King walk
In chess, a king walk, also known as a king march, steel king or fighting king, refers to occasions where the king travels up the board, often involved in a against the opposing king. This is a highly unusual occurrence since the safety of the king is considered paramount, and players are recommended to keep the king out of harm's way, at least until the endgame. In contrast, Wilhelm Steinitz, often known as the father of modern chess, was renowned for his maxim that "the king is a fighting piece". Dutch chess historian and author Tim Krabbé has documented over one hundred such games.
Because of the rarity of such tactics, those which reap rewards for the attacking player often have bestowed upon them. Perhaps the most famous in recent history, 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.
A can also refer to occasions where the king travels across the board to reach a safer position.Example games
- Short ties up Timman's pieces and his king can advance.
- Alekhine conjures up an attack in the endgame, and his king joins the fray.
