You can do it once in the game.
You move your King two squares towards your Rook.
Then, as part of the same move, the Rook jumps over the King and lands on the next square.
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CASTLING is a special double move with the King and a Rook. You can do it once in the game. You move your King two squares towards your Rook. Then, as part of the same move, the Rook jumps over the King and lands on the next square.
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You can castle on either side of the board - the KING SIDE (the side where the Kings start -
on your right in these diagrams) or the QUEEN SIDE (the side where the Queens start -
on your left in these diagrams). In this diagram White has just CASTLED on the KING SIDE.
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In this position Black has CASTLED on the QUEEN SIDE. You'll see that if you CASTLE on the QUEEN SIDE you end up nearer the center. And if you CASTLE on the KING SIDE you end up nearer the corner.
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You can only castle if your King hasn't moved and with a Rook that hasn't moved. Black CANNOT castle - he has moved his King (it's on the square where the Queen started off) Even if he moves his King back to its starting square he still CANNOT castle. White CANNOT castle on the QUEEN SIDE - he has moved his QUEEN's ROOK. But he CAN castle on the KING SIDE.
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You CANNOT castle if you are IN CHECK. Here, Black has just moved his Bishop to CHECK the White King. White CANNOT castle to get out of check. But, if you've been in check in the past but not moved your King you can still castle.
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You CANNOT castle INTO CHECK. Clearly, White CANNOT castle on the QUEEN SIDE here. It would leave his King IN CHECK from the Black Bishop.
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Here, White CANNOT castle on the QUEEN SIDE - his King would cross a square attacked by the Black Rook. White also CANNOT castle on the KING SIDE - his King would cross a square attacked by the Black Bishop.
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You've now reached the end of the lesson on castling. If there's anything you're not sure about, go through it again in a couple of days time. Click here for a quiz on this lesson. 
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