King walk

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Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 bd d8 e8 rd f8 rd g8 kd h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 b7 c7 pd d7 rl e7 f7 pd g7 h7
a6 b6 pd c6 qd d6 e6 pd f6 ql g6 pd h6
a5 pd b5 c5 d5 e5 pl f5 g5 kl h5 pd
a4 pl b4 c4 pl d4 rl e4 f4 g4 h4 pl
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 nl g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 pl d2 e2 f2 pl g2 pl h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
Image:chess zhor 26.png
The final position of Short–Timman. Having marched his white king from g1, Short is poised to breach the black king's pawn defence, and checkmate cannot be prevented.

In chess, a king walk, also known as a steel king (Dutch: wandelkoning, literally "wanderking") or fighting king, refers to occasions where the king travels up the board, often in the context of its active involvement in the mating attack against the opposing king.[1] This is a highly unusual occurrence since the safety of the king is considered paramount, and players are recommended to keep them out of harm's way, at least until the endgame.[2][3] Nevertheless, in contrast Wilhelm Steinitz, often known as the father of modern chess, was renowned for his maxim that "the king is a fighting piece".[4][5] Dutch chess historian and author Tim Krabbé has documented over one hundred such games.[1]

Because of the rarity of such tactics, those which reap rewards for the attacking player often have brilliancy prizes bestowed upon them.[6][7] Perhaps the most famous in recent history,[8] 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 FM Graham Burgess, and GMs John Nunn and John Emms.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Krabbé, Tim (1985), Chess Curiosities, London: George Allen & Unwin, ISBN 0-04-794021-2 
  2. ^ "Chess; Theory aside, the king safety is foremost", Robert Byrne, The New York Times, September 7, 1986
  3. ^ "Ten Tips to Winning Chess - 7. Keep your king safe", Arthur Bisguier, United States Chess Federation website
  4. ^ "Wilhelm Steinitz (1836–1900)", Jeremy Silman
  5. ^ "Chess; Girding the king", Robert Byrne, The New York Times, June 27, 1982
  6. ^ "Steel king from Utrecht", Open Chess Diary, July 11, 2003
  7. ^ "Steel King goes all the way", Open Chess Diary, July 4, 2007
  8. ^ "The outrageous king walk", Dennis Monokroussos, ChessBase, April 2, 2006
  9. ^ Burgess, Graham; Nunn, John & Emms, John (October 1998), The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, Carroll & Graf, ISBN 978-0-78-670587-0, <http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1000082> 

[edit] External links


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