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How to castle in chess

Lesson 12 of 20 Age 7+ Time 10 minutes Before this stalemate and draws

In short

Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook, and that rook jumps to the square on the king's other side. It is the only move where two pieces move at once.

  • The king and that rook have not moved yet in this game.
  • No pieces stand between them.
  • The king is not in check, and does not cross or land on a square an enemy piece attacks.
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Before: the king will castle on the king side.
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After: the king is on g1 and the rook on f1.

Teach it

  1. DoPut only the white king and the two white rooks on their start squares.
  2. Say“The king has one special move with a rook. It is called castling. The king takes two steps toward the rook, and the rook jumps over him.”
  3. Ask“Which way can our king castle? Show me both.”
  4. DoMove the king one square and back.
  5. Ask“Can he castle now?”
  6. Child“No. He moved, so he can never castle in this game.”
Hand the screen to your child

Your turn!

Tap the king. Then tap a dot two squares away.

Three quick questions

  1. The king moved and came back. Can he castle now?

  2. How many squares does the king move when he castles?

  3. Your king is in check. Can you castle to get away?

Practice sheet: Can the king castle?

One page, free to print, no sign-in. The answers print on the next page.

Can the king castle?Name ____________________
  1. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can White castle? On which side?

  2. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can White castle now?

  3. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can White castle on the king side?

  4. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can White castle?

Answers: Can the king castle?

  1. Yes, on both sides.
  2. No: knights stand between the king and each rook.
  3. No: the bishop on c4 attacks f1, a square the king crosses.
  4. No: the king is in check.

Questions parents ask

Can you castle out of check?

No. You can't castle while your king is in check. Get out of check first; you may castle later if the king and rook still haven't moved.

Can you castle if the rook has moved?

Not with that rook. You may still castle with the other rook, if it and the king haven't moved.

Can you castle if the rook is attacked?

Yes. The rule is only about the king: he can't be in check, cross an attacked square, or land on one.

Do you move the king or the rook first?

Move the king first, two squares, then the rook. Touching the rook first can count as a rook move in a club game.

Rules checked against FIDE Laws of Chess, taking effect from 1 January 2023 (Article 3.8) on . Found something to fix? Tell us on the contact page.