<p>Castling is always an option - it is never forced upon a player. It is however a very commonly taken option as it:</p>

<ul>
<li>places the king in an easily defended position</li>
<li>moves the rook towards the centre of the board where it is easily developed</li>
<li>and does all that in one move, improving the player's tempo</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-30T16:29:42.390Z
2016-03-30T19:46:01.127Z
2016-03-30T19:46:01.127Z
Philip Kendall
<p>Having played chess on occasion I know the basic rules and moves to the game. However, it seems like a possibly wasted move when there are players who play a dominant game of chess and don't castle their king. Is castling a necessary move or is it more of a preference choice by the player? <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Y1o09.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Y1o09.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<chess>
What is the purpose of castling in chess?
trippt02
# What is the purpose of castling in chess?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-30)

Having played chess on occasion I know the basic rules and moves to the game. However, it seems like a possibly wasted move when there are players who play a dominant game of chess and don't castle their king. Is castling a necessary move or is it more of a preference choice by the player? [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Y1o09.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Y1o09.jpg)

**Tags:** chess


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-03-30. Score: 7

Castling is always an option - it is never forced upon a player. It is however a very commonly taken option as it:

* places the king in an easily defended position
* moves the rook towards the centre of the board where it is easily developed
* and does all that in one move, improving the player's tempo


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