Chess Patterns ❯ Condition of Kings ❯ Strong King

Strong King

A Strong King is an active and well-positioned King, particularly in the endgame. It is capable of supporting its own pawns, attacking enemy pawns, controlling key squares, and coordinating with other pieces to put pressure on the opponent. In the diagram above, White's King dominates the center and is particularly active.

Ideas for when you have a Strong King: (1) Support the advance of your pawns, (2) Control key squares and cut off the enemy King's path, (3) Coordinate with other pieces to create threats, (4) Attack weak enemy pawns, (5) Ensure the King remains safe from potential counterattacks. Ideas against a Strong King: (1) Limit its mobility using your pawns and prevent it from entering your position, (2) Use your pieces to force it back by creating checks or threats, (3) Create passed pawns far from it.

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Master the Strong King

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Strong Kings. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of advantage.

Simple but effective. Use your king in the endgame
A very interesting video by the much-beloved Irina Krush YouTube channel fully dedicated to King’s activity in the endgame. Don’t skip this if you are a beginner/intermediate player.

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WIN With Your KING?!?!
Have fun with this footage + analysis by Will Taylor Chess in which he demonstrates how important a strong and active King is in seemingly blocked endgame positions.

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King Activity In The Endgame: Hammer*
This is an interesting series on King Activity on chess.com. GM Romain Edouard analyses the games and styles of several players to give us very valuable tips.

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Winning Chess Strategies*
This book is part of the Winning Chess Series by the much-acclaimed Yasser Seirawan. Engaging and informative, perfect for both beginners and intermediate players.

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Understanding Chess Move by Move*
This book by John Nunn walks you through the moves of 30 games, step-by-step. And it includes several examples of very active, strong kings. Ideal for club players looking for a clear and thorough explanation of game strategies.

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