The word Rook comes from the Persian word rokh, “chariot”. It is also known as castle, tower, marquess, rector, and comes. Each player starts with two rooks, each in the corner squares nearest his own side.
The rook moves horizontally or vertically, with no restriction on distance. The rook also participates, with the king, in a special move called castling, which is further described on The King page.
Rooks are most powerful in the end game due to their range of motion. They have difficulty restricting movement for many pieces but not for single move pieces like the king. Rooks are very useful for supporting the forward movement of their pawns. It is generally recommended the if you only have one rook left to not exchange it for one of your opponent’s rooks.
The rook is a very powerful piece to deliver checkmate.