Learn › Unit 1: The board and pieces

The rook

The rook 飛車 moves any number of squares in a straight line — up, down, left or right — until it reaches the edge, one of your own pieces, or an enemy piece it can capture. It cannot jump.

On an empty board the rook on e5 reaches sixteen squares.ihgfedcba987654321
On an empty board the rook on e5 reaches sixteen squares.

Blocked and capturing

Your own pieces stop the rook before their square. An enemy piece stops it too — but the rook may capture it by moving onto its square.

Your pawn on e7 blocks the file; Gote's silver on c5 can be captured.ihgfedcba987654321
Your pawn on e7 blocks the file; Gote's silver on c5 can be captured.

The rook is the strongest unpromoted piece. When it promotes it becomes the dragon, which you'll meet in the promotion unit.

Try it

Try it: Capture the enemy piece with your rook.

Sente: king g1, rook e5, pawn e7. Gote: silver c5, king a9.ihgfedcba987654321

Finish the exercise above to complete this lesson.