No, a king cannot "take" another king in chess.
While the king is a crucial piece in chess, and it can capture enemy pieces, it can never capture an opposing king. The game ends when a king is under an imminent threat of capture (checkmate), not when a king captures another king.
Understanding King Capture in Chess
The reference clarifies that a chess king can capture an enemy chess piece if that piece is located one block in any given direction. This includes:
- Horizontally
- Vertically
- Diagonally
However, this capture rule does not extend to the opposing king. Because a king can never move to a square where it is threatened (put in check), no two kings will ever be located adjacently to one another. This is fundamental to chess strategy.
Why Kings Can't Capture Kings
- The Goal: The main objective in chess is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning to put it in a position where it is under attack and has no legal moves to escape capture.
- Game Over: If a king was able to capture another king, that would immediately end the game, making chess much less strategic and complex.
- Impossibility: The way the king is allowed to move ensures that it can never be positioned to capture the opposing king.
Key Takeaway
The statement, "a chess king can capture an enemy chess piece one block in any given direction," from the reference is true; however, this does not include capturing another king. The king is captured through checkmate and not by an actual capture of the piece by the opponent's king.
