King walk

Chess diagram|=
tright|
=8 | | |bd| |rd|rd|kd| |=7 | | |pd|rl| |pd| | |=6 | |pd|qd| |pd|ql|pd| |=5 |pd| | | |pl| |kl|pd|=4 |pl| |pl|rl| | | |pl|=3 | | | | | |nl| | |=2 | | |pl| | |pl|pl| |=1 | | | | | | | | |= a b c d e f g h
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.citation | last = Krabbé | first = Tim | authorlink = Tim Krabbé | title = Chess Curiosities | publisher = George Allen & Unwin | date = 1985 | location = London | isbn = 0-04-794021-2 ] 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. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE0DD1430F934A3575AC0A960948260 "Chess; Theory aside, the king safety is foremost"] , Robert Byrne, "The New York Times", September 7 1986] [http://www.uschess.org/beginners/ten/ "Ten Tips to Winning Chess - 7. Keep your king safe"] , Arthur Bisguier, United States Chess Federation website] 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". [http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_history/grt_plyr_w_steinitz.html "Wilhelm Steinitz (1836–1900)"] , Jeremy Silman] [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E3D7143BF934A15755C0A964948260 "Chess; Girding the king"] , Robert Byrne, "The New York Times", June 27 1982] 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 brilliancy prizes bestowed upon them. [http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary_11.htm "Steel king from Utrecht"] , Open Chess Diary, July 11 2003] [http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary_11.htm "Steel King goes all the way"] , Open Chess Diary, July 4 2007] Perhaps the most famous in recent history, [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3017 "The outrageous king walk"] , Dennis Monokroussos, ChessBase, April 2 2006] 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.Citation | last = Burgess | first = Graham | last2 = Nunn | first2 = John | author2-link = John Nunn | last3 = Emms | first3 = John | author3-link = John Emms (chess player) | title = The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games | publisher = Carroll & Graf | year = October 1998 | url = http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1000082 | isbn = 978-0-78-670587-0 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1001225 "His Majesty steps out"] , capanegra, chessgames.com