How the King Moves
The king moves one square in any direction. Slow, but it must be kept safe.
Chess Basics
The king is slow — one step at a time
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About the King
The king has no point value: if it is checkmated, the game is over.
- It moves one square in any direction and may never move into check.
- In the opening and middlegame, keep the king safe, usually by castling early behind a wall of pawns.
- In the endgame, with fewer pieces left, the king becomes a strong attacking piece and should march toward the centre.
- The two kings can never stand on neighbouring squares.
New to the game? Read our guide to how every chess piece moves, then drill the board with the coordinate trainer.