The King — Chess Foundations, Lesson 6
Learn how the king moves, why the king can never be captured, and the basic king-safety habits every chess beginner needs from move one.
This is lesson 6 of ten in Chess Foundations, a free beginner course from Endgame Society. Each lesson is short, written in plain language, and built around a board you can move pieces on while you read.
How the king moves, and why protecting it is everything.
The king is the most important piece — if you lose it, you lose the game. The king moves one square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Despite moving only one square at a time, the king becomes a powerful piece in the endgame when there are fewer threats on the board. Early in the game, your primary job is to keep the king safe.
A king can capture enemy pieces, but it can NEVER move to a square that is attacked by an opponent's piece. The king cannot put itself in danger.
A king on d5 can move to any adjacent square — c4, c5, c6, d4, d6, e4, e5, e6. That's 8 possible squares maximum.
Work through the lessons in order and you will finish knowing how every piece moves, how games end, and how to plan your first few moves without memorising anything.
Our courses run from the rules of the board to endgame technique. Lessons are interactive: you read a short passage, then play the position out on a real board before moving on.