The game of chess is played with the motive of winning the game. Most of the newbies in chess have the doubt whether we can capture or kill the King in chess.
King cannot be captured or killed in a chess game. To win the game you can create a checkmate to the opponent’s king. If the opponent players resign before checkmate, this is also considered a victory in a chess game.
It is very important to safeguard the king in the chess game. The king should be kept safe when you are playing or preparing for an attack on the opponent. An exposed king has chances to get attacks and checks much easier.
How to checkmate a King?
Checkmate is check in chess, where the opponent’s king doesn’t have any legal moves or is unable to defend the check with pieces, or by capturing the piece which creates the attack. Checkmate can only happen if the king is under check.
The image shown below is a checkmate position with rook and queen
Here the Rook at b7 is preventing the king from escaping and Queen at a8 is also giving check to the king. As you can see the king doesn’t have any legal squares to move, hence it’s a checkmate.
Here are the different ways to avoid a check or checkmate
- Capture the piece that gives a check
- Move the king to a square with no check
- Block the check with other pieces.
There are many basic checkmates beginners must know while starting the game. They are
- Mate with queen
- Mate with rook
- Mae with double rook
- Mate with Double Bishop
- Mate with Bishop and Knight
Can I checkmate with two knights in chess?
It is possible to create a checkmate with the knight in a chess game, but it’s not a forced move. Checkmate positions with the double knight is one of the rarest positions in a chess game and it is almost impossible to checkmate with a double knight and king with professional players.
The below image shows a simple double knight mating position
Here the black king is under check and there are no legal squares for the king to escape from the check. The Knight at c6 controls b8 square so the king cannot move to the next square.
Where is the safest place for the king in chess?
The safest position of the king is when it is protected by his undisturbed pawns and pieces. It is advised to castle the king in the early stage of the game for safety. A well-protected and castled king will be much after and it will be difficult to create an attack on such a king.
King’s safety is one of the major opening principles in chess
most players follow in the chess game. An exposed king tends to create lots of pressure. There are lots of top games in which the players crush the opponents who haven’t castled or exposed the king.
Here are some important principles you need to follow after casting:
- Don’t push the pawn of castled king unnecessarily
- Avoid trading the defenders
- Don’t bring the king to center in the opening or middle game
- Find positions ideas to avoid piece sacrifices toward king
There are many aggressive chess openings that have the sole idea to bring attack towards the castled kingside. Make sure that the counter players are well prepared to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Can King Capture King in chess?
A chess king cannot capture other king on the chessboard. It is even impossible to bring both chess kings to adjacent squares. If the player brings the king next to the opponent’s king it is considered to be an illegal move.
Both the white and black side aims to checkmate the opponent king. It is impossible in chess to give a check to a king. To provide a check with the king the king must be next to the opponent’s king which is out of the chess rules.
This doubt prevails in many beginners in chess. Hope the solution to the question is pretty clear from these details. So make sure you avoid bringing the kings together, else you may end up in illegal move.
Can King Move 2 steps?
A chess king cannot move 2 squares unless it’s a casting. A king can move one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally unless the square is already occupied by another piece or the move would end up in check.
Castling is a special move of the king which allows the king to move 2 squares. There are two types of castling in a chess game
- King Side castling
- Queen Side Castling
King Side Castling
Kingside castling is performed when the king moves 2 squares towards the kingside and the rook is placed on the other side of the king. See the diagram below to understand how to castle towards kingside
Here the white castling the king towards kingside by placing the king on g1 and rook on f1. Similarly black castles by playing king to g8 and rook to f8.
Queen Side Castling
Kingside castling is performed when the king moves 2 squares towards the queenside and the rook is placed on the other side of the king. See the diagram below to understand how to castle towards queenside
Here the white castle the king towards the queenside by placing the king on c1 and rook on d1. Similarly black castles by playing king to c8 and rook to d8.
Rules to follow while castling the king
Castling is usually done to protect the king. Here are the rules to follow while castling
- Castling is possible only if the king or the rook has not moved during the game.
- Castling is not possible when the king is under a check.
- Castling is not possible when the path of the king comes under a check.
Can a king kill the Queen in chess?
The king can kill the queen in chess. In simple words, the chess king can capture the queen on the chess board. King can capture the queen if it is a check unless the queen is not supported by another chess piece.
In chess, the king cannot move to adjacent squares of the queen, since it results in a check. In chess, the king cannot jump to check by himself. To capture the chess queen by the king, the queen must provide the check on the squares next to the king.
Conclusion
Chess games are played with the motive to win the game by checkmating the opponent’s king. Make sure to follow these points while playing with the king
- King cannot be captured in chess
- If player checkmates the opponent king he is considered to be victories
- King cannot move 2 squares unless its a casting move.