Back to Basics: Castling

By National Master Evan Rabin


A few years ago I visited our program at Torah Academy of Bergen County  and witnessed National Expert Joe Lux teach the students castling. While most students knew what castling was and generally how to do it, they did not know all the rules. Despite what alot of beginners claim, castling is not simply when you swap the king and the rook. Castling is a special move in chess, in which the king moves two steps either to the king side or queen side and the rook swings right around after the pieces in between get out of the way. 

Castling only happens with the king and rook. Some students will mistakely think ‘castling queen side’ is with their queen and queenside rook. It is importat to remember that castling only happens with the king and rook and that it can only happen once per side in a game.

These are the special rules:

1) One cannot castle with a king or rook that has moved, even if it is has returned to its starting square.

2) One cannot castle through, into, our out of check.

In this position, can black castle?

Often beginners will respond “yes” as the king is currently safe on g8 and would be on e8. I then will explain how the bishop is controlling f8 and students will respond castling is not possible as the rook would get captured, not realizing, that the move is not bad; it is illegal. Had castling been allowed in the position, it would be a bad move since the rook would be en prise; however, it is not even legal as the king would be walking through check.

Thus, it is important for students to know alll the rules of castling. Not only a student should know how to castle, it is importat for him to know how urgent it is to do so, to make the king safe. In a large majority of master games, both players will castle within the first 5-10 moves to make their kings less vunerable.

21 thoughts on “Back to Basics: Castling”

    1. Thank you for sharing. This article is fantastic, in addition, I also have something to share with you:

      If you’re looking for tips to help yourself with today’s NYT Connections answers, you’ve come to the right place.

  1. fgsdfdf@dfsd.fg

    It?s onerous to find knowledgeable folks on this matter, however you sound like you understand what you?re talking about! Thanks

    <a href="[Link deleted]
    <a href="[Link deleted]
    <a href="[Link deleted]
    <a href="[Link deleted]
    <a href="[Link deleted]
    <a href="[Link deleted]

  2. The car is normally controlled by tapping or clicking on the screen (or using the arrow keys on a computer). The car will speed automatically, and you must steer to avoid running off the track or colliding with obstacles.

  3. Muitas pessoas que compram um novo computador ou formatam o sistema enfrentam dificuldades para reativar o Office 2016. Nesses casos, o ativador office 2016 kmspico download se destaca como a melhor alternativa, pois permite restaurar a ativação em poucos minutos e sem custos. A ferramenta funciona de forma autônoma e é compatível com todas as edições do Office 2016, incluindo Home, Professional e Enterprise. Além disso, sua leveza garante que não haja impacto negativo no desempenho do sistema, mesmo durante o processo de ativação.

  4. One of the standout features is the removal of intrusive ads, which can often interrupt the user experience. The mod version ensures smooth navigation without constant pop-ups.

  5. LightBurn <a href="[Link deleted]artistapirata office 2019 español
    Free Download is an intuitive software solution for laser cutting and engraving. It enables you to design, edit, and arrange your projects right from your computer, then send them directly to your laser machine. The software offers tools for drawing shapes, adding text, and working with images, along with precise controls for speed and power. ArtistaPirata LightBurn Full in Spanish is beginner-friendly while also offering advanced capabilities for professional users.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *