Chessy
Checkmate with King and Queen
White's queen and king have the lone Black king cornered on h8 — one queen move ends the game. Find it below, then learn the mating technique you'll need in every endgame.
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Create a free account →The position: mate in one
White to move. White king on g6, White queen on f7, Black king cornered on h8. 1.Qf8# is checkmate. The queen moves to f8, giving check — the Black king cannot go to g8 (covered by the queen), h7 (covered by White's king on g6), or stay on h8 (in check). The lone king is out of moves. This is the basic K+Q mating pattern: queen on the eighth rank, your king cutting off all escape.
Why king-and-queen checkmate matters
K+Q vs K is the first endgame every chess player must learn — it is the inevitable result of promoting a pawn or winning the opponent's last piece. The technique isn't hard, but players who don't know it waste moves, stalemate the lone king by accident, and hand away a won game.
The core principle: use the queen to shrink the enemy king's box, and bring your own king in to help deliver the final check. The mate itself always comes on the edge of the board — a lone king cannot be mated in the centre.
How to recognise the mating position
The K+Q mate lands when the lone king is pushed to the edge (rank 1/8 or file a/h) and your queen controls the adjacent squares while your king seals the escape:
- Queen on the edge rank/file cuts off the entire row or column.
- Your king two squares away covers the diagonal escape squares the queen doesn't reach.
- Watch for stalemate traps — if the lone king has no legal move but isn't in check, it's stalemate and the game is drawn. Always leave the enemy king one square to move into before delivering the final check.
How to execute the technique from scratch
If you reach K+Q vs K from the beginning of an endgame:
- Step 1 — restrict the box. Use queen moves to confine the enemy king to fewer and fewer ranks/files. Never place the queen where it stalemates.
- Step 2 — bring your king in. The queen alone can't force mate; your king must approach to guard squares the queen can't cover.
- Step 3 — drive to the edge, then the corner. The mating net closes on a back rank or a corner. Approach without stalemating, then deliver the final check.
With correct play, K+Q vs K is mate in at most ten moves.
Frequently asked questions
Is king and queen vs king always a win?
Yes, K+Q vs K is a theoretical win for the side with the queen — as long as they avoid accidentally stalemating the lone king. With correct technique it is mate in at most ten moves from any position.
What is stalemate and how do you avoid it with a queen?
Stalemate is a draw — it occurs when the player to move has no legal move but their king isn't in check. With a queen, always ensure the lone king has at least one square to step into before you close the net. Use your queen to give the king a single escape while you bring your own king closer.
Can a lone king ever escape a king-and-queen mate?
No. K+Q vs K is a forced win with correct play. The defending side can delay but not escape — the queen is simply too powerful to allow a lone king to survive forever.
Where does king-and-queen checkmate most often happen?
Always on the edge or corner of the board. A lone king cannot be mated in the centre because it has too many escape squares. The attacker's goal is to push the king to a rank-1/8 edge or into a corner, then close the net.