Page:The chess-player's text book.djvu/35

early, because she is liable to attack from inferior enemies, and, in retreating her, many moves are lost. Besides, her power is so much greater when she is sustained by other pieces, that to make an attack with her alone is highly injudicious.

Be cautious of playing her in front of your King ; and never employ her to protect or attack any point, if you can do the same as well with a subordinate.

The Rook has not much scope for action at the opening of the game, but towards the end he becomes an all important officer.

One of the strongest inducements to a good player for bringing out the other pieces early is that his Rooks may come into play.

When the game is tolerably developed, it is frequently desirable to get command of an open file by planting a Rook at one end of it : and when possession is thus obtained, if your adversary endeavour to dislodge you by playing one of his Rooks on the same file, you should defend the one Rook with your other, rather than exchange Rooks, or give up the position. This is technically termed Doubling the Rooks : and placed thus one before the other on the same file, where they can mutually sustain one another, they are as strong as a Queen.

The Bishop.—When each party begins by playing his K.'s Pawn to K.'s 4th sq., the King's Bishop is considered somewhat superior to the Queen's, since it can be brought into the game at once, and placed so as to attack the adversary on his weakest point—the K. Bishop's Pawn. If, while in this position, your adversary challenges an exchange of Bishops by moving his Q. Bishop to K.'s 3rd. it is not always desirable to exchange, because, although you double two of his Pawns on the King's file, you give him, at the same time, an opening for his King's Rook when he Castles.