd2 3.Rc8 Rd8 4.Qd2 nets the queen for
9+-+-zp-+-0
White.
9-+-+-+-+0
3.Rc8 Rd8 4.Qb5
9+-+-+-+-0
With multiple threats, that Black cannot stop
9p+-+-+-mK0
1:0.
9+-+-+-+-0
Do not forget that even when attacking on
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the files the rooks do not mind (and
1.Rh7 Kg8 2.Rfg7
sometimes even prefer) to work from far
White loads the winning mechanism.
away.
2...Kf8 3.Rd7
And starts the harvest!
Neikirkh O. : Botvinnik M.
3...Kg8 4.Rdg7 Kf8 5.Rc7 Kg8 6.Rcg7 Kf8
Leipzig (ol) 1960
7.Rb7
XIIIIIIIIY
Three black pawns disappeared in no time,
but there is still a lot of prey on the seventh
9-+-+qtrk+0
rank.
9zpl+-+-zpp0
7...Kg8 8.Rbg7 Kf8 9.Ra7
White wins the Pawn a2 and the game -
9-+-wQpzp-+0
9.Ra7 a1Q 10.Rh8# 1:0.
However, it is not only the seventh rank that
9tRp+-+-+-0
might be handy for a rook. The back-rank
9-+-+-zP-+0
checkmate is yet another reward for the
active rook:
9+P+-+-+-0
9-zPP+-+PzP0
Lellek  Coenen, 1962
XIIIIIIIIY
9+-vL-+-+K0
9-+-+-+k+0
xiiiiiiiiy
9+-+-+pzpp0
24...Qd8!
9-+-+p+-+0
The queens are also partially rooks and have
9zp-+rzP-+-0 the natural desires of their cousins.
24...Qg6 is less accurate as White can
9-zp-zP-+-+0
prolong the battle with 25.Qd2 (But not the
9+-wq-+PzP-0
greedy 25.Qe6, when White is spectacularly
9P+-tRQ+KzP0
mated after 25...Kh8 26.Qe2 Re8 27.Qf2
9+-+-+-+-0 Qg2 (27...Re1 would also do) 28.Qg2 Re1#).
25.Qe6
xiiiiiiiiy
Or 25.Qd2 Qd2 26.Bd2 Rd8 27.Be3 Rd1 +.
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 6
25...Rf7 26.Qe1 Re7
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-wq-+k+0
9zpl+-tr-zpp0
9-+-+-zp-+0
9tRp+-+-+-0
9-+-+-zP-+0
9+P+-+-+-0
9-zPP+-+PzP0
9+-vL-wQ-+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
The final positions deserve a diagram. All
the black heavy pieces work from far away,
but nevertheless White is helpless.
26...Re7 27.Qd2 Rd7 0:1.
This is almost everything you need to know
about your second best pieces. They are very
modest and everything they want from you
are some open files and enough working
place.
Threat them well, and they will be as
grateful as the ones that we have seen in the
examples above.
FIDE Surveys  Dejan Bojkov 7