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The queen became the most powerful chess piece only during the late fifteenth century.
The longer version
In the earlier version that reached Europe from the Islamic world, the piece beside the king was a counsellor that moved only one diagonal square. From the late fifteenth century, rule makers gave it the combined range of rook and bishop, producing a piece able to cross the board in one move. The change spread unevenly and was resisted in some places.
The result transformed openings, because promoting a pawn now produced a piece worth many pawns, so games grew faster and sharper. Castling and the two-square pawn advance appeared around the same era of revision, and all three changes pushed the game away from slow manoeuvring. Some regional variants kept the weaker piece for centuries afterwards.
Where this entry sits
Facts here look at the rules, equipment and odd histories behind familiar sports and games, from balls and rackets to cards, boards and playing fields. Expect small details about scoring quirks, stadium design and the long story of the Olympic Games. The full list sits on the Sports and Games page, where every entry is listed in order.
More From Sports and Games
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Read 24The marathon race takes its name from a legendary run by a Greek messenger after a battle.
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