King (chess)

If the square is occupied by an undefended enemy piece, the king may capture it, removing it from play.

The king can give discovered check, however, by unblocking a bishop, rook, or queen.

The king can make a special move, in conjunction with a rook of the same color, called castling.

In the endgame, however, the king emerges to play an active role as an offensive piece, and can assist in the promotion of the player's remaining pawns.

It is not meaningful to assign a value to the king relative to the other pieces, as it cannot be captured or exchanged and must be protected at all costs.

As an assessment of the king's capability as an offensive piece in the endgame, it is often considered to be slightly stronger than a bishop or knight.

Like the modern king, it is the most important piece in the game and can move to any neighboring square.