Chess Rules - Special Moves: Castling

Castling is a special defensive move involving the King and one Rook.

Castling can happen with either Rook.

The King and Rook must be on their starting squares, and must not have moved in the game.

How the move works: The King moves two spaces sideways towards a Rook. That Rook is then placed on the opposite side of the King.

Castling counts as one move.

Kingside Castling

The position before kingside castling.

The position after kingside castling.

Queenside Castling

The position before queenside castling.

The position after queenside castling.

Conditions for Castling

To be allowed to castle, several conditions must be satisfied:

• The King must not have moved previously in the game.
• The Rook that is castling must not have moved previously in the game.
• No piece must be located on a square in between the King and Rook that are castling.
• The King must not be in check.
• The King may not castle into check. In other words, the King can't be moved to a square that is attacked.
• No square in between the King and Rook that are castling can be attacked by an enemy piece. In other words, the King can't "castle through check."