Bible Chess

Queen Sacrifice Chess Puzzles with Answers

12 puzzles · rated 812 to 1896 · answers under each board

Giving up the queen, the strongest piece on the board, is the boldest move in chess. In each of these puzzles the queen is offered, captured, and the pieces that are left deliver mate.

Look at the squares your queen can reach next to the enemy king. If taking the queen drags a defender away or pulls the king into the open, the sacrifice may be the answer.

How to solve them

The side to move is at the bottom of each board. White’s pieces are gold and Black’s are stone, drawn as the biblical figures of Bible Chess: the queen is a Judge, the rook a Tower, the bishop a Prophet, the knight a Scout and the pawns are Shepherds.

Puzzle 1: Black to move, mate in 2

EasyRating 812

White: king a1, rook f1, pawns a2 and b2. Black: king b8, queen e4, rook e8.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Qe1+ 2. Rxe1 Rxe1#

  1. Queen e4 to e1, check. White answers: rook f1 to e1, taking the queen.
  2. Rook e8 to e1, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0lIfN (CC0)

Puzzle 2: White to move, mate in 2

MediumRating 1065

White: king e4, queen e5, pawn f7. Black: king h8, rook d8, pawns g7 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qe8+ Rxe8+ 2. fxe8=Q#

  1. Queen e5 to e8, check. Black answers: rook d8 to e8, taking the queen, check.
  2. Pawn f7 to e8, taking the rook, promoting to a queen. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0ZxtS (CC0)

Puzzle 3: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1211

White: king g2, queen h5, rook g4, pawns g5 and f6. Black: king h8, rooks g6 and g8, pawn h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxh7+ Kxh7 2. Rh4+ Rh6 3. Rxh6#

  1. Queen h5 to h7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: king h8 to h7, taking the queen.
  2. Rook g4 to h4, check. Black answers: rook g6 to h6.
  3. Rook h4 to h6, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0MGvB (CC0)

Puzzle 4: Black to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1301

White: king g1, rook f1, bishop g2, pawn h2. Black: king g7, queen d4, knight f2.

Hint

Your knight moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Nh3+ 2. Kh1 Qg1+ 3. Rxg1 Nf2#

  1. Knight f2 to h3, check. White answers: king g1 to h1.
  2. Queen d4 to g1, check. White answers: rook f1 to g1, taking the queen.
  3. Knight h3 to f2. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 3NqY4 (CC0)

Puzzle 5: White to move, mate in 2

MediumRating 1316

White: king g1, queen d5, knight h6. Black: king h8, rook f8, bishop g7, pawn h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qg8+ Rxg8 2. Nf7#

  1. Queen d5 to g8, check. Black answers: rook f8 to g8, taking the queen.
  2. Knight h6 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 5LHc7 (CC0)

Puzzle 6: White to move, mate in 2

MediumRating 1343

White: king h2, queen e6, knight h6. Black: king h8, rook f8, pawns g7 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qg8+ Rxg8 2. Nf7#

  1. Queen e6 to g8, check. Black answers: rook f8 to g8, taking the queen.
  2. Knight h6 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0YPGX (CC0)

Puzzle 7: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1373

White: king g1, queen f5, rooks f3 and d4. Black: king g8, rook f8, pawns f7, g7 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxf7+ Rxf7 2. Rd8+ Rf8 3. Rfxf8#

  1. Queen f5 to f7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: rook f8 to f7, taking the queen.
  2. Rook d4 to d8, check. Black answers: rook f7 to f8.
  3. Rook f3 to f8, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0H7wd (CC0)

Puzzle 8: Black to move, mate in 2

MediumRating 1417

White: king h1, queen b7, rook g1, pawns g2 and h3. Black: king h8, queen g3, rooks f2 and f3.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Qxh3+ 2. gxh3 Rxh3#

  1. Queen g3 to h3, taking the pawn, check. White answers: pawn g2 to h3, taking the queen.
  2. Rook f3 to h3, taking the pawn. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 05mQm (CC0)

Puzzle 9: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1454

White: king h1, queen h6, rooks f4 and h4, pawn f6. Black: king h8, rook g8, knight f8, pawns g6 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxh7+ Nxh7 2. Rxh7+ Kxh7 3. Rh4#

  1. Queen h6 to h7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: knight f8 to h7, taking the queen.
  2. Rook h4 to h7, taking the knight, check. Black answers: king h8 to h7, taking the rook.
  3. Rook f4 to h4. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 06x5y (CC0)

Puzzle 10: White to move, mate in 2

MediumRating 1492

White: king h1, queen h3, knight g5, pawn h2. Black: king h8, queen g6, rook g8, bishop g7, pawn h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxh7+ Qxh7 2. Nf7#

  1. Queen h3 to h7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: queen g6 to h7, taking the queen.
  2. Knight g5 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 4Bpek (CC0)

Puzzle 11: Black to move, mate in 2

HardRating 1582

White: king h1, queen c4, rook e1, bishop g2, pawn h2. Black: king g8, queen f2, knight h3, pawn e6.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Qg1+ 2. Rxg1 Nf2#

  1. Queen f2 to g1, check. White answers: rook e1 to g1, taking the queen.
  2. Knight h3 to f2. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 3ebcT (CC0)

Puzzle 12: White to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1896

White: king g1, queen h5, rook g3, bishop e5. Black: king g8, rook e7, pawns g6, f7 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxh7+ Kxh7 2. Rh3+ Kg8 3. Rh8#

  1. Queen h5 to h7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: king g8 to h7, taking the queen.
  2. Rook g3 to h3, check. Black answers: king h7 to g8.
  3. Rook h3 to h8. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0ARtb (CC0)

Questions

Why would you sacrifice your queen?

Because checkmate ends the game. Material does not matter if the sacrifice forces mate.

What is the most famous queen sacrifice?

Many players would name the Immortal Game (Anderssen against Kieseritzky, London 1851), where White gave up a bishop, both rooks and the queen and still won by checkmate.

More chess puzzles