Which side does the queen go on in chess?
The queen goes on the middle square that matches her own colour. The white queen starts on a light square (d1) and the black queen on a dark square (d8). The king takes the other middle square.
The phrase to remember
Queen on her colour.
It works for both sides, on any board, and it's short enough for a four-year-old to repeat back to you.
What if the queens face each other?
They should. With both queens on their own colour, the two queens stand in the same column, directly opposite each other — and so do the two kings. If that isn't true, one side is set up wrong.
Two Castles is a picture book for ages 2–5 that teaches the pieces and the setup, not the moves. See the book →