Early queen move
An early queen move is bringing the queen out in the first few moves, before the minor pieces are developed, which usually loses time because the opponent can attack it with developing moves.
Also called: early queen development
The queen is the most powerful piece, which is exactly why she should wait. Each time she moves early, she can be harassed by a knight or bishop that develops with a threat, and every such attack costs you a tempo. The opponent develops for free while you shuffle.
The classic example is 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5, hoping for a quick attack on f7. A calm reply such as ...Nc6 and ...g6 with ...Nf6 turns the queen into a target. Against a stronger opponent the attack runs out of steam and your pieces are left far behind.
There are exceptions. In the Scandinavian Defense, Black takes on d5 with the queen and retreats to a5 or d6 while the structure stays healthy, and the theory has proved it sound. Some lines also bring the queen out to take material or force a trade when the opponent cannot hit it with advantage.
Before moving the queen early, ask three questions: can a minor piece gain tempo against her, does she do something a knight or bishop could not, and what does the rest of my army look like afterward?
Tip: as a general rule, develop knights and bishops first, castle, and bring the queen out when there is a clear job. If your queen gets chased twice in the opening, treat it as a warning to revise your plan.
Compare it with Scholar's mate. Scholar's mate is a four-move checkmate on f7: White's queen and bishop both aim at that square, where only the king defends, and Qxf7 ends the game when Black overlooks it.
Also worth reading is Trap in the opening. A trap in the opening is a move or setup that invites a natural-looking reply, often a grab of material, which then loses to a prepared tactic, so the side that falls for it is worse or lost within a few moves.
It sits close to Opening principles. Opening principles are general guidelines for the first moves: control the center, develop knights and bishops quickly, castle early and avoid moving the same piece twice without reason.
Opening ideas such as "Early queen move" are easier to keep when they are tested on your own games, which is what a first lesson with George Li begins with.
Related terms
Opening principles are general guidelines for the first moves: control the center, develop knights and bishops quickly, castle early and avoid moving the same piece twice without reason.
Move order is the sequence in which moves are played to reach a given setup, and it matters because the same final position can allow the opponent different choices depending on which move comes first.
A trap in the opening is a move or setup that invites a natural-looking reply, often a grab of material, which then loses to a prepared tactic, so the side that falls for it is worse or lost within a few moves.
A book move is a move in a well established opening line, one that already appears in published analysis, opening databases or an engine's prepared opening list, so a player can choose it from knowledge rather than calculation.
A player is out of book when the game reaches a position that neither side is recalling from opening knowledge or preparation, so from that move on the choices have to be worked out at the board.
Openings where it occurs
Guides that go further
Most popular chess openings and win rates
The most played openings, how often White wins, and how the numbers change with rating, computed from public games.
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
Want to spot this in your own games?
A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.