Frontal checks
Frontal checks are rook checks given from in front of the enemy king, facing the direction in which it is moving, as opposed to checks given from behind.
Also called: checks from behind and in front
In rook endings, a rook can check the enemy king from different directions. A check from behind comes along a file from far back on the board, behind the king and its pawn. A frontal check comes from the rook standing in front of the king, on the same file, facing the direction the king is heading.
The difference is practical. A rook that checks from in front is close to the enemy pieces and can be hit by the king or covered by a pawn. After a frontal check the king often steps toward the rook or behind a shelter, gaining time. A check from behind keeps the rook far away, and the king cannot approach it, so the checks can continue for many moves.
For this reason the defending side usually checks from behind in endings such as the Philidor position, where the rook goes to the back rank and checks as soon as the pawn reaches the sixth rank. Frontal checks are not always bad, because they can force the king away from a good square or win a tempo, but they only work when the rook stands far enough away that the king cannot simply walk up to it.
A typical mistake is to start giving checks with no plan. Each check should either drive the king away from a useful square or win time to improve the rook. Before you check, ask yourself where the king will go and whether your rook will then be in danger.
Also worth reading is Checking distance. Checking distance is the space a defending rook keeps from the enemy king, usually a long way off, so it can give a series of checks from the side or behind without being attacked.
Also worth reading is Short side. The short side is the side of a pawn's file that has fewer files between it and the edge of the board, the opposite of the long side where more room is available.
If "Frontal checks" has cost you half a point, a first lesson is a good place to find the pattern behind it: George Li goes through your games and builds a plan.
Related terms
Checking distance is the space a defending rook keeps from the enemy king, usually a long way off, so it can give a series of checks from the side or behind without being attacked.
The Philidor position is the textbook draw for the side with the lone rook: the king blocks the pawn, the rook guards its own third rank, and once the pawn steps onto that rank the rook drops back to check from behind.
The Lucena position is the key winning setup in rook and pawn against rook: the pawn stands on the seventh rank, its king sits on the promotion square, the enemy king is cut off, and building a bridge with the rook wins.
A rook endgame is an ending in which each side has a rook and some pawns and no other pieces, and it is the most common type of endgame, so its main ideas are worth learning early.
An active rook controls open lines, attacks enemy pawns or the king from behind or the side, and cannot easily be attacked, which makes it far stronger than a rook that merely sits and defends.
Guides that go further
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
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A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
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A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.