Castling is a very special ability that helps safeguard your King and activate your Rook. It is the only time you can legally move two pieces in one turn! Chess gurus tout the benefits of castling, but how do you castle in chess?
This article will mainly focus on the rules of castling โ check out the 3rd point of โChess Opening Strategyโ for more pros and cons about castling (ARTICLE COMING SOON!).
When you castle, you move your King two squares towards one of your Rooks, and then that Rook โjumps overโ your King to the opposite side. Itโs easier to visualize with an example.
You can castle on both the Kingside and the Queenside. Castling on the Kingside is called โshort castlingโ because the Rook moves only 2 squares, whereas castling Queenside is โlong castlingโ because the Rook moves 3 squares.
The Kingside is the side of the board closer to the King (i..e. columns e-h), while the Queenside is the side of the board closer to the Queen (i.e. a-d).
In notation, Kingside castling is denoted as โ0-0โ and Queenside castling is โ0-0-0โ.
Note: Whether you castle Kingside or Queenside, the King always moves 2 squares and the Rook moves to the far side of the King.
There are 4 rules to castle. Watch carefully if your opponent breaks these rules while castling โ perhaps the most common illegal move is castling illegally. [Read the official USCF Castling Rule in our helpful article]
Even historyโs most famous chess grandmasters sometimes forgot how to castle!
This rule is self explanatory. You cannot castle if your King or Rook (the one you will move to castle with) has moved before, then you canโt castle.
Note that this doesnโt apply to the other Rook โ that one can move.
For example, if you want to castle Kingside and you havenโt moved your King or h1-Rook, then you meet Rule #1 even if you moved your a1-Rook.
This rule is also self explanatory. You canโt castle if there are pieces in the way โ no, your king and rook donโt magically take them ;( . It would be like trying to drive a car through a wall โ it ainโt gonna happen.
Many times beginners try and teleport out of a check by castling. Unfortunately, thatโs not allowed. Make sure your opponent doesnโt do this!
This is one of the most forgotten rules. Make sure your opponent doesnโt castle if they are in check!
This is probable the most confusing rule on the list. Basically, you are not allowed to castle if any square that your King would pass through is attacked by an enemy piece. The logic is that your King would technically be in check if it moved through those squares to castle, and itโs illegal to put your King in check.
Thatโs basically all the rules about castling! Hopefully you now know how to castle in chess. Drop any lingering questions in the chat below. Remember to castle early. Click the links to learn about opposite-side/same-side castling, how to attack the castled King, and the #1 thing NEVER to do when you castle.
Image by deepak meena from Pixabay