Key chess piece

Latest answer — August 17, 2026

25 Down

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Clue explained

The king is one of the two key royal pieces in chess, alongside the queen, and the game is won by checkmating it. “Key” points to its strategic importance rather than a physical key.

Clue type:
Definition
A chess king standing on a chessboard.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 17, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1One of two fruit flavors in Sprite
  2. 5Has no choice
  3. 9"The ___ thickens"
  4. 13Islamic prayer leader
  5. 14Poker player's buy-in
  6. 15Italian "Paul"
  7. 16Well-dressed guy
  8. 18Arctic Indigenous group
  9. 19Venomous arachnid
  10. 20Not dormant, as a volcano
  11. 21A, in German
  12. 22Autobahn speedometer meas.
  13. 24Take, as advice
  14. 25It captures ballpark smooches
  15. 29Stand for a poster
  16. 31Egyptian fertility goddess
  17. 32Hilarious person
  18. 34Doll with neon hair
  19. 37Ping-Pong table divider
  20. 38Containers for fruit preserves
  21. 40Burj Khalifa's country, for short
  22. 41Birds in V-formations
  23. 43Capital with fjord tours
  24. 44Facility that produces coins
  25. 45Casts a ballot
  26. 47Lengthy rants
  27. 49Sulky state
  28. 51___ Geo Wild (cable channel)
  29. 53Popular chain for RVers
  30. 54Snacked
  31. 56Hot pepper named for Cuba's capital
  32. 61Off Broadway awards
  33. 62"Totally agree!" ... or what the circled letters are, in different languages
  34. 63Like throwbacks
  35. 64Abbr. before a recipient's name on an envelope
  36. 65The Roaring Twenties and the Swinging Sixties
  37. 66Otherwise
  38. 67Hotel worker
  39. 68Overhaul

Down

  1. 1Covers for pots
  2. 2Apple with a big screen
  3. 3___ tofu (Sichuan dish)
  4. 4Catherine the Great, e.g.
  5. 5Sauce for mozzarella sticks
  6. 6Erase
  7. 7Reeked
  8. 8Half a score
  9. 9"Pink" animal of film
  10. 101963 Kingsmen hit with a repetitive title
  11. 11Martini garnish
  12. 12Schlepped
  13. 15Insta posting
  14. 17Sweeping in scope
  15. 20"Now I understand!"
  16. 23Fragrant bits tossed at newlyweds
  17. 25Key chess piece
  18. 26"That makes sense"
  19. 27On-location inspections
  20. 28Boozy brunch drink
  21. 30Lines on a GPS
  22. 33Breakfast beverages, for short
  23. 35Come down to earth
  24. 36"Sounds like a plan!"
  25. 38Hot tub nozzle
  26. 39Green Day or Pink Floyd
  27. 42"And that's that!"
  28. 44Wander aimlessly
  29. 46Wrap up
  30. 48Singer Chappell
  31. 49Sound asleep?
  32. 502016 prize for Bob Dylan
  33. 52Greek letter that symbolizes an angle
  34. 55That, in Spain
  35. 57___ Spumante
  36. 58Brontë's "Jane ___"
  37. 59Enjoy a fantasy, say
  38. 60___ buco
  39. 62Sweet potato

The answer to “Key chess piece” in the New York Times crossword is KING — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 25-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Key chess piece” answer

KING (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is KING.

What does KING mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of KING is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • the male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth
  • the most important chess piece, of which each player has one, which the opponent has to checkmate in order to win. The king can move in any direction, including diagonally, to any adjacent square that is not attacked by an opponent's piece or pawn

When else has “Key chess piece” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 17, 2026 (most recent) → KING. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Key chess piece”?

The answer is KING, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Key chess piece”?

4 letters: KING.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 25-Down.

Can “Key chess piece” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 17, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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