rules, tactics, strategies and history

The Queen

The Queen has the power of both Rook and Bishop having the choice of moving to any square of the rank, file or diagonal on which she stands as long as her path is clear. In the diagram below, the squares to which the Queen may move are, therefore, e3, b4, c5, e7, f8, f1, b5, C7, b8, d1, d2, d3, d4, ds, d7, d8, a6, b6, c6, e6, f6, g6 and h6. Like the Rook and Bishop she has the power of capturing a hostile man by occupying his square.

	X		X		X			8
		X	X	X				7
X	X	X		X	X	X	X	6
		X	X	X				5
	X		X		X			4
X			X					3
			X					2
			X					1
a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

The Queen is by far the most powerful of the pieces. Later it will be seen that ordinarily her strength is about equal to the strength of two Rooks.