The King
The king is what the game of chess is about. It is your king
who you are fighting for, your king for whom you are waging this glorious
or hazardous battle. Your object in the game of chess is to capture
the enemy king while ensuring that your own king is not usurped from his
throne. With all this importance placed on the king you would think
that he would have some power of some sort. But, no. The king
is like a baby. He can move only to the squares immediately surrounding
him. He requires constant supervision by the members of his army.
The only special move that a king can make-- castling, serves to hide him
in a corner away from the action for the rest of the game. Only in
the end-game, when both of the armies have suffered severe casualties,
does the king come out and lead his army like a king. When faced
with the glory of an attack against the enemy king, all caution, all fear,
all thought of material value must be cast aside for a moment. The
king reigns supreme. It is the king you must destroy.