apex64 Coach

King Hunt

What it is

A king hunt is a forcing sequence of checks and sacrifices that drives the enemy king out of its shelter and marches it up the board into a mating net, often sacrificing heavily along the way.

When to use it

Use it when the enemy king is exposed or can be dragged into the open, and you have enough attacking pieces nearby to keep delivering checks without letting it escape.

How to use it

Play the most forcing checks, sacrificing to strip away escape squares and defenders. Only give a check if it advances the hunt — each one should herd the king toward your pieces and the final mate.

Worked examples

Watch the coach play the tactic from real master games.