Guide for Opposite Side Castling?

Hi, 

I would like to know, if there is any guide for opposite side castling, as white & black both? 

Your suggestion is welcome. 

Thanks.


 

I don't know of any such guide, but I will only volunteer these few things, as someone who really likes to use that strategy.

Make sure that you plan your choice of timing and position so that, your attack doesn't become stalled and you lose the initiative, otherwise you can become victim of the very thing you tried to do to your opponent. So therefore, make sure your defense is sound also. Have an escape plan for your king and make sure your pieces are coordinated not only for attack, but defense also, incase your opponent tries to perform some Tal-like sacrifice you didn't count on.

@nameno1had
Thanks for explain in details. I'll practice those. 

It makes for a bloody battle. I concur, defending and attacking at the same time takes more brain cells than I have typically. I avoid it unless I see something extremely appealing or he blunders.

Some simple guidelines:

1. If you are up material, keep the position symmetrical and castle on the same side.

2. If you are down material, you need to throw the kitchen sink at your opponent so opposite castling makes more sense.

3. If you have more pieces pointing at the opponent's king or already accumulated enough space advantages to win a opposite-castling race, then castle on opposite sides.

4. Vice-versa to 3, if you're the guy who's getting a lot of force/pieces pointing to one flank and haven't yet castled, it would be unwise to castle "into" that flank if you know your opponent is going to win the race.

5. If the center gets locked, opposite side castling races get EVEN MORE bloody! :)

6. Once you're in a race attack, unless you can concretely calculate that you are losing the race badly, you cannot hesitate and suddenly back-pedal into playing defense (and stopping your own attack) This will definitely get you killed! 

Once again, general guidelines ... start with them and learn to identify the exceptions.

@ponygirl123
tru dat. it's a race of attack & defense at same the time

@Shivsky 
You've explained many new things about this castling. I'm sure that I'll do better in games if I can apply properly.

Thank you both for comments. 

it isnt really logical but if i play stronger players i try not to castle on opposite side. I feel safer that way

I get what you are saying, but I've found (2) to be vital in many of my "losing" games where I managed to come back. Also, I never advocated blindly castling on opposite sides when behind ... nor is doing so "automatically" helping your opponent win.  In many situations, this actually makes sense. I trust the player to understand the difference between playing mechanically (castling opposite sides) and digging himself deeper  vs.  figuring out that he can create counter-play by doing so via the "throw the kitchen sink" approach. 

Once again, note that I said these are guidelines NOT rules ... castling "into" a lethal attack when you are losing is stupid. Though if you have more pieces pointing at his king than vice-versa, I still stand that this is "aggressive" and "creating complications" for your opponent, i.e. making it HARDER for him to win.  

I guess I'm really debating the norms vs. the exceptions ... and I'm ready to be convinced that (2) is not the norm for practical club-player games,, but so far I'm not.

  I believe NM Heisman's take on this is similar:

An excerpt:

Because if you castle first, your opponent should follow the strategy of what to do when behind – see the  Novice Nook When You Are Winning, It’s a Whole Different Game, and complicate. Therefore, he should castle on the opposite side and start a complex game where his pawn deficit is not nearly as important. You, on the  other hand, should do all you can to avoid such a situation (within reason), and try to make the game as simple and calm as possible by castling on the same  side, when you are just up a pawn with pleasant prospects.