The king can move one square in any direction — up, down, left, right, or diagonally. However, there is a catch: the king can never step onto a square that is attacked by an enemy piece. If an enemy piece threatens the king, the king is in check and must immediately escape. The entire goal of chess is to trap the enemy king so that it is in check and has no safe squares left to step to — a game-ending situation known as checkmate. Note: castling is a special king move covered on its own page.
For experienced players
Though fragile and heavily protected in the opening and middlegame, the king becomes a vital attacking piece in the endgame once the queens and most other major pieces are traded off.
See also:Castling