- R
- Symbol used for the rook when recording chess moves in English.
- Raking bishops
- Another term for Harrwitz bishops.
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White ranks indicated at left (a-file). Black ranks indicated at right (h-file)a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h - Rank
- A row of the chessboard. In algebraic notation, ranks are numbered 1–8 starting from White's side of the board. However, players customarily refer to ranks (but not files) from their own perspectives. For example: White's king and other pieces start on his first (or "back") rank, whereas Black calls the same rank his eighth rank; White's seventh rank is Black's second; and so on. If neither the White or Black perspective is given, White's view is assumed. The older descriptive notation formalized this relative reference to ranks.
- Rapid chess
- A form of chess with reduced time limit, usually 30 minutes per player.
- Refute
- Demonstrate that a strategy, move, or opening is not as good as previously thought (often, that it leads to a loss), or that previously published analysis is unsound. A refutation is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "bust". A refutation in the context of chess problems or endgame studies is often called a "cook".
- Related squares
- See corresponding squares.
- Relative pin
- A pin, where it is legal to move the pinned piece. See absolute pin.
- Reserve tempo
- A move a player has available, though superfluous to the game position, may have great effect by virtue of passing the move turn to one's opponent. See Reserve tempo.
- Resign
- To concede loss of the game. A resignation is usually indicated by stopping the clocks, and sometimes by offering a handshake or saying "I resign". The traditional way to resign is by tipping over one's king, but this is rarely done nowadays. In published games, a player's resignation is often indicated by "1–0" (Black resigns) or "0–1" (White resigns); these may also indicate that the game was decided for some other reason, usually one side exceeding the time control. In master and serious amateur play, it is much more common for a game to be resigned than for it to end with checkmate, because players can foresee checkmate well in advance. (See rules of chess#Resigning.) "A good player knows the right moment to resign." – Proverb
- Romantic chess
- Romantic chess was the style of chess prevalent in the 19th century. It is characterized by bold attacks and sacrifices.
- Rook
- see rook
- Rook lift
- A maneuver that places a rook in front of its own pawns, often on the third or fourth rank. This can allow the rook to treat a half-open file as if it were an open file, or a closed file as if it were half-open.
- Rook pawn
- A pawn on the rook's file, i.e. the a-file or h-file.
- Round-robin tournament
- This is a tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times. In a double round-robin tournament the participants play each other exactly twice, once with white and once with black. An example of the former is the Hastings 1895 chess tournament, an example of the latter is the Piatigorsky Cup. This type of tournament is commonly used if the number of participants is relatively small. See also Swiss system tournament.
- Royal fork
- A fork between king and queen.
- Royal pieces
- Refers to the kings and queens. In variants and fairy chess, this sometimes refers only to the king.
- Royal powers
- Refers to unique attributes of the king: being subject to check, checkmate, and stalemate. Can also mean the king's ability to castle.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Chess