Queen
The queen moves any number of squares along a rank, file or diagonal, provided the path is clear, which makes her the most powerful piece on the board.
The queen combines the powers of the rook and the bishop. From the center she can attack up to twenty-seven squares on an empty board, which explains why losing her early is usually decisive. Each side starts with one queen on the square of her own color, so the white queen is on d1 and the black queen on d8. Her strength is also a warning. A queen that comes out too early can be chased around by minor pieces, costing time that the opponent uses for development. She is better kept back until the other pieces are active, then joined to an attack or used to support a passed pawn. Queen trades simplify the position, which suits the side with the better structure or the better endgame. A pawn that reaches the last rank can become a queen, and a pawn left unreplaced on the last rank after the clock is pressed is an illegal move and is replaced by a queen. In notation the queen is Q. The conventional value is about nine pawns. Practice queen safety first: before every move, check what attacks her.
Compare it with King. The king moves one square in any direction or castles, may never be left in check or moved into check, and is never captured, because the game ends when it is checkmated.
It sits close to Chess pieces. Chess pieces are the sixteen units each side starts with: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns; in everyday speech, though, piece usually means everything except the pawns.
A neighboring idea is Rook. The rook moves any number of squares along its rank or file, provided the path is clear, and it takes part in castling alongside the king.
Once "Queen" is familiar, the next question is what to work on at your rating, which the improvement plans by rating band answer with game and puzzle data.
Related terms
The rook moves any number of squares along its rank or file, provided the path is clear, and it takes part in castling alongside the king.
The bishop moves any number of squares along a diagonal, as long as no piece stands in the way, so each bishop stays on one color of square for the entire game.
Promotion is the compulsory change of a pawn that reaches the last rank into a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its own color, made as part of the same move and chosen freely, whatever has been captured so far.
Chess pieces are the sixteen units each side starts with: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns; in everyday speech, though, piece usually means everything except the pawns.
The king moves one square in any direction or castles, may never be left in check or moved into check, and is never captured, because the game ends when it is checkmated.
Piece value is the rough points scale players use to compare material: a pawn counts one, a knight and a bishop three each, a rook five and a queen nine.
Guides that go further
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
How much does chess coaching cost?
Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each.
A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
Sources
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Article 3.4, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Article 2.2 and 2.3, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Article 7.5.2, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023), Appendix C.2, read Oct 21, 2026.
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.