When to castle, when not to castle?
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If you’re new to chess, castling can look like an illegal move at first because two pieces move at the same time. But this is a legal and very important move in chess! Watch this free lesson on castling, or read on below:
Castling is the only time in chess that two pieces can move at once, and the only time a piece other than the knight can move over another piece. The king moves two spaces to the left or to the right, and the rook moves over and in front of the king, all in one move!
To castle, simply move the king two spaces to the left or right, OR move the king on top of the rook you want to castle with. The rook will jump across and to the other side of the king automatically!
You can’t castle any time you want to, though. Here are the rules for castling:
Your king can not have moved- Once your king moves, you can no longer castle, even if you move the king back to the starting square. Many strategies involve forcing the opponent’s king to move just for this reason.
Your rook can not have moved- If you move your rook, you can’t castle on that side anymore. Both the king and the rook you are castling with can’t have moved.
Your king can NOT be in check- Though castling often looks like an appealing escape, you can’t castle while you are in check! Once you are out of check, then you can castle. Unlike moving, being checked does not remove the ability to castle later.
Your king can not pass through check- If any square the king moves over or moves onto would put you in check, you can’t castle. You’ll have to get rid of that pesky attacking piece first!
Castling, Castle, Chess, How To Castle
White is not allowed to castle through the bishop's "check" on f1!
No pieces can be between the king and rook- All the spaces between the king and rook must be empty. This is part of why it’s so important to get your pieces out into the game as soon as possible!
Castling is the only time in chess that two pieces can move at once, and the only time a piece other than the knight can move over another piece. The king moves two spaces to the left or to the right, and the rook moves over and in front of the king, all in one move!
To castle, simply move the king two spaces to the left or right, OR move the king on top of the rook you want to castle with. The rook will jump across and to the other side of the king automatically!
You can’t castle any time you want to, though. Here are the rules for castling:
Your king can not have moved- Once your king moves, you can no longer castle, even if you move the king back to the starting square. Many strategies involve forcing the opponent’s king to move just for this reason.
Your rook can not have moved- If you move your rook, you can’t castle on that side anymore. Both the king and the rook you are castling with can’t have moved.
Your king can NOT be in check- Though castling often looks like an appealing escape, you can’t castle while you are in check! Once you are out of check, then you can castle. Unlike moving, being checked does not remove the ability to castle later.
Your king can not pass through check- If any square the king moves over or moves onto would put you in check, you can’t castle. You’ll have to get rid of that pesky attacking piece first!
Castling, Castle, Chess, How To Castle
White is not allowed to castle through the bishop's "check" on f1!
No pieces can be between the king and rook- All the spaces between the king and rook must be empty. This is part of why it’s so important to get your pieces out into the game as soon as possible!
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@26
This game should come with a warning: do not try this at home.
Here is an example where black boldly castles into an attack.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008390
Castling is a powerful move: brings the king to safety and connects the rooks to activate them.
It is like 3 moves: Kf2-Rf1-Kg1 for the price of 1.
Aug 20, 2022
0
#27
tygxc wrote:
@26
This game should come with a warning: do not try this at home.
I've already used that one, for a game in which I didn't castle at all.
A Heroic Defense in the Sicilian Najdorf - Kids, don't try this at home! - Chess Forums - Chess.com
Aug 20, 2022
0
#28
My philosophy is - don't castle until there's no better move but prepare to castle as early as it's viable. I get caught out from time to time, but I will whatever strategy I play.
ambatukum
Apr 12, 2023
0
#30
As long as you blunder frequently castle asap (till around 1000 elo maybe?)
‘Great players never castle until the end of the game, and often never at all, as their king, although often in the middle of the board, nevertheless stands secure.’