Queen versus King
Overview
A queen against a bare king is always a win. The strongest side drives the enemy king to the edge of the board and mates there. With correct play the mate takes at most ten moves, so this endgame is a benchmark for basic technique.
The box method
Keep the queen a knight's move away from the enemy king and steadily shrink the imaginary box around it. Care is needed near the edge: without help of your own king the queen can deliver stalemate instead of mate. Bring the king up, then finish.
The mating pattern
The final mate almost always looks the same: the queen stands right next to the enemy king, protected by her own king.
Qg7# — the queen gives check on g7 and her own king guards every escape square.
Practice positions
Play each position out against the engine from the exact spot on the board — unrated, you take the strong side.
From a fresh position: drive the king to the edge with the box method and mate (Stockfish finds mate in 14).
♞ Play vs engineFinish in one: the king is on the edge and your king is close — find the mating square.
♞ Play vs engine