So, I have a little chess story...

Back when I was in gr. 4 or something there was a chess tournament (like with the chess team and everything) and I was winning a game. Now, I was definitely one of the best people there (I was just naturally OK at chess for my age), and I knew how to castle, but in this one instance I touched my king, then realized I couldn't remember whether my king moved two spaces or three spaces over when castling queenside. Needless to say, I asked my young opponent whether he knew how many spaces, and he replied that because I didn't know, I'd have to move my king elsewhere and not be allowed to castle. If I wasn't able to castle, my king would be out in the middle of nowhere and I would probably lose the game. I said this wasn't fair, called the head chess coach and everything and eventually remembered how many spaces it moved, but the guy I was playing was saying that because I hadn't remembered how to castle I shouldn't be allowed to because I had had to ask for help. Eventually, after some tears, I was able to castle and the game went on with me winning easily from there (though my opponent was cursing me under his breath and everything).

In the case of someone not knowing how a particular chess movement works (say, en passent or castling), what is the policy on letting them in on the way the pieces move? Would they be forced into simple king movements if a big fuss over whether they know how to castle is created?

I believe that so long as no-one told you, and they should not have, and you neither released your king nor stopped your clock, there should have been no issue with you eventually castling once you remembered how.

Another alternative might have been to simply guess and have your opponent call you on the illegal move, in which case I believe you'd have got another try (now being comitted to moving your king) so long as you hadn't moved the king only one space (not an illegal move, minus the rook move).

Another alternative might have been to simply guess and have your opponent call you on the illegal move, in which case I believe you'd have got another try (now being comitted to moving your king) so long as you hadn't moved the king only one space (not an illegal move, minus the rook move).

Actually I am pretty sure this is what eventually worked it out for me when the head coach guy came over... thanks :D

Wasn't there some GM who forgot whether the rook was allow to be castled through check (it is) and had to ask the arbiter? So using that as a precedent, it doesn't matter whether the player knows how to castle.

Kind of like, how, if an illegal move is made and no one noticed until four moves later, you have to go back and play from where the illegal move was made.

I have to think that asking to see the relevant rule during game play is permissible.