Essential mates · foundation
Queen mate
Bring your queen and king together, then drive the king to a corner.
The rule
Keep the queen protected and one step ahead of your king as both pieces move forward.
How to play it
- 1
Join the pieces
Place the queen next to your king so the king protects it.
- 2
Move the queen first
Move the queen one square closer without leaving it unprotected.
- 3
Follow with the king
Move the king behind the queen, then repeat until the enemy king reaches the corner.
Study the line, then play it
Step through the example. Then play your moves from the same position.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Move 0 of 19
Starting position
Play through the line one move at a time.
Before you play
Moves to queue
- 1.Qa2-d2
- 2.Qd2-e3
- 3.Kd3-d4
- 4.Qe3-e4
- 5.Kd4-e5
- 6.Qe4-f5
Safe when
The enemy king cannot attack the queen or the square your king will use.
Stop when
After Qf5, wait for the king’s reply before choosing your next move.
Common mistake
Leaving a knight’s-move gap between queen and king makes the next move depend on the reply.
Deliver checkmate with queen and king.
Start with a comfortable clock. Reduce it when the position feels familiar. Your record is 0/0.