Phases & endgames
Queen endgame
Queens and pawns — perpetual check is always lurking.
What is the queen endgame?
A queen endgame leaves only queens and pawns. The queen's range makes these endings sharp and full of checks; converting an extra pawn is hard, and the defender's constant resource is perpetual check.
Why the queen endgame matters
Queen endings test your nerve and your technique at once. Knowing when a position is winning, when it is a fortress, and when to bail out into perpetual check saves and wins a surprising number of games.
How to use it to win
Use your king as cover from checks and centralise the queen. To win, advance a passed pawn with the queen shielding it; to draw when worse, hunt for perpetual check before the enemy king finds shelter.
Try an example puzzle
A real queen endgame puzzle from the app. White to move — find the idea, then reveal the line.
7 
3 
2 
d Show solution
1. Qf3#
Drill the queen endgame on thousands of real puzzles, matched to your rating.