Switching Off the Rook

A rook without a file is the saddest piece on the board. The technique is to deny the open line — or to meet the rook's entry with a firm blockade — until the rook is reduced to a spectator. The games show the file being taken away and the profit extracted elsewhere.

♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
♞ Play from here
Start
Savon, Vladimir A — Alburt, Lev O Kiev · 1978.??.?? · 1-0
♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
♞ Play from here
Start
Radulov, Ivan — Westerinen, Heikki MJ Helsinki zt · 1972.??.?? · 1-0
♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
♞ Play from here
Start
Gaprindashvili, Nona — Ioseliani, Nana Candidates (Women) sf1 · 1980.??.?? · 1-0
♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
♞ Play from here
Start
Zaichik, Gennadi — Vasiukov, Evgeni URS-ch FL50 · 1982.??.?? · 1-0