Why is it called a rook?

Rook comes from the Persian term Rukh meaning chariot as this was the piece in predecessor games of chess in India. These Indian chariets had large walled structures on them, more like a fortification. As it spread into Europe, the Italian term rocca (meaning fortress) may have caused the shape to change.

Why is the rook not called a castle?

Formerly, the rook (from Persian رخ rokh/rukh, meaning "chariot") was alternatively called the tower, marquess, rector, and comes (count or earl). The term "castle" is considered to be informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned.

Is it called a rook or castle?

Though commonly represented in chess sets as a tower or castle, in earlier forms of the game the rook was symbolized by a chariot. (The modern name comes from rukh, the Persian word for chariot.) In terms of relative value, a rook is considered a major piece.

Why is bishop called bishop in chess?

The piece's deep groove symbolizes a bishop's (or abbot's) mitre. Some have written that the groove originated from the original form of the piece, an elephant with the groove representing the elephant's tusks. The English apparently chose to call the piece a bishop because the projections at the top resembled a mitre.

What is called a rook in chess?

In chess, a rook is one of the chess pieces which stand in the corners of the board at the beginning of a game. Rooks can move forwards, backwards, or sideways, but not diagonally.

A Rook calling

Is a crow a rook?

Rooks differ from crows by a pale, straighter bill with a bare grey bill base. They display 'feathery trousers' on their legs and have an oily, loose plumage compared to crows. However, young rooks have fully feathered faces so can be mistaken for crows.

Can a queen checkmate a rook?

With perfect play, in the worst winning position, the queen can win the rook or checkmate within 31 moves.

What is called elephant in chess?

The alfil, alpil, or elephant is a fairy chess piece that can jump two squares diagonally. It first appeared in shatranj. It is used in many historical and regional chess variants. It was used in standard chess before being replaced by the bishop in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Why is there a notch in a bishop?

The bishop is known for its rounded top with a slit in the middle. The piece originally represented the tusk of an elephant. As the game of chess spread further around the world it came to countries where no one had seen an elephant, which made it look odd to the people there.

Why is the knight a horse in chess?

Chess Variants. com says, "When Chess reached Europe, the concept behind Chess became a royal court rather than a battlefield, and the horse was rechristened as a Knight, which had a place in a royal court, and which normally rode upon a horse."

Why is a pawn called a pawn?

The term pawn is derived from the Old French word paon, which comes from the Medieval Latin term for "foot soldier" and is cognate with peon. In most other languages, the word for pawn is similarly derived from paon, its Latin ancestor or some other word for foot soldier.

What is a horse called in chess?

A knight is a piece in the game of chess that is traditionally shaped like a horse. Each player begins the chess game with two knights. When setting up your chess set, place the knights on the row closest to each player, between the bishop and the rook.

Can a rook jump over a king?

It cannot jump over other pieces. The rook captures on the same path it moves, by occupying the square on which an enemy piece stands. The rook can land on any square on the board, therefore it is one of the more powerful pieces on the board. The rook is also involved in a special move.

Can you castle if the rook has been taken?

You cannot castle if the king has already moved, or if the rook in question has moved. 2. Nor can you castle while in check. However, you can castle with a rook that is under attack at the time, and the rook can pass through an attacked square when castling while the king cannot.

Can you castle after losing a rook?

Castling is permitted only if neither the king nor the rook has previously moved; the squares between the king and the rook are vacant; and the king does not leave, cross over, or finish on a square attacked by an enemy piece.

What is the symbolism of rook?

The rook has through the centuries been considered a bird of both good and bad omen. It was believed that rooks would only build their rookeries near houses where the inhabitants were of a kind and generous disposition.

Why do bishops wear cross in pocket?

In many Christian denominations, the pectoral cross symbolizes that the person wearing it is a member of the clergy, or that the wearer is a member of the higher or senior clergy.

Why do bishops carry a stick?

The rite of ordination of a bishop says: “Take this staff as a sign of your pastoral office: keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you to shepherd the Church of God.” The crozier also symbolizes spiritual fatherhood: God has entrusted the souls of the diocesan faithful to the care of ...

Why do bishops move diagonally?

Seek out open diagonals: A bishop's potential is maximized by placing it on an open, long diagonal—that is, a position in which the bishop's potential path is not obstructed by friendly pawns or an opponent's pieces.

What is a donkey in chess?

There are three unorthodox pieces in this game : * The Donkey (D): moves and captures like the standard chess Knight. However, if the Knight move was passive (not a capture,) it may, but doesn't have to, make another non-capturing step in the same direction. it's (cNmN2) in funny notation.

What is an octopus in chess?

A strongly positioned knight in enemy territory is often referred to as an octopus. When centrally placed, the knight can reach out to eight squares like an octopus with eight tentacles that can fight in as many directions.

What is Joker in chess?

Joker chess is played on a 10x8 board with an extra new piece - the joker. Both players start with 2 jokers on the b and i files. This ensures that the knights are nearer the center, as a common problem found within 10x8 variants is that the knights are too far away from the center unless they're on the c and h files.

What is the rarest type of checkmate?

Two knights forced checkmate might be the rarest checkmate. Two knights alone is not enough to checkmate, as the opposing king must be put in stalemate for at least one move.

What is a knight checkmate called?

In chess, a smothered mate is a checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because it is completely surrounded (or smothered) by its own pieces.

What is the 50-move rule in chess?

The 50-move draw rule, which today states that a draw can be claimed if no capture is made and no pawn is moved for 50 consecutive moves, took centuries to reach its modern definition.