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.

Practice positions

Play each position out against the engine from the exact spot on the board — unrated, you take the strong side. Positions marked with a goal are drills: your result is recorded on your profile. Positions marked 🔍 discovery are the opposite task: theory says they are draws — try to win the strong side and let perfect defense show you why you can't.