Castling — Chess Foundations, Lesson 8
Learn castling: the special king-and-rook move that safeguards your king. Kingside vs. queenside, the exact rules, and when to castle in your opening.
This is lesson 8 of ten in Chess Foundations, a free beginner course from Endgame Society. Each lesson is short, written in plain language, and built around a board you can move pieces on while you read.
The special king move that keeps your king safe.
Castling is a special move involving the king and a rook. It's the only move where two pieces move at once. The king moves two squares toward a rook, and that rook jumps to the other side of the king.
Kingside castling (O-O): King goes from e1 to g1, rook from h1 to f1. Queenside castling (O-O-O): King goes from e1 to c1, rook from a1 to d1.
You can only castle when: - Neither the king nor that rook has moved before - No pieces are between the king and rook - The king is not in check - The king does not pass through or land on an attacked square
Both sides can castle here. White can go kingside (O-O) to g1 or queenside (O-O-O) to c1. Kingside castling is more common because fewer squares need to be clear.
Work through the lessons in order and you will finish knowing how every piece moves, how games end, and how to plan your first few moves without memorising anything.
Our courses run from the rules of the board to endgame technique. Lessons are interactive: you read a short passage, then play the position out on a real board before moving on.
How to Castle in Chess — Kingside & Queenside Rules | Foundations