How to Checkmate with the Rook & the Rook in Chess

Checkmating with the rook and the rook in chess is by far the easiest checkmate aside from having a queen and a rook (or a queen and a queen if your pawn reached the other side of the chessboard.)   For those who are just learning chess, this is the ideal situation to be in for checkmating your opponent’s king.  

How to Checkmate with a Rook & a Rook

  Once the chess match is down to your 2 rook’s and your opponent’s King, it’s just a matter of maneuvering your rooks to trap the king at one end of the chessboard.     The mistake some beginner’s make is either placing the rook right next to the king so the king can capture the rook, or allowing space for the king to escape.      Make sure to keep your rook’s a few spaces away from the king, like in the photo above, to make sure your opponent’s king cannot capture your rook. Also make sure both of your rook’s are aligned in the same column or only one square apart, so you can continuously move your rooks up and continuing to trap the king in one direction.    

The Rook moves down to b5 create a trap, forcing the king to move up the board

The King not has to continue moving up, as the rooks follow until the king is trapped at the top of the board.

    Fortunately, this checkmate allows a great room for error, so even if you make a few mistakes, it’s very easy to get back on track. The only time it is of concern is if you are playing a timed match, but must quickly checkmate your King. Otherwise, this is one of the greatest positions to be in for a checkmate.  

Other Articles:

Learn How to Play Chess

Learn Basic Chess Strategy 

How to Checkmate in 2 Moves (Fool’s Mate)

How to Checkmate in 3 Moves

How to Checkmate in 4 Moves (Scholar’s Mate)

How to Checkmate in 5 Moves

How to Castle in Chess