Castling is a move in the game of chess involving a player’s king and either of the player’s original rooks. It is one of the most important and widely used chess moves and is used to improve the king’s safety and to develop the rooks. The rules of castling are specific and must be followed in order for the move to be considered legal.
The first rule of castling
The first rule of castling is that the king must not be in check, nor can the squares the king must move over or to be under attack. This means that if the king is in check or if the squares the king must move over or to are being attacked by an opponent’s piece, castling is not allowed.
The second rule of castling
The second rule is that the king and the rook that will be moved must not have moved previously during the game. This means that if the king or the rook has moved before, castling is not allowed.
The third rule of castling
The third rule is that the squares between the king and the rook must be unoccupied. This means that there cannot be any pieces between the king and the rook, including the player’s own pieces.
The fourth rule of castling
The fourth rule is that the king must not move into check or through check. This means that the king cannot move into a square that is attacked by an opponent’s piece, nor can it move through a square that is attacked by an opponent’s piece.
The final rule of castling
The final rule is that the move must be executed as a single move, with the king and the rook moving at the same time. This means that the king and the rook must be moved in a single move and cannot be moved separately.