When Does A Queenside Castle Make Sense?

When learning chess for the first time, beginners are quickly taught the importance of castling their king. The benefits of castling are clear. The king is usually safer on the edge of the board than in the middle. Castling also helps connect the rooks. There are two ways to castle: the kingside castle (or short castle), and the queenside castle (or long castle).

Castling kingside is more commonplace at all levels. In this article we are going to delve into the alternative: castling queenside. Under which circumstances should you consider the queenside castle? Read on to find out!

How Queenside Castling Works

Let us briefly review the queenside castle.

Below, we see White in a position to castle queenside next move. Note that: 

• all squares between the White king and the White rook are clear, and;
• both the White king and the White rook are still on their starting squares.

Once the queenside castle has been completed, the White king will be on c1, and the White rook will occupy d1 - as the next position illustrates.

In chess notation, castling queenside is written as: 0-0-0.

For more, click here for our comprehensive guide to castling in chess.

Disadvantages Of Queenside Castling

We earlier mentioned that kingside castling is more common than queenside castling. Why is that?

There are two important disadvantages inherent with queenside castling:

1. Castling Queenside Takes Longer To Execute

Before castling, all of the pieces in between the king and the rook involved in castling must move away from their starting squares so that there is the necessary clear space to pull off the maneuver.

Looking at the starting position from White’s perspective (and highlighting the king and both rooks), we can see that:

• There are just two pieces to the right of the king which need to move in order to castle kingside (the bishop on f1 and the knight on g1), whereas;
• There are three pieces to the left of the king which must move in order to castle queenside (the knight on b1, the bishop on c1 and the queen on d1).

Having to move that one extra piece (the queen) means that it will take longer to castle queenside compared to castling kingside - meaning that the king must remain longer in the middle, where it can be more exposed to potential attack.

2. The Queenside Castle Is Often Less Secure

Let us compare a couple of positions from actual games: 

• one where White has castled kingside, and; 
• one where White has castled queenside.

In the below game where White has castled kingside, notice how the three pawns in front of the White king form an effective defensive barrier. Thanks to these pawns, the king is relatively safe. In addition, all three of these pawns are, themselves, defended by the White king.

If we contrast this with a typical queenside castle position, there are a couple of important differences that make White’s position somewhat more vulnerable:

• The c1 -> h6 diagonal is open towards the White king. In the future Black may be able to give a check or pin a piece along this diagonal, should the White king remain on c1. The kingside castle position does not have the equivalent open diagonal line unless White were to advance their f-pawn.
• The a2 pawn is not defended by the White king. In the kingside castle position shown earlier, White’s king defends all three of the defensive pawns in front of it. However, with the queenside castle, the a2 pawn is not similarly defended by the king. While White’s knight on c3 is currently defending the a2 pawn, this means that the knight cannot easily move away without the a2 pawn becoming vulnerable.

For these reasons, a common follow-up move after castling queenside is often Kb1 (or Kb8, for Black). Although this costs another move, the king is often a bit safer on b1 / b8 than on c1 / c8, and the a-pawn benefits from gaining the king as an extra defender.

Advantages Of Queenside Castling

Given the drawbacks of queenside castling, why is it that everyone doesn’t just castle kingside?

1. A Queenside Castle Can Offer Better Attacking Chances

If your opponent castles kingside, then castling queenside results in each of the two kings being on opposite flanks. This usually leads to a more aggressive game - which can suit the style of some chess players!

With opposite-side castling, a pawn storm is possible without sacrificing your own king’s pawn cover. Most likely, your opponent will do the same against your king - so get ready for a double-edged fight!

2. Castling Queenside Does A Better Job Of Centralizing A Rook

One of the rules of thumb in chess is that rooks belong on the central files. While not always the case, it is true that having a rook on the d-file is often very useful.

Castling queenside efficiently gets a rook to the d-file - a more central place than the f-file (where a rook ends up with kingside castling).

Example Games With A Queenside Castle

By studying these situations where the queenside castle proved to be a good plan, you can apply the lessons in your own games.

Wang Hao vs. Gerber, 2016 (1-0)

The decision to castle queenside can be influenced by the opening you are playing, and what the thematic middlegame plans are. The below game is a good example.

White went for a queenside castle here, because based on the opening theory it is known that White’s best chance of victory is to attack on the kingside - a plan which will be easier to conduct when White’s own king goes to the queenside.

If we check the same game a few moves later, we can see how White set his plan in motion. White’s kingside pawns attacked forward to try to open lines against Black’s king - a plan which ultimately proved successful. White’s blows on the kingside were able to land before Black could open up the queenside.

Rose vs. Dus, 2022 (1-0)

We earlier said that queenside castling is often a bit less secure. But that is not always the case! Sometimes, the queenside can be the safest place for the king - as the next game illustrates.

20 moves have been played to reach the below position, and White is still yet to castle. A material count shows that White has an extra piece, but now that the center is starting to open up, White’s king may get into trouble if it remains where it is.

Here, White’s decision to castle queenside was mostly informed by king safety. With Black’s rook on e8 occupying the same file as the White king, it does not seem prudent to keep the king on e1. Kingside castling does not offer much respite - with so many White pawns having advanced from their starting squares, the White king would still lack cover on g1.

By going for a queenside castle, the White king found relative safety on c1 and White was eventually able to win.

Final Thoughts On The Queenside Castle

Part of the beauty of chess is its complexity. Although we can offer general guidance - even subtle differences in the position can matter greatly in determining whether a queenside castle is right or wrong in any given situation.

To make better decisions about whether or not to castle queenside, we recommend working on your positional understanding of chess. This involves reviewing your own games after you have finished playing them, as well as studying master games.

One of the best resources to improve at chess strategy is the book Key Elements of Chess Strategy by Georgy Lisitsin, available from the USCF store.

This beautiful hardcover book is an updated version of a classic from this famous Soviet chess master, theoretician and writer. It can be your companion as you systematically improve your understanding of chess. Click here to check it out!