Killer Kings: The King as a Fighting Piece in Chess - GM Maurice Ashley

Tactics course by Icebreaker presented by GM Maurice Ashley
Includes video and PGN

Language: English
Lectures: 10
Total Running Time: 8 hours 13 minutes

From the course:

When the game grows tense and double-edged, take the upper-hand with…

The Most Underused and Underrated Weapon in Your Chess Arsenal

Find the extra “oomph” you need to swing neck-and-neck chess games in your favor… when you transform your slow-moving king to a fierce close-quarters combatant!

In chess, every piece and pawn counts.

But while everyone knows how to set up tactics with the queen, rook, bishop, and knight…

Most chess players bury their king in a corner — wasting its game-winning potential.

Not you, though.

Because in Killer Kings: The King as a Fighting Piece in Chess…

IceBreaker shows you all the ways you can harness the power of your most important piece.

IceBreaker is a FIDE-rated chess expert… a passionate improver with a 2,100-day streak on Chessable… and the winner of our 2023 Create Your Own Course Challenge.

He’s joined by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, who you probably already know.

Ashley was named by the US Chess Federation as the 2003 Grandmaster of the Year. His penchant for razor-sharp tactics makes him a dangerous player on the board — and a fantastic commentator on the panel.

Together, Ashley and IceBreaker…

Transform Your King into a Formidable Fighter in the Opening, Middlegame, and Endgame

You’ll learn how to handle your king in the first 10 moves. So you can chase after the biggest opening advantage possible, without compromising safety.

? Are you castling when you can… or when you should? Chances are you’re missing out on an early edge! Follow these 2 triggers in chapter 6 to ensure castling actually improves your position.

? The 3 scenarios when castling endangers your king!

? How to castle regardless of undeveloped pieces standing in the way.

? When to forego castling, so you can kick the butt of enemy pieces that stand too close.

Next, you’ll pick up advanced middlegame techniques… which simultaneously safeguard your VIP and fight for the initiative. You’ll be shown how to:

? Walk the king a la World Champion Tigran Petrosian. So you can switch from attacking one side of the board to the other, leaving defenders in the dust.

? Take shelter in front of enemy pawns, while blockading their advance.

? Refute the opponent’s alignment tactic by stepping into it.

? All while strengthening your nerves with every exercise. So you can parry checkmating threats, no matter how scary-looking.


You’ll also hone your overall tactical creativity as you:

? Line up double attacks, discovered checks, and pins by castling.

? Trap enemy pieces and weave mating nets one square at a time.

? And break the standstill between attack and defense — by marching your monarch up the board to deal the finishing blow!

Ashley and IceBreaker also explain how to unleash the king’s full might in the endgame — where a single square can mean the difference between winning and losing.

You’ll learn all about:

? Seizing the opposition. So you can muscle the enemy king out of the way, and pick off their pawns.

? Putting the opponent under zugzwang and forcing them to self-destruct.

? Triangulating past defenders and running your pawns to the queening square.

? Richard Reti’s multitasking king… a miraculous drawing technique that ensures the promotion of your pawn while stopping the opponent’s!

Plus many more.