Image by avlxyz via Flickr

One common misconception that I hear a lot, is that in a game of chess, the king can be captured.  It makes sense, since every other piece can be taken. However, during the game, the king is never removed from the board.

Sometimes a student of ours will become puzzled because their parent or grandparent will insist that the king can be captured.  After all, it was how they were taught.

After I ran into this problem a few times, I started offering to give parents a free 1-hour lesson.  The purpose was so that they could play with their children in between lessons, and we’d all be on the same page.

When I hit on this concept, I was pregnant, so I would stipulate that they needed to buy me coffee and a scone (I’d get hungry at the drop of a hat).  It was a hit and I’ve kept it in as a tradition.  Even though I’m no longer pregnant, I still ask for a scone.  I like scones.

One father pointed out that sometimes people knock the king over.  Perhaps that helps to create a confusion.

Knocking over the king is more of a dramatic statement than a true ritual of chess.  It looks good in a picture or movie, but you rarely see the gesture in a tournament. Certainly you wouldn’t knock over your opponent’s king (that would be very rude).

One friend pointed out that throughout history, when a war was won, the losing king was often permitted to live, out of respect.  Perhaps this is the reason that the king isn’t captured in chess – it mirrors life.

Whatever the reason, trust me, you do not remove the king from the board.  He stays on, through to the very end.  If you have any questions on this, buy me a coffee and a scone, and we can talk about it some more.