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Welcome back. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what you'd like me to call you this lesson.
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Have you played and understood all the BISHOP games, kiddo?  Yes, I understand all the BISHOP games I don't understand all the BISHOP COMBAT games I keep on losing the CAPTURE THE FLAG bishop games I'm no good at the TARGET PRACTICE quizzes |
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In that case you're ready to learn about a different piece in your army. In this lesson we're going to look at the QUEEN. The QUEEN was originally the king's advisor in the battle, and was a very weak piece. But in the Middle Ages the QUEEN move changed and it suddenly became the MOST POWERFUL piece in the army. Let's look at what it does. 
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This is what a QUEEN does. It can do everything a ROOK can do - backwards, forwards and sideways. It can also do everything a BISHOP can do - diagonally in four directions. In the middle of the board a ROOK can move to 14 squares and a BISHOP can move to 13 squares. So if you add 14 and 13 you get the number of squares a QUEEN in the middle of an empty board can move to: 27!
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Like the ROOK and BISHOP but unlike the PAWN, the QUEEN captures in the same way as it moves. In this position the QUEEN can CAPTURE the Black pawns on b7, d3 and h4. The QUEEN cannot jump over other pieces. In this position the White pawn on b4 stops the QUEEN moving to a4 and the White pawn on e3 stops the QUEEN moving to e2 or e1. Note also that if the QUEEN moved to c6 it would be CAPTURED by the Black pawn on b7, so this move would not be safe. Easy, isn't it? Let's see how much you can remember.
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How many squares can the queen move to in this position?
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How many different pawns could the queen capture in this position?
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Which pawn can the queen capture this move?
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Which pawn can the queen capture SAFELY this move?
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QUEENS are very much better at stopping pawns than either rooks or bishops. They can choose to move onto the same file as the pawn they want to stop, or to control the next square in the pawn's march either on the rank or on the diagonal. You should find it easy to stop six, seven or even eight pawns as long as you're careful. You have to do two things: make sure you don't put your QUEEN where it can be taken, and watch out for enemy pawns getting near the end of the board.
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QUEENS are especially good at doing FORKS because they can move in EIGHT directions. Can you see where you could move the QUEEN to FORK the black pawns in this position? There are two answers: the white queen can FORK the two black pawns by moving to c2 or to d7.
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Now look at this position. Again, there are two squares from which the white queen can attack both black pawns. Can you find them? Which one would you play? You can FORK the two pawns from either d4 or g1. But if you went to d4 you'd be in danger from the pawn on c5. Instead you should move to g1 where you can FORK the two pawns safely.
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Once you start fighting battles with more pieces on the board you'll see how the QUEEN can be used to FORK other pieces as well. But here you have to be EVEN MORE CAREFUL. How can you FORK the black rook and bishop here? You could go to g8 - not a good idea because either the rook or the bishop would kill you. You could try f3. You'd be safe from the rook but in danger from the bishop so again, no good. Instead moving the queen to f5 would attack both black pieces safely.
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Can you find the best way to FORK the rook and bishop here? If you want to attack an enemy rook with your queen safely you have to use a DIAGONAL attack. And if you want to attack an enemy bishop with queen safely you have to use a RANK attack or a FILE attack. If you bear that in mind you can solve this puzzle. Look along the diagonals leading to the rook and then find a square your queen can get to which also attacks the bishop. Did you get it right? The answer is that you should move your queen to h8.
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Are you ready to answer some more questions, kiddo? Yes, I know all about QUEENS I'd like to see the last part of the lesson again It's good of you to ask, but no thankyou |
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This is just the same as in the ROOK and BISHOP lessons. For the next few questions you use the keypad to enter the square you want to move to. Remember: enter the letter of the square followed by the number, then press ENTER to get your answer marked. Take your time. Stop and think carefully before answering each question.
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It's White's move. Which square should he move his queen to?
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It's White's move. Which square should he move his queen to?
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Where should White move his queen to FORK Black's pawns?
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Where should White move his queen to FORK Black's pawns?
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Where should White move his queen to FORK Black's pawns SAFELY?
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