A very picturesque chess piece, the Rook depicts the period of Castles. He is almost as powerful as the Queen, but not as versatile. The Rooks are placed on the outside of the board next to the Knights. The Rook is in a perfect place to protect the whole row when the enemy Pawns land for a promotion move.

The Rook chess piece moves sideways, forwards and backwards, not diagonal. The Rook attacks in the same way it moves. It can go anywhere on the board except a diagonal line. It is also considered an important, major piece.

Winning the exchange is referring to exchanging a major playing chess piece for an equal amount of lesser playing chess pieces. A Knight and a Bishop can exchange for a Rook because of the value of the lesser and major chess pieces. The major chess pieces are the most valuable chess pieces like the Rook and the Queen.

The Castling move is what makes the Rook famous.  The King and the Rook switch places to put the King in a protected position. This move increases the ability of the King to protect him from attack.  In castling, the King moves two spaces away toward the Rook and the Rook is moved to the opposite side of where the King is first positioned. This chess move can only be done before the Rook and King are moved for the first time.

The Rook is easily maneuvered to checkmate the opposing King and create a wall with two Rooks and a Queen.  A Rook can also use the opposing Kings own pieces to cause or force a checkmate. Just one Rook can be used to cause a checkmate situation. Depending on the situation the Rook can be a very formidable weapon when the opposing King is boxed in.  

Perpetual check occurs when one color of chess pieces is causing a series of checkmates and it is impossible to get out. For instance, the Rook of one color is continually checkmating the King; it is called a perpetual check. Usually this rule comes into effect after the tenth check in a series. A checkmate is declared and the game ends.

In conclusion, the Rook piece is a strong piece for checkmating the King and for great strategy in the general game.  It is the best one to protect the King and the area around the King. When you learn to use this piece it will be a very effective weapon against your opponent.

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