Plychess
Chess960

Chess960 Castling Rules Explained

Feb 16, 2026
7 min read

The rule that makes it simple

In Chess960, castling ends on the same final squares as standard chess. That means: kingside → king on g-file, rook on f-file; queenside → king on c-file, rook on d-file.

The checklist (conditions)

  • King and rook have not moved.
  • All squares between them are empty.
  • The king is not in check, does not cross check, and does not end in check.

Use the helper

Use the checklist tool: Chess960 Castling Helper

If you’re new to the variant: What is Chess960?