In chess, every move ultimately revolves around one piece: the king. While it may not be the strongest attacker, protecting your king—and attacking your opponent’s—is the entire objective of the game. In this post: Chess 101: the king How the king moves Check, checkmate, and stalemate Strategy tips for the king Resignation The king is the most important piece on the chess board. It is usually the tallest piece, topped with a cross and sometimes a small crown. Historically, the king has represented the highest ruler in society. In ancient India, chess’s predecessor included a piece representing the raja (from Sanskrit, meaning “king” or “ruler”). When the game spread to Persia, the ruler became the shah . Eventually, as chess moved into medieval Europe, this piece became known as the king. Each player starts with one king, placed on the first and eighth rank (or row). The kings begin opposite each other on the same file (or column), called the e-file.…