Jack
- 2004-05-12
Hi Robin,
My previous description of how you castle was nearly but not quite
right. As soon as I placed the pieces on the board I realized
there is a simpler way to explain it.
May I try again?
1. Move your King two squares in the direction in which you wish
to castle
2. Place your Rook adjacent to the King, inside (closer to the center
of the board) and on the same rank.
This is shown very clearly on the web site below.
http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/basic/castling/castle.htm
Jack
Jack
- 2004-05-12
Hi Robin,
First of all, Mike's comment about what happens when you reach
your opponent's first rank is absolutely correct. My apologies.
Having said that, you will appreciate that it would be a rare
occasion indeed when you would want to create anything but a second
Queen, given the opportunity.
Castling...
Castling is the relocation of your king and one of your castles.
It's much easier to carry out this procedure than to explain it.
Here are the rules, as best I can explain them.
You are only permitted to castle if:
1. There are no occupying pieces between the Rook (ie Castle) and
the King,
2. Neither the King nor the Rook have been moved,
3. Your King is not in check by any of your opponent's pieces.
4. Place the King on the space occupied by the King's Knight at the
start of the match and the Rook on the space occupied by the King's Bishop at the start if you are castling to the King's side of the
board
If you are castling to the Queen's side of the board you move
the King and the Queen's Castle to the Queen Knight's Initial space
and the Queen's Bishop's initial space respectively.
Whew! perhaps Mike can confirm all this. I'm doing it in my mind
because I don't have a board handy.
One important point to keep in mind. When you castle, ALWAYS pick
up and move the King first. If you move the Rook and release it
you opponent can claim, with justification, that your move was
complete at that point.
Hope this is clear,
jack
Michael Joseph Beauchot
- 2004-05-11
I have never totally understood castling, but I know it can be done on both sides. Also, Jack's comment about the pawn becoming a queen is NOT totally correct. The pawn becomes whatever piece you want it to be. There may be a strategic reason to declare the pawn a bishop, for example.
Robin Day
- 2004-05-11
Jack
And tell me about castling. A co-worker said yesterday that I can do castling (switching the king and castle) only on the side with the Queen (left) and only if the space is clear of other players (no jumping over). Is this correct? I'm playing chess with some ESL boys and they are really excited by the challenge of chess.
Jack
- 2004-05-10
If your pawn reaches your opponent's first row, Voila! it automatically becomes a Queen (unless, of course, your opponent can capture it when you move it to that position.)
JackB
Pawns can go straight ahead on the board and can only kill on the diagonal. If they reach the opposite side can they turn around and go back? I have never played a game where we reached that point.