King
The king is not the most powerful chess piece, but it is the most important one! If a king is put in checkmate, then the game is over!
Two very important aspects of the game of chess are attacking your opponent's king while also keeping your own king safe and protected. Let's learn more!
The King
The king is less powerful than almost every chess piece, but it is also unique: the king is the only piece that can never be captured! If a king is attacked, it is in "check." At the beginning of the game, the white king starts on the e1 square, and the black king starts on e8.
The pawns on the second and seventh ranks protect the kings, but always be mindful of the f2 and f7 squares—these squares are usually involved in very quick checkmates, as pawns on these squares are the only ones protected solely by the king when a game begins!
How The King Moves
The king's movement is limited compared to other chess pieces. It can move one square in any direction. In the following position, the king can move to any of the highlighted squares.
Please note that the king can never move into check!
The King And Check
When a king is attacked, it is in check. A king cannot move into check (that is considered an illegal move), and if a king is put in check, it must get out of check.
There are three ways to get out of check: 1) move the king out of check, 2) block the check with another piece and 3) capture the piece putting the king in check. If a king is in check and none of these options are legal, then a checkmate has occurred and the game is over!
Test
Let's test you to see if you can recognize if the king is in check. Is the white king in check in the following position?
No! The white king is not attacked by any piece, so it is not in check! What about the position below? Is the white king in check?
Conclusion
You now know where to place the king when a game is started, how the king moves and when it is in check. As a parting note, the king is used when a player resigns an over-the-board game. Resignation is indicated when someone tips their king over—the official sign of defeat!
Watch the Video Lesson
Reading an article is a wonderful way to learn ideas and concepts, but watching a video lesson can help even more! Below you will find a video lesson about the king.
