King of the Hill

King of the Hill

King of the hill is one of the most popular variations of chess. The objective of the game is primarily to get your king to one of the four center squares. This variation requires players to focus on control of the center. A checkmate will also result in a win.

Game 1

In this game, I was playing with the white pieces against a 1537 from Ukraine. The time control was 3 minute with no bonus. 

I start the game off with e4 and e5. I decide to throw both of my center pawns early in the game, resulting in a trade and my queen ending in the center of the board. This does allow my opponent to gain tempo with knight development to hit my queen and control d4. 

My opponent proceeds to do just this and develop both of his knights, while I develop my knight on f3. Notice how we are both trying to control the front two squares of our opponent's box. This is to prevent future attempts of the king to walk to the center of the board. Black's double knight method is an especially common and effective way to quickly control these two essential squares. 

My opponent continues with d6, trying to open the diagonal for his bishop. I think d5 would have been an interesting option, but I think he may have been worried about me playing e5. But we both bring out our bishops to attack the f knights. 

Now, this is where I just make a completely bad idea. My opponent played h6, hitting my bishop, and I decide to not move it and bring my king closer to the board. My reasoning was that I could gain some tempo by sacrificing the bishop and recapture my knight to block the e6 square, taking advantage of my opponent blocking the d file. But looking back at it, I probably should have just traded my bishop for knight. 

However, I am able to find a fork with the king and take a pawn. The problem is that black is able to find a way to stack both his queen and rook down the center of the board. If you are able to line rooks on the d and e file, this usually means that you will have dominate control of the center. Black just has to find a way to get rid of the d pawn, blockading the entire plan. I am also walking my king to the center, and the d4 square is undefended. 

Black decides to defend with c5, resulting in a queen trade. I play b4, hoping black takes the pawn, leaving the d4 vulnerable. Black doesn't fall for the trick, and I shouldn't take on c5 because this rips open the file for black's rook. 

The game continues with this sort of challenging of each other's bishops, which eventually results in a bishop trade and black bringing in his rook. Now, this is an interesting move because it cuts off my king horizontally. As long as that rook has sight of the fourth row, my king can't infiltrate. But black is running out of time. He is at 34 seconds, while I have a minute and 46 seconds. 

I start by targeting his rook, but he remains stubborn and tries to keep his rook on the fourth rank. So I continue by hitting his knight, but black plays a tricky move with Kc6. It looks like the king can't come into the center of the board, but Nxe4 leaves the square undefended, so I cut off the king by putting my rook on the d file. 

But black develops his bishop and suddenly, his position explodes to life. The problem is that he has 10 seconds remaining, while I have over a minute. 

The board gets cleaned up, and the result is a position, where black is unable to prevent me from walking my king to the center, and I am able to claim a victory.

Game 2

In the second game, I was playing with the black pieces against a 1613 from Germany.

White makes an interesting choice to play f4, in order to flank control of the center, rather than the classical way of controlling the center. White capitalizes on my choice to play d5 by focusing on control of one square, the e5 square, and as long as white's d4 pawn is in place, it will be impossible for my king to advance to e5. 

This lead to me playing f6 in order to support and fight to play e5. White finds counterplay with my decision to develop my queen early by playing Ba3, but I am able to sidestep this attack. 

What proceeds is a giant exchange in the middle of the board with my queen and d pawn remaining in the center of the board. Material remains equal and time is about even at this point. 

White gives a check, but I block by developing my knight, and white is forced to play the awkward c3 to protect its rook, basically immobilizing his entire queenside. In the end, white offers a queen trade, which I take to open the center files. I have a lead in development and it will take a few moves for white to develop.

We have a rush to the center of the board, but we both block each other's point of entry with our pawns. However, I am able to gain dominant and complete control of the e file.

White starts playing really nice counter play. He finds Nxd4, and I can't take back because white will recapture with the king and reach the top of the hill. I end up running my king back to the base of the hill, and it looks counter intuitive, but it is in order to have my rooks line up and complete control of both d and e files. But white is able to capture and hunt down my bishop. 

However, I take a defensive strategy and push the white king to the side of the board. I control both d4 and e4, as well as the entire file with my rooks. We both have about 1 minute at this point in the game. 

I kick out white's knight and try to go for a pawn break on the side of the board. But white begins a rook lift to bring his rook into the game in order to challenge the open files. So, I take countermeasures to weaken white's defense with Bd5. I don't know why I always sacrifice bishops in king of the hill, but I do this to bait him into taking it so that his pawn is no longer blocking d5 and allows my king to potentially take the square. However, I am now down to 30 seconds, while white has been blitzen moves and is still at just under 1 minute. 

I begin rewalking my king to the center, but as expected, white brings in his rooks, but I keep walking. You don't want to trade into an open file, as this loses control. But white does this and allows my rook continued e file dominance. White continues his counter measures by doubling down on my knight, but I am able to check white's king and push it away from the center and defend my knight. 

But it was in this position that white thinks for a really long time and decides to take on the knight and give my king a check. And after a check, white flags, and I pull off a rather peculiar win. 

But what are your thoughts on these games? What awesome king of the hill games have you played? Let me know!