There are many players out there who seem to think that castling early is a good idea. This idea even seems to controll their opening choices. Have you ever won a game where your opponent castled but you did not?
Post your games! I want to see games where the victor never cowers in the corners! Thanks! 😀 😉
Here is one I recently finished. Ruy lopez exchange variation. Its not the best game, but it shows what the thread is about. NOT CASTLING! Game 2614907 Edit: I was able to ignore a weakness in my white squares on the queenside because white traded his white-squared bishop! 😛
Originally posted by ChessJester There are many players out there who seem to think that castling early is a good idea. This idea even seems to controll their opening choices. Have you ever won a game where your opponent castled but you did not?
Post your games! I want to see games where the victor never cowers in the corners! Thanks! 😀 😉
Here is one I recently finished. Ruy lop ...[text shortened]... weakness in my white squares on the queenside because white traded his white-squared bishop! 😛
I'll assume that you haven't read the Art of Attack in Chess by Vukovic - Castling isn't always best, but if the person that doesn't castle leaves the point f2 or f7 weak, or puts the queen in front of their king on a half open or open e file while the opponent has a rook on the e file, things can get pretty messy.
In the given game white shows a severe lack of understanding in how to conduct an attack down the e file. Re1 would have been a great move anywhere from moves 6-8 (Maybe more, I don't remember the board and I'm using IE so it's hard to check back and forth) and plays d3, which seems improper considering that the d pawn could have been used effectively to blast open the e file and put pressure on black's uncastled king. Beyond this white never comes close to putting significant pressure on f7, and doesn't seem to have a plan.
EDIT: And white dropped a piece, it's much easier to win when you're a piece up...
Originally posted by cmsMaster I'll assume that you haven't read the Art of Attack in Chess by Vukovic - Castling isn't always best, but if the person that doesn't castle leaves the point f2 or f7 weak, or puts the queen in front of their king on a half open or open e file while the opponent has a rook on the e file, things can get pretty messy.
In the given game white shows a severe ...[text shortened]... ver comes close to putting significant pressure on f7, and doesn't seem to have a plan.
No, I havent read it... but I did know that f2/f7 must be gaurded well and obviously, having your queen pinned to the king is a situation to avoid... did you think I should have castled in that game?
Originally posted by ChessJester No, I havent read it... but I did know that f2/f7 must be gaurded well and obviously, having your queen pinned to the king is a situation to avoid... did you think I should have castled in that game?
No. White didn't even make threats against your king, so why worry?
And it isn't necessarily a pin, the e file doesn't even have to be open for there to be a major threat.
Id say castling is one of the most sensible moves if you have no direct attack, a king in the centre can be an extreme pain if the centre is opened up, or can be opened. Lots of sacrifices are possible in such positions.
Originally posted by YUG0slav well don't be, it's easier to get to the king when he's stuck in a wide open center.
that depends, if the center is locked and theres no way to open it then obviously aggresive play will be on the wings and the king may be relatively safer in the center, however as a general principle castling early is a good way to go.
Originally posted by spellforce that depends, if the center is locked and theres no way to open it then obviously aggresive play will be on the wings and the king may be relatively safer in the center, however as a general principle castling early is a good way to go.
Guess it's a way to got the initial lost tempo back too.
The advice to castle early is like all the other pieces of accepted chess wisdom; do it if there is nothing that needs doing more urgently or unless there is a good reason for not doing it. After all it does in one move what would take three moves otherwise.
In the recent World Championship Match, of the sixteen games; one was forfeited; one neither side castled and it was drawn; two only White castled and of these Black won one, and White the other (the vital last tie break); while in the other twelve games both sides castled.
So I think we can accept that the value of usually doing so is overwhelmingly confirmed by current grandmaster practice as well as past experience. Or is ChessJester saying that both Kramnik and Topalov (and just about all other good players) are wimps?
Castles are for wimps.
25 Oct '06 18:381 edit
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