Queen and king mate
The queen and king work together to force the lone king to the edge of the board for checkmate.
Queen and king versus lone king is the most fundamental endgame you must be able to win. The queen alone can give check endlessly but cannot deliver checkmate without help from the king. Together they force the enemy king to any edge or corner where space runs out.
The method: use the queen to restrict the enemy king to a smaller and smaller box, then bring your own king close to assist. Deliver checkmate only when the two kings face each other and the enemy king is on the edge. The biggest danger is stalemate - if you leave the enemy king with no legal moves when it is not in check, the game is an instant draw. Avoid stalemating a king that is on the edge by checking first if it has any legal moves.
Qb7# - queen and king checkmate in the corner
The queen on b7 delivers checkmate. The black king on a8 cannot escape: b8 is covered by the queen on b7 (via rank), a7 is covered by the queen on b7 (via file), and the white king on c6 covers b5, b7, c7, and all nearby squares. A textbook queen and king finish in the corner.
Qa6# - one move checkmate
White plays Qa6#. The black king on a8 is pushed to the corner. The queen slides to a6, giving check. The king cannot go to b8 (queen on a6 covers b7... and the white king on b6 covers b7, c7, a7 as well). This is the typical final geometry: king and queen box in the lone king.
Key chess terms
Related mating patterns
- Ladder mate (two rooks)Two rooks take turns giving check, marching the king to the edge where it runs out of room.
- Back-rank mateA rook or queen delivers checkmate on the opponent's back rank because the king is trapped behind its own pawns.
- Two bishops mateTwo bishops on adjacent diagonals force the king to the edge and corner it for checkmate.
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