1. Account suspended
    Joined
    03 Dec '06
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    1324
    20 Jun '08 12:45
    good rules of thumb, however i don't see anything about recognizing interior files protection, or control of the long diagonals. If playing against a system, say a Reti like setup then suddenly a king side castle becomes more problematic. The rules of thumb are great, however perhaps the most important part of the rules of thumb, are recognizing that sometimes they must not be followed.

    The last thing you need to castle into is a bishop queen battering ram.
  2. Joined
    11 Nov '05
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    43938
    20 Jun '08 12:51
    Rule of thumb: "Castle when you can"

    Look at this position, white to move:


    "Castle when you can?" Or break the rule?
  3. Joined
    12 Feb '05
    Moves
    47202
    20 Jun '08 13:21
    Vukovic had something to say on this subject in his 'art of attack in chess':

    not castling or postponing it is good in 5 different situations:

    1) a different action (like winning material) is more useful;
    2) it is dangerous yet (see fabianFnas' example);
    3) you want to castle on the other side and need to make preperations doing so;
    4) the centre is completely blocked which means the king is safe in the centre;
    5) the endgame is (already) near which means the king is well-placed in the centre.
  4. Joined
    21 Sep '06
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    24552
    20 Jun '08 15:49
    Originally posted by schakuhr
    Vukovic had something to say on this subject in his 'art of attack in chess':

    not castling or postponing it is good in 5 different situations:

    1) a different action (like winning material) is more useful;
    2) it is dangerous yet (see fabianFnas' example);
    3) you want to castle on the other side and need to make preperations doing so;
    4) the centre i ...[text shortened]... centre;
    5) the endgame is (already) near which means the king is well-placed in the centre.
    Excellent advice. Beginners should castle as quickly as possible. More advanced players (say, 1200-1500 strength) can start to incorporate these ideas into their thinking.

    Here's a recent example of 2). Sometimes really strong players like afcacbs can get tripped up.

    Game 5007567

    I can't think of a game I've lost here where I castled too early. However I think there are a few in which I never got around to it. =)
  5. Hollow earth
    Joined
    29 Apr '08
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    2472
    20 Jun '08 15:59
    Originally posted by Sam The Sham
    Just look at games by the big boys and tell me they don't castle in order to secure their King and hook up their Rooks, then we'll have something to talk about.
    Show a perfect chessgame by the big boys,or by anyone for that matter,and you'll have proven something.
  6. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    20 Jun '08 16:28
    A few years ago it was my great pleasure to spend a whole
    afternoon alone with one the best chess players in the history
    of the game. I won't name drop. He was one of the 4 famous 'K's'.

    The day before he had given a simultaneous display.
    I asked if he had any strategy for simuls, did he change his style?

    "Not really. Wipe out the players who don't castle and then
    concentrate on the rest."
  7. Joined
    21 Sep '06
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    24552
    20 Jun '08 16:34
    Originally posted by greenpawn34
    He was one of the 4 famous 'K's'.
    Korch? 😀
  8. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
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    42492
    20 Jun '08 16:37
    I forgot about our Korch.

    OK one of the 5 famous K's.
  9. Account suspended
    Joined
    03 Dec '06
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    1324
    20 Jun '08 16:52
    Game 409916

    a english game with a long pawn march in which i choose not to castle. i keep pressure and atempo i also am utilizing a pawn wall that weakens castling positions, therefore i choose to break the rule and leave the king in the center of the board.

    So i choose not to castle, not because an impending thread... not because their is a "stronger move" persay, but my reasoning becomes simply that it may not gain any more defensible position after my pawn wall has already started, and my system of pins becomes more clear.

    not the most perfect example, as castling could have been performed and wouldn't be questioned, however in this example it works because the kings safety is never mismanaged.
  10. Account suspended
    Joined
    07 Feb '07
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    62961
    20 Jun '08 17:32
    Originally posted by Katastroof
    Show a perfect chessgame by the big boys,or by anyone for that matter,and you'll have proven something.
    Make a statement that makes sense, and you'll have proven something.
  11. Standard memberwormwood
    If Theres Hell Below
    We're All Gonna Go!
    Joined
    10 Sep '05
    Moves
    10228
    20 Jun '08 17:52
    Originally posted by Adorea
    Game 409916
    wrong gameid...
  12. Hollow earth
    Joined
    29 Apr '08
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    2472
    20 Jun '08 18:051 edit
    Originally posted by Sam The Sham
    Make a statement that makes sense, and you'll have proven something.
    It makes perfect sense.I will clarify my reasoning.
    What the strongest players of their time think are the best moves only shows where current human chesstheory stands,it's not proof of the correctness of those moves.Take the sicilian defense,there was a time it was considered rubbish for no decent player would even consider playing it,therefore the lesser players,people like you and me,simply assumed it was no good.Then someone saw it's potential,had success playing it,others joined in and it gradually grew to become what it is today: the most played defense to 1.e4.
    Same could happen with castling.It's possible that,despite the importance we give to castling today,in 20 or 30 or 50 years people discover it's almost always better to keep the king in the center and castling is rarely seen in chess anymore.
    We do not know because,as far as we know,the perfect chessgame has yet to be played.
  13. Standard memberLukerik
    Stick your hands up
    Your bum
    Joined
    26 Jul '07
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    28451
    20 Jun '08 18:17
    Originally posted by greenpawn34
    I forgot about our Korch.

    OK one of the 5 famous K's.
    I bet you a Chandler goodie pack it was Anatoly Karpov at the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1984.
  14. Joined
    21 Sep '06
    Moves
    24552
    20 Jun '08 18:491 edit
    Originally posted by Lukerik
    I bet you a Chandler goodie pack it was Anatoly Karpov at the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1984.
    Could that be right? "Anatoly" starts with "A".

    😉
  15. EDMONTON ALBERTA
    Joined
    30 Sep '05
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    10841
    20 Jun '08 19:141 edit
    Castle to protect your king and bring your rook into the center.

    If the flank is not as safe as the center or your rook is more suitable on the flank, don't castle.

    Edit, the center may be secure because it is closed.
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