Kxa3

Kxa3 is a chess move notation indicating that the king captures a piece on the a3 square. In this notation, K stands for king, x signals a capture, and a3 is the destination square. After the move, the king occupies a3 and the opponent’s piece on that square is removed from the board.

For Kxa3 to be legal, the capturing king must be on a square adjacent to a3 (a2, a4, b2, b3, or b4) and the move must not leave the player's own king in check. The notation does not specify the starting square because, in standard play, there is only one king per side.

If the capture gives check to the opponent’s king, the notation appends a plus sign, as in Kxa3+. If the capture also delivers mate, it is indicated with a hash, as in Kxa3#.

Example: Suppose White has a king on a2 and a Black piece on a3. White can play Kxa3, moving the king to a3 and removing the Black piece on that square. The move would be annotated as Kxa3, potentially with + or # if it checks or mates the opposing king.

Strategic notes: Kxa3 often appears in endgames or tactical sequences where the king penetrates the opponent’s camp to win material or to fix pawns. Such incursions require careful assessment of checks, piece coordination, and potential counterplay, as exposing the king can be risky if it becomes vulnerable to attacks along lines or diagonals.