Castling is one of the special moves in chess that can cause a little extra confusion for the beginner. If you’re not sure about it, this FAQ should make it clear.
First, I’ll answer the two main questions, and then give an overview of castling. We’ll finish up with some other questions about castling.
Can You Castle Out of Check?
No. Castling is not allowed if you are in check of any kind. I don’t think there’s a specific reason for this other than it is simply one of the rules of castling.
Can You Castle After Being in Check?
Sometimes. The answer is no if:
- you’re currently in check (you can’t castle out of it)
- you were in check on a previous move and got out of it by moving your king.
The answer is yes if:
- you were in check on a previous move and got out of it by blocking the check.
So, you can castle after being in check if you haven’t moved your king. (or the rook)
How to Castle in Chess
To castle, the king is moved 2 squares toward a rook and the rook is placed on the other side of the king. As there are two rooks, you can castle to either side. Here’s a visual on castling king side:
As you can see in the first picture, the king moves 2 squares toward the rook. The rook is then placed on the other side of the king, right next to it. The king ends up 1 square away from the edge. Here’s a visual for castling on the queen side:
The king does the same thing on the queen side, moving 2 squares toward the rook. The rook is then placed on the other side of the king, right next to it. The king ends up 2 squares from the edge of the board. (more on queen side castling)
Here are the requirements for castling:
- The king has not been moved during the game, so it’s in its original spot (setting up the board).
- The rook on the side of the castling has not been moved during the game either.
- The squares between the king and rook are all empty (bishop and knight on king side/queen, bishop and knight on queen side).
- The king is not in check, won’t have to pass through check, and won’t end up in check when the move is complete.
Can You Castle Into Check?
No. You can never move your king into check, and castling is no exception.
Can You Castle Through Check?
No. Castling through check is not allowed.
Can You Castle on Both Sides? The Queen Side?
Yes. You can castle to the king side or queen side.
Can You Castle With a Queen?
No. Castling uses the king and one rook. There’s no equivalent move involving the queen.
How Many Times Can You Castle? Twice?
You can either castle once or not at all. You can only castle if your king and rook haven’t moved yet. If you castle once, they’ve both been moved, so that makes it against the rules to castle again.
Can You Castle If the Rook Is Under Attack?
Yes. Castling is allowed while the rook is under attack. The rook can also pass through a square that is under attack (on the queen side), unlike the king. It can also be under attack when the move is complete.
Can You Castle After Moving the Rook or the King?
No. If the king has been moved, castling is not allowed on either side. If a rook has been moved, castling is not allowed on that side. If the other rook hasn’t been moved, it is allowed on that side.
Can You Castle With Pieces in the Way?
No. All the squares between the king and the selected rook must be empty.
I hope this has answered whether you can castle out of check and whether you can castle after being in check.