Rook (chess) Rook (chess) A rook (; ♖,♜) is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Formerly the piece (from Persian رخ "rokh"/"rukh") was called the "tower", "marquess", "rector", and "comes" . The term "castle" is considered informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned. Each player starts the game with two rooks, one on each of the corner squares on their own side of the board. The white rooks start on squares a1 and h1, while the black rooks start on a8 and h8. The rook moves horizontally or vertically, through any number of unoccupied squares (see diagram). As with captures by other
Erika Belle (chess player) Erika Belle (chess player) Erika Belle (born 20 January 1956) is a Dutch chess player who hold the FIDE title of Woman International Master (1982). She was a three-time winner of the Dutch Women's Chess Championship (1975, 1980, 1981). From mid-1970s to mid-1980s, Erika Belle was one of the leading Dutch women's chess players. She three time won Dutch Women's Chess Championships: 1975, 1980, 1981. Participant of many international chess tournaments. In 1979, she shared with Gertrude Baumstark 2nd place in Women's International Chess tournament in Nałęczów (tournament won Tünde Csonkics). In 1981, she ranked 2nd behind Nieves García Vicente