Expert: Chuck Kinzie - 1/28/2011

Question
Dear Sir,

I'm looking for a more thorough explanation of the castling procedure and also a book that explains this more clearly (as a gift for other beginners).  Specifically, I know about all the restrictions on castling concerning the king: can't have moved yet, must not be in check, wouldn't move into check by castling, wouldn't pass through a square controlled by opponent by castling.  But what about the rook?  All I know is that it can't have moved already, but is it also the case that it must not be under attack when castling, must not pass to a square that is under attack as a result of castling, and must not pass through a square controlled by the opponent during the process?  Or these restrictions only apply to the king?

Thank you for any light you can shed on this, and any recommendation you might have for a book for beginners that spells this out.

Sincerely,

John

Answer
Hi John,

Thanks for your question.  The only restriction on the rook in castling is that it can't have already moved.  Even if the rook is being attacked, or it passes through an attacked square, it can still participate in castling.  Even the great grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi was confused about the castling rules with respect to the rook passing through check.

A book such as "Chess for Dummies" or "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess" should have a complete account of all the rules.

Hope that helped.  Enjoy your chess!

-Chuck