King Walk
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chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, a king walk, also known as a king march, steel king, or wandering king (, literally "wanderking"), is a maneuver where the
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
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 to , or vice versa) to reach a safer position. Alternatively, it may travel up the board, often involved in a against the opposing king. 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."Chess; Theory aside, the king safety is foremost"
Robert Byrne, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', September 7, 1986
"Ten Tips to Winning Chess – 7. Keep your king safe"
, Arthur Bisguier, United States Chess Federation website
In contrast,
Wilhelm Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and c ...
, often known as the father of modern chess, was renowned for his
maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim ...
that "the king is a fighting piece"."Wilhelm Steinitz (1836–1900)"
, Jeremy Silman
"Chess; Girding the king"
Robert Byrne, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', June 27, 1982
Dutch chess
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and
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Tim Krabbé has documented over one hundred such games. Because of the rarity of such tactics, those that reap rewards for the attacking player often have bestowed upon them."Steel king from Utrecht"
Open Chess Diary, July 11, 2003

Open Chess Diary, July 4, 2007
Perhaps the most famous in recent history,"The outrageous king walk"
Dennis Monokroussos, ChessBase, April 2, 2006
where Nigel Short defeated Jan Timman in
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
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.


Example games

* Short vs. Timman, Tilburg 1991. Alekhine Defense: Modern, Alburt Variation (B04), . Short ties up Timman's pieces and his king can advance. * Alekhine vs. Yates, London 1922. Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line (D64), . Alekhine conjures up an attack in the endgame, and his king joins the fray.


See also

*
Chess tactics In chess, a tactic is a sequence of moves that each makes one or more immediate threats – a check, a threat, a checkmating sequence threat, or the threat of another tactic or otherwise forcing moves – that culminates in the opponent's being ...
* King hunt – where the king is ''involuntarily'' chased up the board by the opponent and often checkmated


References


External links


"His Majesty steps out"
capanegra, Chessgames.com {{chess Chess terminology