Chess piece in castling

Editorially verified for the Oct 14, 2026

18 Down

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In castling, the king moves two squares toward the rook, which moves to the square beside it.

Clue explained

The rook is the chess piece involved in castling, the special move that shifts the king and rook together. The king moves two squares toward the rook, and the rook crosses over to the square next to the king. Castling is allowed only if neither piece has moved and the king does not pass through or land in check.

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 14, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1No-frills supermarket chain
  2. 5Receipt fig.
  3. 8Puzzle
  4. 14Weaver's machine
  5. 15"Pshaw!"
  6. 16Perfect alignment
  7. 17*Black Friday enticement
  8. 19Peak with a name from Koyukon
  9. 20"The Matrix" hero
  10. 21Wee bit
  11. 23Left in a cave, as some cheese
  12. 24*Words with a WWII-era doodle
  13. 28Mardi Gras song originally called "Jock-A-Mo"
  14. 29Fabled race day napper
  15. 30"I'll shake on that!"
  16. 31Berra with a record 10 World Series rings as a player
  17. 34Centipede releaser
  18. 38Family guy
  19. 39*Shout on a playground
  20. 41Pod of whales
  21. 42"Do the Right Thing" actor Davis
  22. 44Stint in office
  23. 45Much Duchamp work
  24. 46Pitch setter
  25. 48Superhot, as wing sauce
  26. 50*Introductory phrase
  27. 53Stepped heavily
  28. 55Grammy winner India.__
  29. 56Sudden flight
  30. 57Demolish
  31. 59Marketing slogans, or what the answers to the starred clues are?
  32. 63Does some tailoring on
  33. 64"Fearless" or "Lover," for Taylor Swift
  34. 65Iditarod terminus city
  35. 66Thrift store transaction
  36. 67Sketch show with celebrity 50-Down, for short
  37. 68Flakes

Down

  1. 1__ too soon
  2. 2Lav
  3. 3Gets off the web
  4. 4Put at risk
  5. 5Pacific tuna
  6. 6Large parrot that forms a pair bond
  7. 7Angle symbol, in geometry
  8. 8Subject of a 49-foot bronze statue in Nara, Japan
  9. 9WSW opposite
  10. 10Mosque tower
  11. 11Utility bill data
  12. 12Foot part
  13. 13"Wednesday" werewolf
  14. 18Chess piece in castling
  15. 22More pale
  16. 24Little buddy
  17. 25Stores with Småland play areas
  18. 26Fluctuate wildly
  19. 27Basic Latin verb
  20. 32Determined to get
  21. 33Test for some srs.
  22. 35Leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War
  23. 36Diameter halves
  24. 37Apple desktops
  25. 39Talk over the clamor
  26. 40"Ms. Marvel" star Vellani
  27. 43Pure Leaf beverage
  28. 45Realms
  29. 47Pass by
  30. 49Starbucks size
  31. 50Members of 67-Across's Five-Timers Club, e.g.
  32. 51Tiny arachnids
  33. 52Pine (for)
  34. 53Type of ski lift
  35. 54Hold the throne
  36. 58Web address
  37. 60Actress Gadot
  38. 61Angsty rock
  39. 62Do some tailoring on

The answer to “Chess piece in castling” in the The Washington Post crossword is ROOK — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 14, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 18-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Chess piece in castling” answer

ROOK (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ROOK.

What does ROOK mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ROOK is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a gregarious Eurasian crow with black plumage and a bare face, nesting in colonies in treetops

When else has “Chess piece in castling” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 14, 2026 (most recent) → ROOK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Chess piece in castling”?

The answer is ROOK, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Chess piece in castling”?

4 letters: ROOK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 14, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 18-Down.

Can “Chess piece in castling” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 14, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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