Chess Terms
No Castling Chess

No Castling Chess

One of the standard pieces of advice that strong players pass on to beginners is that they should almost always castle early to keep their kings safe. But what if you can't castle at all?

Here's what you need to know about No Castling chess:


What Is No Castling Chess?

No Castling is a chess variant first proposed and thoroughly explored by DeepMind, the team behind AlphaZero. In this variant, every rule is the same, except for one: castling is not allowed.

No Castling game
A No Castling game.

According to GM Vladimir Kramnik, who assisted DeepMind in exploring this variant, this game helps to sidestep opening preparation. "This would inevitably lead to a considerably higher amount of decisive games in chess tournaments until the new theory develops, and more creativity would be required in order to win," the former world champion added.

How To Play No Castling Chess Online

It's easy to play No Castling at Chess.com. You can do it by going to our Variants page, select the Common tab, and click the No Castling option.

Play No Castling online
Go to our Variants page to play No Castling Chess.

Conclusion

You now know what No Castling Chess is, its rules, and how to play it online. Click the button below to play a game of this variant and test your creativity to explore your opponent's vulnerable king!

Play No Castling Chess

Explore More Chess Terms