Although in two player chess the King is hardly the most powerful piece (the Queen must surely take that position) he is the most precious. In any chess game rules the KIng is the piece that decides defeat, victory or even stalemate.
In the original chess game in ancient India the King was just that, a king or emperor, and above the fighting, which was carried out by the foot soldiers and generals. This once more brings chess game rules into line with military strategy; in any war, if the king is captured then it is all over. This is the case with chess and explains why the King, amongst all the pieces of a chess set, has the most limited manoeuvrability.
The King can move in any direction - horizontally, vertically or diagonally - but only one space at a time. He takes another of the chess pieces by landing on its square. Of course, the King cannot be taken but if he is put into a position where he might have otherwise been taken he is said to be put into 'Check' and he must move out of danger before any other move is made. But he can never move into a square where he would also be similarly threatened.
Of course, there comes a point when the King is in Check in the square he is now in and would be in any other square he could move into. This is then termed 'Checkmate' and the opposing player has won the game. For this reason, players frequently take care to protect their King.
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