Do gambits that deflect the opponent’s pieces from the centre work? That might be a viable strategy, but I barely play KOTH (when I do it’s on lichess)
Advice on King of the Hill strategy.
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i play it allot, but on lichess
Apr 12, 2021
0
#24
Most answers are wrong. in king of the hill you can not check the king you can only block and it’s like normal chess but to win and get checkmate take your king to the end of the board. Block your opponent first move by moving your rook up then move your king under the rooks protection keep doing that you will mabye start winning of few matches
that is racing kings, and king of the hill is an other thing.
Don't let opponents sneak in a win with their king, protect the centre with pawns, your queen, knights and bishops
Most openings that work in regular chess will also work in KOTH. Remember that it is only the king that needs to be kept out of the center, so 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 and now neither players is going to move their king to the center quickly and you can play a normal game.
Impatient players might get mated on move four: 1 d3 d5 2 Kd2? e5 3 Ke3??? Qg5+ 4 f4 Qxf4# or 4 Kf3 Qg4+ 5 Ke3 Qf4#.
The late middle game and ending is where the hill becomes critical because that is when a king may reasonably go there, or may have time to go there freely while ignoring the rest of the board.
I play my normal openings and do fine, while doing very well when I face a charging-king opponent. The opponent's king charges forward saying "Attack!", so I do.
Here is a game illustrating the value of blocking the opposing king from the center without occupying the center. The player that lost was quite good but was a little too focused on reaching the center.
https://www.chess.com/variants/king-of-the-hill/game/17523411/79/3
Black's 18th move was a mistake that failed to win a pawn, but it did lock the king out of the center for play to continue one pawn up. Black's 27th move won that pawn while the White king was on the cusp of the hill. The Black king didn't start moving towards the Hill until move 36 and reached it on move 42.
PS playing the Black side of the Aleknine in KOTH requires greater care to watch the center from the outside than when doing so in regular chess. (and after 1 e4 Nf6 2 Ke2 you have the play e5 because 2 ... Nxe4 3 Ke3 is a win for White).
Jun 26, 2021
0
#30
The king can be attacked in the center of the board if there are too many pieces on the board that are able to control the center squares.
CePtIcCrAsH5X_X wrote:
It a knight not a horse
knights and horses are the same thing. You can call it either of them it doesnt matter. There's nothing wrong with calling them horses
I'm not that good, but in my experience, there are a few ways where KOTH is different from standard. In KOTH, you can use an activated rook to block of an opponent's king. This should be practiced.
second, opponents below the Elo of 800 tend to bring their king to the center at the start. Practice checkmating such players.
Third. You should always play e4 e5 or d4 d5, protects the center best.
Fourth. REMEMBER IT IS KOTH. DONT LET YOUR OPPONENTS MAKE USE OF YOUR BAD MEMORY
Fifth. You can use pawns to block of opponent's pieces when you are bringing your king to the center. You can practice this.
I personally feel practice is best. Just play more.
Play like standard
It is important to play like it is normal chess.i ofthen play with people that try getting their King in the center in move 2, but each time i take out my Queen and checkmate them. some times even with pawns.