Rooks should usually be kept back in the opening and early midgame, so they don't become "fodder" for minor pieces like knights and bishops. After some of those pieces are exchanged, then rooks come into their own.Rooks should usually be kept back in the opening and early middlegame, so they don't become "fodder" for minor pieces like knights and bishops. After some of those pieces are exchanged, then rooks come into their own.
When the time comes, the rooks should be placed on open files (vertical lines where the pawns have been exchanged). These are usually the d and e files, sometimes the c or f files, occasionally the "side" files.
A single rook is a menace to unguarded opposing pieces on the file. "Doubled" rooks (one behind the other) are a menace to opposing pieces on the file unless they are well guarded. The exception is if the opponent can "close" the file using a minor piece guarded by a pawn (exchanging a rook for such a piece and a pawn is seldom a good idea). That's why you want at least some of the minor pieces off the board before you start deploying your rooks.
