Castling
Real kings live in castles, so why shouldn't your king have one of those as well? There is a special rule in chess that lets you move more than one piece at once so you can build a castle for your king.
Here is everything you need to know about castling:
- What Is Castling In Chess?
- What Are The Rules For Castling?
- Why Does Castling Matter?
- Show Off Your Castling Skills
- Wrapping Up
- Castling in Chess Infographic
- Castling Video
What Is Castling In Chess?
Castling is a unique chess rule that allows you to do something that looks weird, at least the first time that you see it. It is such a crazy move that it looks like cheating—but don’t worry, you will not be breaking any rules if you do it the right way
So, what are those weird moves? First, your king moves two squares to one of its sides. After that, your rook jumps over the king and lands right next to it. What's even more incredible, all those things happen in the same turn!
You can think of castling as tucking your king into bed at night. You put it behind a blanket made of pawns, and you give it a rook-pillow to rest its head. Your king is safe and sound now, and it can relax and enjoy a good night's sleep.
What Are The Rules For Castling?
No one likes to play with a cheater, so if you want to castle (as you should), you have to follow a few rules.
First, you cannot castle if you have moved either of the pieces involved in castling. If you have moved your king, then you are not allowed to castle. If you have moved one of your rooks, then you cannot castle to that side.”.
You also have to make sure that there are no pieces between the rook and the king to the side you want to castle. You cannot castle if there is a piece in the way.
Another thing to remember is that you cannot castle when you are in check. On the other hand, you are allowed to castle if your rook is under attack.
Finally, you are not allowed to castle through check. That means that you cannot castle if any of the squares which your king will go through are under attack.
Does that sound like too many rules to keep track of? Don't worry, there is an easy way for you to remember them. Just keep in mind that you cannot castle into check, through check, or out of check.
Now, let's remember the movement of the pieces. Your king moves two squares to the side, and your rook jumps over the king and lands next to it. If you do that to the side of the board that is closer to your king, we say you have castled kingside, or even that you have castled short. We indicate that with the symbol O-O.
You can also castle to the side that is closer to your queen. In that case, we say you have castled queenside or castled long. The symbol for that is O-O-O.
Castling is very easy when you are playing online on ChessKid.com. All you have to do is grab your king and place it two squares over to the side you want to castle to. The computer will automatically do the rest of the job for you.
Why Does Castling Matter?
Castling is a crucial move in chess that you should almost always try to make. It protects your king and develops your rook at the same time—not too shabby for a single move!
Take a look at the following position:
White has castled kingside, while Black's king is still on the center of the board. Try to think about these questions:
- Which king is safer?
- Which rook can be used more easily?
You will realize that White has the advantage for both of those points. The white king is protected by the f2, g2, and h2 pawns. The white rook can also easily slide to the e-file to gain access to the action in the middle of the board. For these reasons, grandmasters usually castle early on in the game, and you should do it too!
Show Off Your Castling Skills
Now that you know why castling is so essential, it is time to check if you can do it. Can you castle to the queenside with the white pieces?
Well done! Now try castling to the kingside with the black pieces.
Good job! It seems like we have quite a castle builder over here!
Wrapping Up
You now know what castling is in chess, why it is important, and how you can do it. Head over to our Lessons page to learn the other chess rules and concepts that will make you a better player.
Castling in Chess Infographic
Discover this fantastic printable below that will guide you through the fascinating world of the "Castling" move. Are you ready to level up your chess knowledge?
For more infographics, as well as educational and fun materials, make sure to visit our Resources page.