Castling in chess – these rules apply

If you play chess, you should always know how to castle. It is the key to keeping the king safe and activating the rooks

How to castling in chess

Castling allows a player in the board game of chess to put his king in a safer position while at the same time making it easier to bring the rook into play:

• The first rule here is that when castling, the king and a rook are moved simultaneously:

• The prerequisite is that both pieces involved have not yet been moved. In addition, no pieces may stand between the king and the rook.

• In addition, the king may not stand in check or move across a square that is threatened by an opponent’s piece.

• Castling is often one of the first moves in a chess game to protect the king and facilitate the development of the other pieces. However, this is not a must. With the right tactical planning, the move can also bring advantages later on.

• If you are learning chess online, you can practise the move well.

Types of castling

In chess you have the choice between two types, long and short castling:

• In short castling, the king moves two squares to the right or left. The rook moves to the square to the right of the king:

• In the long form, the king also initially moves two squares to the right or left. However, the rook moves to the square to the left of the king.

• The decision whether to castle short or long depends essentially on the position of the opponent’s pieces and your own planned strategy.

• In advanced games in particular, the move can be used to optimize the positioning of your own pieces or to prepare tactical attacks. The more practice you have, the easier these considerations will be for you.