Queen

The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard. It is generally considered to be worth as much as nine pawns. So, what makes this piece so powerful? Let’s find out.

How Does the Queen Move?

The queen’s movement is very similar to that of the king. It can move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. The main and most significant difference is the distance it can travel. The queen can move from one edge of the board to the other in a single move. While the king needs seven moves to travel from one corner of the board to the opposite corner, the queen requires only one.

As shown in Diagram No. 1, the queen can move from the center of the board to any square along a diagonal, file, or rank. However, this does not mean you should move the queen from one side of the board to the other without a reason. You may stop on any square along its path. In essence, the queen combines the abilities of two other pieces—the rook and the bishop—which makes it an exceptionally powerful and dangerous piece.

The queen can not only move across the entire board but also capture opposing pieces from a great distance. Diagram No. 2 shows the White queen and all the Black pieces it can capture.

However, no matter how powerful the queen is, it cannot jump over its own pieces. In Diagram No. 3, the Black queen is blocked by its own pawns and the opponent’s pieces. In this position, it has only three possible moves. Two squares on the back rank—g8 and h8—are free, but they are controlled by the White rook, so moving to either of them would result in losing the queen. Another option is to capture the knight on g6, but this would immediately be followed by the pawn on h5 capturing the queen.

Queen Forks

Since the queen can move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, it can attack multiple enemy pieces at the same time. Take a close look at Diagram No. 4. If it is White’s move, the queen can attack the Black king and one of the rooks simultaneously. By moving to d4, the queen gives check to the Black king while also attacking the rook on g7. Another option is to move the queen to d5, giving check and attacking the rook on a2 at the same time. As a result, Black loses one of its major pieces.

Diagram No. 5 demonstrates that everything depends on whose turn it is. If it is White’s move, moving the queen to g7 gives check to the Black king. Once the king leaves the seventh rank, White captures the opponent’s queen on b7 and wins the game. A similar situation occurs if it is Black’s move. The Black queen gives check to the White king by moving to h1, and on the following move captures the White queen on a1, securing victory.

Where Does the Queen Start the Game?

At the beginning of every chess game, the queen stands next to its own king. On the other side of the queen is the bishop, and three pawns stand directly in front of it. To remember the queen’s starting square, keep this simple rule in mind: “The queen loves her own color.” In other words, the White queen starts on the white square d1, while the Black queen starts on the black square d8 (Diagram No. 6).

The true power of the queen is difficult to describe in words. The best way to understand it is through practice. Train queen forks and practice delivering checkmate with a queen and king. After just a few games, you will understand why the queen is considered the most powerful piece in chess.