The chess board is a world of its own with multiple realms and endless possibilities. In this world of art called chess, every character on the planet has its name, abilities, and value.
The Characters range from the top (The King) to the bottom (The Pawn). Other pieces include the Queen, Bishop, Knight, and Rook.
However, two pieces amongst the rest intrigue every new chess player; these pieces are the Queen and the Knight.
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The Queen
The Queen is regarded as the most potent piece on the chessboard, only second to the King in value, due to her devastating powers, ability to change the tide of a chess game in favor of a player, and most importantly, her wide range of mobility. The Queen is worth 9 points on the chess point calculator. Therefore, the Queen is the chess piece with the most point value. The Knight has 3, the Rook has 5, the Pawn has one, and the Bishop has 3; the King doesn’t have a point value as he is considered the game itself; this means that once the King falls, so does the game.
The Queen can move across any number of squares, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. She combines the power of the Rook and the two Bishops. She also can move like a pawn and even a King! These make the Queen the most mobile chess piece on the board and the most dangerous in attack.
The Knight
The Knight is a horse-shaped piece on the chess board that moves in an “L-shape.” This means that the Knight can move two squares in any direction vertically followed by one square horizontally or two squares in any direction horizontally followed by one square vertically. In addition, it is a unique piece on the chess board as it possesses the power to “jump” over other pieces.
The Knight is also a very deadly piece. Many chess players have lost games just because of the havoc their opponent’s Knight caused on the chess board. When not well marshaled, the Knight can damage a player’s game using a special weapon called a “fork.” A fork is where one piece executes a double attack on two enemy pieces. The deadliest of forks is called the “Royal Fork” a royal fork is where a knight simultaneously attacks the King and Queen. This usually ends in a queen loss for the player being forked.
The Queen and Knight are two compelling pieces, both with deadly powers. However, we stated earlier that a queen is a piece with the highest mobility. If this is true, the million-dollar question now is, “can a queen move like a knight?”
Can a Queen move like a knight?
At one stage of their introduction to the game, a new chess player will ask the question, “Can a Queen move like a knight?”. What typically prompts this question is the realization that the queen moves like every other piece on the board, so it’s easy to assume that the queen also moves like a knight.
The Answer
Can a Queen move like a knight? The answer is NO. A queen combines the mobility of every piece on the chess board except the Knight. Therefore, the Queen cannot “jump” over other pieces, nor can any piece on the chess board except the Knight. In a way, the Knight could be said to be the Queen’s biggest nemesis as it is the only piece that defies the all-encompassing power of the Queen.
However, despite their seemingly antagonistic nature, they make a very deadly team when the Queen and Knight team-up. One can even say a Queen and a Knight combined could be equal to every piece on the board in terms of mobility. This is because the combination allows players to make any legal move that all other pieces—from the King to the Pawn—can make. In addition, the Knight and Queen can, sometimes, combine for a Smothered Mate with the queen being sacrificed for the greater good.
And there you have it, the relationship between a Queen and a Knight is explained. It would be exciting if a chess variant where a piece with the power of a Queen and Knight combined would be created—similar to the Knightmate. What would you call it? Leave a comment below if you have an idea.
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