In standard chess, the rule of promotion is used, which allows multiple Queens in the game. This rule allows a player to move their Pawn up to the last row on the opponent’s side to be converted into a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight.
Can a player have two Queens in chess? Certainly yes, provided they haven’t lost the original queen because having multiple Queens is perfectly legal in a chess tournament. A player can borrow a Queen piece from another set and replace the upgraded Pawn piece that has crossed the length of the board.
Also, players can apply the rule of promotion, which allows a player to have as many Queens as they can if not limited with the number of Pawns they have remaining. The clock has to be stopped to give a player time to find a second Queen piece, or a player can turn a rook in an upside-down position to represent the second Queen.
If it’s a tournament and a player is wondering how to get another Queen, then this article has you covered! Answered below are frequently asked questions that will help players understand what to do when an additional extra queen is needed.
Why are there two Queens in chess?
Two Queens can be found in chess because of Pawn promotion when they reach the last row of the opposite side on the chessboard. In a standard chessboard, additional queens are set aside for each color to be issued to all promoted pawns.
If all the extra Queens have been issued and a player needs another Queen during a chess game, a player can turn a rook upside down to represent a Queen. However, the piece should be the same color to minimize confusion.
In a chess tournament, a game of standard chess has two extra queens representing two colors (black and white) that are used in case any of the players promote one of their pawns while still maintaining their first Queen.
How many Queens can you have in chess?
A player can have up to nine Queens in a chess game if they convert all eight of their Pawns into Queens by crossing to the other side of the board. Sounds wild, but I guess it’s possible.
The desire to increase the number of Queens in a chess game increases as the game lengthens and pawns start crossing the board with open squares in front of them. Pawns can only move one space at a time after their initial move, so it takes time to get them into position.
Once a player pawn can reach the last row of the opponent player, it can be converted into any powerful piece such as a Queen. Therefore, the number of Pawns a player can reach to the last row on the opposite side, the more Queens they can have.
How do you get another Queen in chess?
A player can get an additional queen by promotional rule. If a pawn can reach the eighth rank on the opponent side, the player can convert the pawn into any piece in the game, including a Queen.
The promoted Queen moves as normal, and can even move backwards. In fact, having two queens is a powerful combination that be extremely convincing in both attack and defense.
In such a case when there are no more Queen pieces left to add to the game, a player can use a Rook to represent a Queen, provided they are of the same color. A player should place the Rook in an upside-down position to serve as Queen in a chess game.
Make sure to stop the clock to give the player time to look for another queen.
How to checkmate with two Queens?
In this situation, two queens face a lonely opponent King on a chessboard. So, what should a player do to checkmate their opponent?
- First, a player should ensure the opponent King is confined in a virtual rectangle using one of the player’s Queens.
- A player should then move the second Queen such that each Queen movesafter one another to ensure the rectangle is smaller and smaller after every time the opponent moves their King towards a side of the board.
- Trap the opponent King with one side pinned against a wall or corner, and the other side checkmated with the two Queens protecting each other.
- The player will then achieve the easiest mate and a quick victory.
Two Queens in Chess: Conclusion
In some standard chess sets, there are additional Queens for each color to promote Pawns into a second Queen. The rule of promotion in chess allows the player to convert any of their Pawns into a Bishop, Queen, Rook, or Knights when it reaches the last rank of their opponent side.
In this regard, two Queens can be found on the board. The number can only be limited depending on the number of Pawns a player has to cross to the opponents side.
In an unofficial chess game, players can use a Rook in an upside-down position to represent the second Queen, provided they are of the same color. Pawns converted to Queens must be of the same color, and a player is not allowed to use opponent color.
When a player’s Pawn reaches the eighth rank on a chessboard, the pawn gets promoted to any piece they want to replace the pawn with.
The promotion is not limited and multiple Queens can be converted. For example, if a player has eight Pawns, then if they can manage to promote all of them, a player will have eight Queens plus the one at the start of the game.
To checkmate using two Queens, a player must corner the opponent King into a virtual rectangle. Minimize to as small as possible by moving the two queens one after another until the King is trapped against a wall or corner for the checkmate.
Getting two Queens in chess is quite challenging, but when the game takes a turn in your favor it is absolutely possible. Use the second Queen to your advantage in a sacrifice trade to kill another Queen or attack the King to setup a quick checkmate for the victory.