King walk

In chess, a king walk, also known as a king march, steel king, or wandering king (Dutch: wandelkoning, literally "wanderking"), is a maneuver where the king travels a large distance to a different part of the board in the middlegame or opening. During a king walk, the king may travel along its own side of the board (from kingside to queenside, or vice versa) to reach a safer position. Alternatively, it may travel up the board, often involved in a mating attack against the opposing king.[2]

Short vs. Timman, final position
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8
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
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Position after 34.Kg5. Short had marched his castled king up the board, and now 35.Kh6 (if 34...Kh7, then 35.Qxg6+ Kh8 36.Qh6+ Kg8 37.Kf6) followed by Qg7# cannot be stopped.[1]

Activating the king before the endgame is a highly unusual occurrence; before the endgame, the safety of the king is considered paramount, and players are recommended to keep it out of harm's way.[3][4] In contrast, Wilhelm Steinitz, often known as the father of modern chess, was renowned for his maxim that "the king is a fighting piece".[5][6] Dutch chess historian and author Tim Krabbé has documented over one hundred such games.[2]

Because of the rarity of such tactics, those that reap rewards for the attacking player often have brilliancy prizes bestowed upon them.[7][8] Perhaps the most famous in recent history,[9] where Nigel Short defeated Jan Timman in Tilburg in 1991, was voted as one of the hundred greatest chess games in a list compiled by master Graham Burgess, and grandmasters John Nunn and John Emms.[10]

Example games

See also

References
  1. Agadmator: Nigel Short's King March Creates a "Mental Blockage" in Chess Engines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHcMY3Jvo2s
  2. Krabbé, Tim (1985), Chess Curiosities, London: George Allen & Unwin, ISBN 0-04-794021-2
  3. "Chess; Theory aside, the king safety is foremost", Robert Byrne, The New York Times, September 7, 1986
  4. "Ten Tips to Winning Chess – 7. Keep your king safe" Archived 2007-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Arthur Bisguier, United States Chess Federation website
  5. "Wilhelm Steinitz (1836–1900)" Archived 2008-06-19 at the Wayback Machine, Jeremy Silman
  6. "Chess; Girding the king", Robert Byrne, The New York Times, June 27, 1982
  7. "Steel king from Utrecht", Open Chess Diary, July 11, 2003
  8. "Steel King goes all the way", Open Chess Diary, July 4, 2007
  9. "The outrageous king walk", Dennis Monokroussos, ChessBase, April 2, 2006
  10. Burgess, Graham; Nunn, John; Emms, John (October 1998), The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, Carroll & Graf, ISBN 978-0-7867-0587-0
  11. "Nigel Short vs. Jan Timman, Interpolis 15th (1991), Tilburg NED, rd 4". Chessgames.com.
  12. "Alexander Alekhine vs. Fred Dewhirst Yates, London (1922), rd 10". Chessgames.com.
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