Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.

Since Java is no longer supported in most browsers, our Java applets probably will not run unless you install an extension that will run them. We recommend installing the CheerpJ Applet Runner extension on Edge, Chrome, or another Chromium browser. If your browser still does support Java, and you're not using this extension, make sure this site is listed in your Java exceptions list. You should find this in the Security tab of your Java control panel.

Free Castling Chess

If you had a Java-capable browser, you could play Free Castling Chess here.
Keys "s"=save "l"=load "b"=back once

You may castle, whether or not you are in check, passing over squares under attack and/or occupied squares, so long as neither king nor rook have been moved and the rook ends up on the far side of the king, not beyond the king's square.

This was the norm in Italy up into the 19th century.

Free Castling
Tim Harding on Free Castling
Italian chess
Renaissance Chess
Castling

Chess Variants

These are simple illustrations rather than strong opponents.

Bug reports? -- Thank you! Keep them coming!

Written by Ed Friedlander

WWW Page Added: Sunday, December 30, 2001