The queen moves any number of squares in a straight line: forward, backward, sideways or diagonally. In other words, she moves like a rook and a bishop combined. She cannot jump over pieces, and she captures the first enemy piece in her path by landing on its square.
The queen is the tall piece with a crown, usually a little shorter than the king. Each player has one queen at the start. White's queen begins on d1 and Black's on d8. An easy way to remember this is "the queen goes on her own colour": the white queen starts on a light square and the black queen on a dark square.
Eight directions, as far as she likes
The queen can move along files (the up-and-down columns), ranks (the side-to-side rows) and diagonals (the slanting lines). That makes eight directions in total. In one move, she can go one square or all the way across the board.
Blocking and capturing
Like the rook and bishop, the queen cannot jump. If one of her own pieces is in the way, she stops before it. If an enemy piece is in the way, she can capture it, which means removing it from the board and taking its square. She cannot go past it.
The queen can give check along any of her lines. Check means the enemy king is under attack and must escape on the very next move.
Try it yourself
Why the queen is so valuable
The queen is worth about 9 points, more than any other piece except the king, which cannot be traded at all. A rook is worth about 5 and a bishop or knight about 3. You can see the full list in chess piece values. Losing your queen for a small piece usually means losing the game, so look after her.
Do not bring her out too early
Many beginners love to move the queen in the first few moves. The problem is that the opponent can attack her with small pieces, and you have to keep moving her away. Meanwhile, the opponent brings out more pieces. It is usually better to develop knights and bishops first and use the queen a little later.
The queen's double attack
Because she moves in so many directions, the queen is brilliant at attacking two things at once. This is called a fork. Try the puzzle below.
Did you find Qd5+? The queen checks the king along the diagonal to g8 and, along another diagonal, also attacks the rook on a8. Black has to move the king, and then the queen takes the rook. One move, two attacks: that is the queen's special power. Remember that your opponent's queen can do the same to you, so always check which of your pieces she is looking at.
Common beginner mistakes
- Moving the queen like a knight. The queen moves only in straight lines and diagonals.
- Jumping over pieces. The queen cannot jump. Her path must be clear.
- Leaving the queen where a smaller piece can take her. Before every queen move, check whether any pawn, knight or bishop can capture her on the new square.
- Forgetting promotion. If you lose your queen, remember that a pawn reaching the last rank can become a new queen. See pawn promotion.
Practice idea: place the queen in the centre of an empty board and a few coins on squares she cannot reach in one move. Can she collect them all in two moves each? This helps you see her eight directions quickly. Once you know the queen well, learn to win with her in how to checkmate with a queen.
Questions parents and kids ask
Can the queen move like a knight?
No. The queen moves in straight lines and diagonals only. The knight's L-shaped jump belongs only to the knight.
Can the queen jump over pieces?
No. Like the rook and bishop, the queen must have a clear path. She stops before her own pieces and can capture the first enemy piece in her way.
Where does the queen start in chess?
On the d-file, next to the king: d1 for White and d8 for Black. The queen always starts on a square of her own colour.
Can you have two queens in chess?
Yes. If a pawn reaches the last rank, you can promote it to a queen, even if you still have your first queen. It is rare, but players can have two or more queens.