THE ROOOK!!

Rook Endings

You have maybe heard that the most common type of endings are Rook endings. That statement is true.

There is a huge reason for this that stands out of many theories- Rooks don't get active in the Middlegame usually, therefore they are not traded before the endgame.

This doesn't mean that in all games, Rooks just can't get off the first/eighth rank for 20-30 moves, it just means usually, people neglect their Rooks in the Middlegame.

As a chess player, my coaches usually told me what they told you. Develop minor pieces. However, was there any mentioning for Rooks?

A rook is a powerful piece. You can control open files and ranks with it, and it is super valuable for the endgame. Noticing that, usually people are hesitant to give their rook a lift.

This is usually why they stay cooped up until the endgame.

An example of a random game I played as making this blog:

In this example game, the Rooks were not released until move 25-30, when they began to dominate the position. Since my Rooks were released a little earlier, I won my lost pawn back, plus an extra pawn, however the game was a draw.

Mention your games in the comments so I can add them as examples!

Famous Example

Ian vs Magnus- Rook vs Queen endgame

https://lichess.org/analysis#136
(Click the link to view the game)

In this GM game, Magnus Carlsen was left to defend his king with only a rook while his opponent, renowned GM and World Blitz champion Ian Nepominiatchi bombarded him with checks into a corner. The 17th world champion managed to defend his king using the rook and claimed a draw due to the 50 move rule.**
Magnus is so good at endgames, he could defend a completely lost position. This is where Rook knowledge comes in.

This blogwill be edited with more info soon.