Tact needed to tackle the queen

Chess Checks

As the queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard, a beginner many a time feels threatened when the queen tries to invade his territory.

At times he ignores better moves and tries to be overdefensive and attacks the queen or tries to drive it away and misses a good continuation.

In the game which follows, the game is well balanced in the early middle-game stages but White makes a mistake in trying to attack the queen. Later too he plays many weak moves and ends on the losing side.

White: Thomas Ochsner (2300) – Black: Curt Hansen (2605)
Esbjerg, 1997, Sicilian Defence
 1.e4 c5. The Sicilian Defence
2.c3. More popular is 2.Nf3
 2. ..d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Be3 Ng4
Interesting position where the Black queen has come out early into the game
7.Nbd2. If 7.Bd3 Be7
7...Be7 8.Bc4 Qf5
Black can play 8. ..Nxe3 9.fxe3 And played in a previous game was 8...Qd8 9.Ne5 Nxe3 10.fxe3 Bh4+ 11.g3 Bf6 12.Ng4 cxd4 13.Nxf6+ Qxf6 14.exd4 0–0 15.Qe2
 9.0–0 Nd7 10.Qe2 Nxe3
If 10...0–0 11.Bd3 Qd5 12.Bf4
11.fxe3 Qh5. Black is playing a waiting game and has not castled yet
12.Ne4 0–0
The position is well balanced now. If 12...b6 13.d5 exd5 14.Ng3 Qh6 (14...Qg6 15.Bxd5 Rb8 16.Nh4 Bxh4 17.Bxf7+ Qxf7 18.Rxf7+– Kxf7 19.Qh5+ And if 14...Qg4 15.Bxd5 Rb8 16.Bxf7+) 15.Bxd5 Rb8 16.Bxf7+ ) 16...Kxf7 17.Ne5+ Ke8 18.Nf7
13.Ng3 Qh6 14.e4 Nb6 15.Bb3 Bd7 16.Ne5 Rad8 17.d5
Here 17.Rad1 appears better
17...c4 18.Bxc4.
If 18.Nxc4 Bb5 19.a4 Ba6 20.a5 exd5 21.exd5
18...Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Bd6

Diagram 1

20.Ng4. This might have appeared as a tempting move in a bid to attack the queen but it is a big mistake. White should have continued 20.dxe6 Bxe6 (20...Bxe5 21.e7 Bxg3 22.Bxf7+ Kh8 23.h3 Rb8 24.exf8Q+ Rxf8) 21.Bxe6 Bxe5 22.Bh3 Rd2 23.Qb5 Bxg3 24.hxg3 Qg6
20...Qh4 21.e5
If 21.dxe6 Bxg3 22.exd7 Nxc4 23.Qxc4 h5  24.Qd3 Bc7 25.Nf6+ gxf6 26.h3 Rxd7 27.Qxd7 Qg3 28.e5
21...exd5 22.Rf4
If 22.Nf5 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Nxc4 24.exd6 Rfe8 25.Qf3 Re1+ 26.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 27.Qf1 Qxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Rxd6
22...Qg5 23.Raf1 Nxc4 24.exd6 Rfe8
If 24...Nxd6 25.Qf3
25.Qd1 Nxd6 26.Qf3.
Another mistake. Better is 26.Rd4
26...Re7. Missing the best continuation 26...Nc4  27.Qd1 Nxb2
27.Ne3 Be6 28.Nef5
White decides to exchange his knight for a bad piece
28...Bxf5 29.Nxf5 Re4 30.h4
White is playing some weak moves!  If 30.Nxd6 Rxf4 31.Qxf4 Qxf4 32.Rxf4 Rxd6 33.Kg1
30...Qxf4 31.Qxf4 Rxf4 32.Rxf4 Nxf5 33.Rxf5
After plenty of exchanges Black enters the ending with an extra pawn
33. ..f6 34.Rf2 d4 35.cxd4
If 35.Rd2 d3 36.Kg1 Kf7 37.Kf2 Ke6 38.Ke3 Kf5 39.Rxd3 Rxd3+ 40.Kxd3 Kg4
35...Rxd4 36.g3 Kf7 37.Kg2 h5
Fixing the g3 pawn
38.Rc2 Ke6 39.Kf3 Rd3+ 40.Kf4 Rd4+ 41.Ke3 Rb4 42.b3 Kf5 43.Kf3 Rb5
Preventing checks
44.Rc7 g6 45.Re7 a5 46.Rc7 Rd5 47.Rc3 b5 48.Re3 b4
Now fixing the a2 pawn
49.Re2 g5 50.hxg5 fxg5
White decided to resign rather than prolong the agony
0–1

Diagram 2

White to play and win.
1.Nc6
The Queen is trapped!
1.. Bb7 2.Nxf6+ Nxf6 3.Nxd8