What is castling the King and how does it work?

Question: What is castling the King and how does it work?

Answer:

Castling is the only situation where two pieces move at the same time. The King moves two squares toward the Rook, and the Rook hops over the King. With this one move, you get your King into safety, develop one Rook, and connect the Rooks to each other.

There are several rules which regulate when castling is possible.

• It must be the first move of both the King and the Rook;
• There are no pieces between the King and the Rook; and
• The King can't be in check, move through check, or end up in check.

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