The King Is Not the Strongest, But the Only One That Matters

Most people misunderstand the king.

They think power in chess belongs to the queen, the rooks, the bishops.

And on the surface, they’re right — those pieces move faster, farther, more visibly.

The king, by contrast, is weak. It moves a single square. It hides behind pawns. It looks almost invisible.

But here’s the paradox:

The king is the only piece that mat…