How the queen moves in chess
The queen is the strongest piece. She combines the rook and the bishop: she can move any number of squares in a straight line or along a diagonal, in any direction.
The rules in short
- A queen moves like a rook and a bishop put together.
- She cannot jump over pieces, like those two.
- Each side has one queen, who starts next to the king, on a square of her own colour.
- A queen is worth about nine pawns.
Do not bring her out too early
Because the queen is so powerful, beginners are tempted to attack with her straight away. The problem is that she can be chased by cheaper pieces, and you lose time while she runs. It is usually better to develop your knights and bishops first.
Protect her, and watch the trades
Giving up a queen for a rook or a bishop is almost always a bad deal. Before you move her, check that the square is not attacked by a pawn or a smaller piece. Trading queens for queens is fine and is a good way to simplify when you are ahead.
Try it on a real board
This lesson is free and needs no account. You move the piece yourself on an interactive board, and it tells you straight away if the move is right.
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