King Chase

Eight Square™: In Hot Pursuit The king is both the most venerable and vulnerable chess piece on the board. Especially in the opening, the king should be protected. Protection for the king can be accomplished by castling or forming a defense. If not, as the game develops, the king can be susceptible to a check that forces the king to move. This check precludes the king from performing the castling special move in the future. A king that has neither castled nor formed a defense may be chased out of the safety of a back-rank and most-likely pursued into checkmate. This hot pursuit is called a King Chase. A King Chase may require capturing opponent’s pieces, passing up opportunities to capture pieces, or even sacrificing pieces. Queens are especially effectively at King Chase. Here is an instructive example of a King Chase.

Material is balanced. But, it is Black’s move, and the Black queen begins the chase. The Black queen moves from d5 to d3, taking the pawn and checking the White king. The White king has only one legal square to move f1 to g2. If White blocked the check with its queen, the White queen would just be captured because of the rook on e8.

©2009 James Jones. All rights reserved.

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It is Black’s move and the Black rook moves from e8 to e2 checking the White king. Also, this move is attacking both the White king and bishop. The White king retreats from g2 to the h3 square.

Black has to make a decision to capture the White bishop on d2 or continue to chase the king. Black continues the chase by moving its queen from d3 to f3 capturing a pawn and checking the White king. The White king has only one legal move and retreats from h3 to the h4 square.

Black continues the pressure on the White King by bringing in its bishop from c5 to f2 which checks the King. The Black bishop to e7 move would allow for White’s bishop to block the check, while Black bishop to f2 forces the king from h4 to g5 across its protective pawns into the wild and towards the Black king’s protective phalanx of pawns on h7, g7, and f7.

©2009 James Jones. All rights reserved.

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Black’s bishop now blocks any hope for escape by the White king. Where can Black move for checkmate? Can Black checkmate the White king with more than one piece? Below is a potential King Chase. White has sacrificed a knight to obtain this position. How could White proceed?

©2009 James Jones. All rights reserved.

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