A king hunt in chess refers to a strategic pattern where the opponent’s king becomes vulnerable and is relentlessly pursued with a series of check moves. At times, the king is lured away from its initial position and eventually cornered in hostile territory, leading to checkmate. The key aspect in such scenarios is to ensure that the entire sequence of moves is compulsory, leaving no room for the opponent to mount a defensive strategy.
The famous game between Edward Lasker and George Alan Thomas in London 1912 is usually mentioned as the best example, as the king hunt commenced by sacrificing the queen and extended over a span of eight consecutive moves, culminating in a checkmate on the far side of the chessboard. We already mentioned this game in our article Cloak and Dagger. Visit that page and replay the game, it’s definitely worth it.
Witnessing another illustration of a king hunt takes us to a remarkable game from the seventeenth century, attributed to Gioachino Greco, the renowned Italian chess player and writer. Although the authenticity of this particular game, classified as “Greco vs. NN,” remains uncertain, the sequence of moves employed is undeniably captivating. Let’s delve into it: