Academy | Tactics | Targets | The King
Due to the check rule (a king in check must respond to the check), the king is the most vulnerable piece on the board.
Once the king is exposed, he becomes a target that can be exploited either through a direct attack or in combination with other targets. (This is why king safety is one of the most important principles in chess.)
Example #1
In the first example, White’s king is the only target we need.
Even though White is ahead in material, the defenders of White’s king have abandoned him, and Black is about to deliver checkmate with no resistance from White’s pieces:
1… Qh5+ 2. Kg1 (or Kg3) Ne2+ 3. Kg2 Qh3#
Example #2
Here, there are no checkmate possibilities against the exposed king, but we can exploit the king’s weakness to set up another tactic.
In addition to White’s exposed king, the rook on c1 is undefended. Black can use a forced sequence of moves to create a simultaneous threat against both the White king and rook:
1… Qb5+ 2. Kg2 (or Kg1) Qg5+ 3. Qg3 Qxc1
Example #3
Black’s king isn’t exposed… yet.
An exposed king is so vulnerable that you should always look for opportunities to expose and attack him, even at the cost of sacrificing material. This example is a common tactical idea know as the “Greek Gift Sacrifice”.
There is a few ways white can win but an instructive variation is:
1. Bxh7+ Kxh7 2. Ng5+ Kg8 3. Qh5 Re8 4. Qxf7+ Kh8 5. Qh5+ Kg8 6. Qh7+ Kf8 7. Qh8+ Ke7 8. Qxg7#
These three examples illustrate why an exposed king should always be on your radar as a potential tactical target.