Can you explain why the king can sometimes go anywhere one space/direction and sometimes restricted?

I learned the crude rules of chess. If I play against the computer, sometimes I'm limited in where I can go. Why? I thought it was literally one space in any direction unless occupied by one of my own guys.



Also, in one game, how come the king could kill the horse, but not the queen? Can you (in laymen's terms) explain the king?Can you explain why the king can sometimes go anywhere one space/direction and sometimes restricted?
The king can never move into Check. So, if a space around the kind is one that an opponents piece could move onto in one move, the King can't move there.



In the second one, it may be the the queen was covered by another of the opponent's pieces so that if the king captured the queen, he would still be in check by that second piece.



In general, the king can move one space in any direction, but never into a space that is covered by an opponent's piece.



Hope this helps...
Well you're not allowed to move the king onto a square where he'd be taken in the next move, for one thing.Can you explain why the king can sometimes go anywhere one space/direction and sometimes restricted?
if this is a chess question why are you asking it in Astronomy and Space?
not an astronomy question,



but,



The king can move any direction one space provided he is not moving into check. In your example above, it is most likely that by killing the Queen, you would be putting your king into a check position. (there was a bishop or some other piece guarding the knight)



remember, not horses...knights



also not castles...rooksCan you explain why the king can sometimes go anywhere one space/direction and sometimes restricted?
HCBIOCHEM above got it.



I want to add though that the King can kill the Queen. As noted if the Queen is covered such that taking her would lose the King to another piece then you cannot make that move (if you did that would essentially be forfeiting the game).



However, if the other player goofs (and make no mistake this would be a pretty big goof) and puts the Queen next to your King and she is not otherwise defended then your King can take the Queen.