Castling Problems - OzChess

**LearningChess** · 01-21-2009, 09:57 PM

I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any.

**Ehm TO** · 01-21-2009, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by LearningChess

I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any.

What you really want to do is put your king in the centre of the board as fast as possible. Trust me it works everytime! Usually people are so afraid when I play Kd4 they resign on the spot.

**AzzX** · 01-22-2009, 12:20 AM

When I first started playing I used to castle religiously - just because you could and it was a bit of a novelty. Now I only do it if it suits the flow of the game.

**Caligulette** · 01-28-2009, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by AzzX

When I first started playing I used to castle religiously - just because you could and it was a bit of a novelty. Now I only do it if it suits the flow of the game.

When you castle which way to do castle to the left or the right?

**JKT** · 01-29-2009, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Sovereign

What you really want to do is put your king in the centre of the board as fast as possible. Trust me it works everytime! Usually people are so afraid when I play Kd4 they resign on the spot.

I don't think this is good advice unless your in the endgame and then you should do it.

**JKT** · 01-29-2009, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Caligulette

When you castle which way to do castle to the left or the right?

Mostly I caslte kingside but once ina blue moon I will castle queenside. What about you?

**Dulce** · 01-30-2009, 03:56 AM

Queen side castle seems to do good for me. I feel like if i dont get castled right away i get bossed around the board the whole game, like im in a rush to get my castle in so i can counterattack. Dont know why.

How are you getting attacked by your opponent? You just have to keep your eyes open there are some very simple checkmates that can be done, but usually they would require at least three peices to threaten the same square. As long as you defend against it they usually give up or waste their time trying to bring more peices out while you can move to put the momemtum back in your favor.

Instead of castling, you try moving your bishops out to b2 and g2 and try to control the diagonals on the board.

**Just2Good** · 01-30-2009, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Dulce

Instead of castling, you try moving your bishops out to b2 and g2 and try to control the diagonals on the board.

Well, this is a good point. But what you will find is that often when you bring your bishops to b2 or g2, you will have an ideal place to castle your king to. Usually bringing the bishop to g2 or b2 means that you have created a fianchetto pawn formation, with pawns at h2, g3, and f2. This is very hard for black to break through and therefore provides great defence for your king.

**JKT** · 01-30-2009, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Arrogant-One

Well, this is a good point. But what you will find is that often when you bring your bishops to b2 or g2, you will have an ideal place to castle your king to. Usually bringing the bishop to g2 or b2 means that you have created a fianchetto pawn formation, with pawns at h2, g3, and f2. This is very hard for black to break through and therefore provides great defence for your king.

I don't really like to put the bishops there, instead I like to bring them out for an attack!

**Just2Good** · 01-30-2009, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by JKT

I don't really like to put the bishops there, instead I like to bring them out for an attack!

While I do agree that usually a fianchetto bishop is defensive in nature, there are times when they can attack and exert pressure from the b2 and g2 squares (or b7 and g7 if you are black :Guess What: .).

**darkhorschessers** · 02-01-2009, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by LearningChess

I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any.

This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square.

Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black:

1.e4 e5
2.f4 exf4
3.Nf3 g5!
(Theory)

It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up.

You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?"

The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow.

Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing!

If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do:

1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach.

2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits,

I hope i have been of help to you!

**Calvin** · 02-01-2009, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by darkhorschessers

This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square.

Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black:

1.e4 e5
2.f4 exf4
3.Nf3 g5!
(Theory)

It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up.

You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?"

The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow.

Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing!

If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do:

1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach.

2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits,

I hope i have been of help to you!

Where does castling come from? I mean has it always been a special move in chess where two pieces move on the same turn instead of one? I would love to know more about the origins of this move.

**Just2Good** · 02-01-2009, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by darkhorschessers

This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square.

Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black:

1.e4 e5
2.f4 exf4
3.Nf3 g5!
(Theory)

It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up.

You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?"

The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow.

Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing!

If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do:

1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach.

2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits,

I hope i have been of help to you!

Great post DHC! Yes, I have sometimes made the mistake of castling into an attack myself, so I know this issue can be tricky for new players. But I think your post is great in terms of setting out why one should castle!

**Calvin** · 02-02-2009, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by Arrogant-One

Great post DHC! Yes, I have sometimes made the mistake of castling into an attack myself, so I know this issue can be tricky for new players. But I think your post is great in terms of setting out why one should castle!

Any idea where castling was invented though? I mean it can't always have been part of the game of chess could it?

01-21-2009, 09:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
LearningChess I like chess! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Victoria Posts: 32	Castling Problems I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any.

01-21-2009, 10:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ehm TO Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 314	Originally Posted by LearningChess I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any. What you really want to do is put your king in the centre of the board as fast as possible. Trust me it works everytime! Usually people are so afraid when I play Kd4 they resign on the spot.

01-22-2009, 12:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
AzzX Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 109	When I first started playing I used to castle religiously - just because you could and it was a bit of a novelty. Now I only do it if it suits the flow of the game. __________________ azzx.org ozsource

01-28-2009, 04:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
Caligulette Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 26	Originally Posted by AzzX When I first started playing I used to castle religiously - just because you could and it was a bit of a novelty. Now I only do it if it suits the flow of the game. When you castle which way to do castle to the left or the right?

01-29-2009, 07:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
JKT Chess novice Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ballarat, Victoria Posts: 21	Originally Posted by Sovereign What you really want to do is put your king in the centre of the board as fast as possible. Trust me it works everytime! Usually people are so afraid when I play Kd4 they resign on the spot. I don't think this is good advice unless your in the endgame and then you should do it.

01-29-2009, 07:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
JKT Chess novice Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ballarat, Victoria Posts: 21	Originally Posted by Caligulette When you castle which way to do castle to the left or the right? Mostly I caslte kingside but once ina blue moon I will castle queenside. What about you?

01-30-2009, 03:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
Dulce Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 76	Queen side castle seems to do good for me. I feel like if i dont get castled right away i get bossed around the board the whole game, like im in a rush to get my castle in so i can counterattack. Dont know why. How are you getting attacked by your opponent? You just have to keep your eyes open there are some very simple checkmates that can be done, but usually they would require at least three peices to threaten the same square. As long as you defend against it they usually give up or waste their time trying to bring more peices out while you can move to put the momemtum back in your favor. Instead of castling, you try moving your bishops out to b2 and g2 and try to control the diagonals on the board.

01-30-2009, 04:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
Just2Good Tin Cup Champ 2004 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cairns Posts: 6,233 ICC Handle: Advantage FICS Handle: Advantage	Originally Posted by Dulce Instead of castling, you try moving your bishops out to b2 and g2 and try to control the diagonals on the board. Well, this is a good point. But what you will find is that often when you bring your bishops to b2 or g2, you will have an ideal place to castle your king to. Usually bringing the bishop to g2 or b2 means that you have created a fianchetto pawn formation, with pawns at h2, g3, and f2. This is very hard for black to break through and therefore provides great defence for your king. __________________ . "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." ~ Isaiah Berlin ~

01-30-2009, 05:56 PM	#9 (permalink)
JKT Chess novice Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ballarat, Victoria Posts: 21	Originally Posted by Arrogant-One Well, this is a good point. But what you will find is that often when you bring your bishops to b2 or g2, you will have an ideal place to castle your king to. Usually bringing the bishop to g2 or b2 means that you have created a fianchetto pawn formation, with pawns at h2, g3, and f2. This is very hard for black to break through and therefore provides great defence for your king. I don't really like to put the bishops there, instead I like to bring them out for an attack!

01-30-2009, 07:50 PM	#10 (permalink)
Just2Good Tin Cup Champ 2004 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cairns Posts: 6,233 ICC Handle: Advantage FICS Handle: Advantage	Originally Posted by JKT I don't really like to put the bishops there, instead I like to bring them out for an attack! While I do agree that usually a fianchetto bishop is defensive in nature, there are times when they can attack and exert pressure from the b2 and g2 squares (or b7 and g7 if you are black :Guess What: .). __________________ . "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." ~ Isaiah Berlin ~

02-01-2009, 03:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
darkhorschessers Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 142	Originally Posted by LearningChess I am starting to think maybe castling isn't a very good idea. It seems the last few games I have played I have castled right into my opponents attack and lost. Even in the games where this didn't happen my king ended up getting checkmated in the corner. Does anyone know any openings wheere black is not expected to castle? If there are any. This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square. Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5! (Theory) It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up. You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?" The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow. Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing! If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do: 1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach. 2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits, I hope i have been of help to you!

02-01-2009, 03:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
Calvin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 268	Originally Posted by darkhorschessers This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square. Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5! (Theory) It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up. You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?" The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow. Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing! If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do: 1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach. 2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits, I hope i have been of help to you! Where does castling come from? I mean has it always been a special move in chess where two pieces move on the same turn instead of one? I would love to know more about the origins of this move.

02-01-2009, 05:29 PM	#13 (permalink)
Just2Good Tin Cup Champ 2004 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cairns Posts: 6,233 ICC Handle: Advantage FICS Handle: Advantage	Originally Posted by darkhorschessers This is indeed an interesting problem, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably end up losing anyway due to have not being castled. Castling is an important stage in development as it helps to connect the rooks and get them ready for play, as well as bringing the king to a safer square. Castling does not ALWAYS save your king from danger as it will really depend on the position, for example; If you get the Kings Gambit accepted as black: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5! (Theory) It may not be safe to castle kingside, in this case castling queenside may be the better option! Usually, the player does not just get the simple choice or castling kingside or castling queenside, Firstly the position must be considered and the decision should follow up. You may now ask,"What if the kingside and queenside look too dangerous for castling?" The logical answer would be DONT CASTLE, i remember playing a friend who was new to chess who thought castling was compulsory and was a rule of the game, You don't have to castle if you dont feel comfortable with the position and if you dont think you won't be able to fend off any attacks that may follow. Obviously this will vary for different levels of chess playing! If you always run into some kind of kingside trouble during your games but you still wish to castle and win. There are a couple of things you can do: 1. Fianchettoing, It can help defend some major squares should there be a kingside breach. 2. Using a more solid opening! AKA, Avoiding gambits, I hope i have been of help to you! Great post DHC! Yes, I have sometimes made the mistake of castling into an attack myself, so I know this issue can be tricky for new players. But I think your post is great in terms of setting out why one should castle! __________________ . "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." ~ Isaiah Berlin ~

02-02-2009, 04:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
Calvin Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 268	Originally Posted by Arrogant-One Great post DHC! Yes, I have sometimes made the mistake of castling into an attack myself, so I know this issue can be tricky for new players. But I think your post is great in terms of setting out why one should castle! Any idea where castling was invented though? I mean it can't always have been part of the game of chess could it?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread: