Stepsies
For the parent

How the queen moves

Lesson 6 of 20 Age 5+ Time 10 minutes Before this the bishop

In short

The queen moves like a rook and a bishop together: any number of squares in a straight line or on a diagonal. She can't jump over pieces, and she can't move like a knight.

  • The queen is the strongest piece, worth about 9 pawns.
  • Don't lose her: check that she is safe after each move.
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The queen in the middle reaches 27 squares.

Teach it

  1. DoPut a white queen on d4.
  2. Say“The queen can go like a rook and like a bishop. She is the strongest piece.”
  3. Ask“Can she go to e6?”
  4. Child“No. That is a knight jump.”
Hand the screen to your child

Your turn!

Take all three black pawns with the queen, in as few moves as you can.

Three quick questions

  1. Can the queen move like a knight?

  2. The queen moves like which two pieces together?

  3. About how many pawns is a queen worth?

Practice sheet: Queen moves

One page, free to print, no sign-in. The answers print on the next page.

Queen movesName ____________________
  1. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Draw a dot on every square the queen can reach.

  2. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Can the queen capture the knight in one move?

  3. a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

    Circle the piece the queen can capture.

Answers: Queen moves

  1. The first row, the d-file, and the diagonals c2, b3, a4 and e2, f3, g4, h5: 21 squares.
  2. No. f6 is not on a line or diagonal from d1.
  3. The pawn on c3 (on the diagonal).

Questions parents ask

Can a queen move like a knight?

No. The queen moves only in straight lines and on diagonals. The knight is the only piece that moves in an L.

Can you have two queens?

Yes. When a pawn reaches the last row, it can become a queen, even if you still have your first queen.

Rules checked against FIDE Laws of Chess, taking effect from 1 January 2023 (Article 3.4) on . Found something to fix? Tell us on the contact page.