Chessy
Can a King Take Another King?
No. A king can never capture another king, because kings are never allowed to stand on adjacent squares in the first place — a move that would put your king next to the enemy king is simply illegal.
The rule behind it
Every legal move must leave your own king safe from capture on the very next move. Since a king attacks all eight squares around it, moving your king next to the enemy king would put it in check from that king — which is not allowed. The two kings act like magnets that repel each other: they can get within one square of touching, but never closer.
Why the position never arises
This isn't a special exception written just for kings — it falls straight out of the normal rule that you may not make a move that leaves your own king in check. Because both players are bound by the same restriction, the kings can never end up adjacent, and so a king can never legally capture the other king.
What actually ends the game
Since kings can't be captured, a game never ends with a king physically being taken off the board. Instead, when a king is attacked and has no legal way to escape, that's checkmate, and the game ends immediately. The threat of capture — not an actual capture — is what wins the game.
Frequently asked questions
Can a king capture another king in chess?
No. Kings can never be captured because the rules never allow them to become adjacent in the first place.
Why can't kings stand next to each other?
A king attacks every square around it. Moving your king beside the enemy king would put your own king in check, which is an illegal move.
What happens instead of a king being captured?
The game ends in checkmate: the king is under attack with no legal move to escape, so play stops before any capture happens.
Is this rule the same in all chess variants?
In standard chess it always applies. Some unofficial variants change king rules, but classical and tournament chess never allow king captures.