How to Castle
Protect the King and develop a Rook.
Castling
Castling is a special move in chess that involves the king and one of the rooks. It is the only move in chess where a player can move two pieces at once, and it serves two purposes: to protect the king and to develop a rook.
Move the King 2 squares horizontally - long, to the left, or short, to the right.
Castling is only available under the following conditions :
No Prior Moves
Neither the king nor the rook involved in castling may have moved previously.
No Pieces Between
All squares between the king and the rook must be empty.
No Checks
The king cannot be in check, nor can the squares the king moves across or to be under attack.
Same Rank
Castling can only occur on the first rank for white, or the eighth rank for black.
The King is unable to castle short, but can long. The King must not pass through an attacked square.
Why Castle?
King Safety
Castling helps safeguard the king by moving it away from the center of the board to a more protected corner.
Rook Activation
Castling helps develop the rook by placing it on a more active file (central or near-central file), often connecting the rooks.
Timing
Deciding when to castle is crucial. Early castling can secure the king, but sometimes delaying castling can be strategically advantageous to avoid attacks.