A Rook on the Seventh Rank is a Rook that has advanced to the second-to-last row of the opponent's territory (7th rank for White, 2nd rank for Black). From there, it can easily attack the opponent's pawns, dominate key squares, and restrict the movement of the opponent's pieces. In the diagram above, the d7-Rook sits on the 7th rank and exerts great pressure on both sides of Black's position.
Ideas for when you have a Rook on the Seventh Rank: (1) Attack weakly defended pawns, (2) Bring your other Rook to the 7th rank, (3) Cut off the enemy King from the rest of the board, (4) Look for mating combinations. Ideas against a Rook on the Seventh Rank: (1) Force the Rook off the 7th rank, (2) Defend your vulnerable pawns, (3) Ensure your King has adequate escape squares.
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When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Rooks on the Seventh Rank. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of advantage.
What is the dream of all Rooks? In this chess.com VERY instructive lesson by GM Bojkov, their 7th Rank domination dream comes true. Ideal for intermediate players.
This is one of the most famous works by Jeremy Silman. Easy to read, entertaining, full of examples that detail the most important positional principles in chess, including the importance of the 7th rank. You'll love it.
This book by John Nunn walks you through the moves of 30 games, step-by-step. And it includes several examples with rooks dominating the 7th rank. Ideal for club players looking for a clear and thorough explanation of game strategies.
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