The queen which is the most powerful piece in a chess game and in most games enters the warfare a bit late after most of the minor pieces have taken up positions. The Queen can gun long range and is most dangerous when it hovers around the King. Therefore the positioning of this piece in the initial stages of the game is important and it should more or less always be in the thick of action.
In the game which follows, Black’s queen strays rather early onto the corner of the board and thereafter is more or less a mute spectator for most part of the game
White: Konstantin Sakaev(2625)- Black: Aldyn Guseinov (2490)
Dubai, 2000
Queen’s Gambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2
A good diagonal for the bishop to be on!
6. ..c4 7.0–0
Castling quickly
7. ..Bb4 8.b3 cxb3 9.Qxb3
Things are getting interesting!
9. ..Nge710.Bd2
If 10.Ba3 Qa5 a5 11.Nc3 0–0 12.Rfc1 Bf5 13.e3 a4 14.Qb2 Qa5 15.Nh4
10...Bxd2
Exchanging at once! If 10...a5 11.Bxb4 axb4 12.a3 (12.Nbd2 Qa5 13.e3 0–0 14.Rfc1 Bf5 15.Nh4 Be6 16.Bf1 Rfc8 17.Ng2)) 12...Qb6 13.e3 Ra5 14.Nbd2 Qa7 15.Ra2 bxa3 16.Rfa1 0–0 17.Rxa3 resulted in a victory for White in a previous game
11.Nbxd2 0–0 12.Rfc1
Latching onto the open file immediately. If 12.e3 Qd6 13.Rfc1
12...b6 Also worth a look is 12...Qd6
13.Qa3 Bf5 14.e3
Diagram 1
14. ..Qb8
Difficult to understand this strange looking move! Black suddenly swings the queen to the side of the board. He could have tried the more sedate looking 14...Qd7 15.Rc3 Rac8 16.Rac1 Bh3 17.Bh1 or even 14...Rc8 15.Rc3 Na5 16.Rxc8 Nxc8 17.Rc1 Re8 18.Ne5
15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Qxe7
A good move! White decides to infiltrate with his queen rather than play 16.dxe5
16. .. Nd3?!
If 16...Ng6 17.Qg5 Be6 18.Bxd5 and if 16...Ng4 17.Bxd5 also works to White’s advantage
17.Rc3 a5 18.Bxd5
If 18.Qg5 Bg6 (18...Rc8 19.Rxc8+ Qxc8 20.Bxd5) 19.Qxd5 Ra7 20.Qb5 with White clearly better
18...Ra7 19.Qg5 Bg6 20.Be4 Nb4
If 20...Bxe4 21.Nxe4
21.a3 Na6
Things don’t look at all good for Black now!
22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Rb1
The second rook also gets control of the other open file
23. ..Rb7 24.Qb5
Swinging suddenly to the Queen side. If 24.Nc4 Rc8 25.Qb5 Qa7 26.Rcb3
24...Nc7 25.Qc6 Rd8 26.Rcb3
Also winning is 26.Rc5
26...Nd5
If 26...b5 27.Nc4
27.Qb5
White can also play 27.Nc4
27...Qc8 28.R1b2
Also playable is 28.Nc4
28...Rc7 29.Kg2 Rc6
If 29...Nc3 30.Qf1.Kg1
30.Nf3 Rc1
Entering the 8th rank but it is of no use now!
31.Qd3 a4 32.Rb5 Rc3 33.Qe4 Qc6
Desperately trying to salvage something. If 33...Qa8 34.Qh4 Rxa3 35.e4 Nc3 (35...Nf6 36.Ng5 Rd3 37.Rxb6 Nh5 38.d5 a3 39.Ra2) 36.Ng5 Nxb5 37.Qh7+ Kf8 38.Rxb5
34.Ng5
Missing the easier route to victory with 34.Qh4 Qa8 35.e4 Nf6 36.Ng5 Rxd4 (36...Rxa3 37.Rxb6 Nh5 38.Rb7) 37.Rxb6
34...Rd6 Black is also missing better moves like 34...Qa8 35.h3.Rd6 (35...Rxa3 36.Kh2 Rc3 37.Qh4 Nf6 38.Rxb6) 36.Qf3 f5 35.Rc5 Rxc5 If 35...bxc5 36.Rb8+
36.dxc5 f5 If 36...Qxc5 37.Qe8 checkmate and if 36...bxc5 37.Rb8+
37.Qc4 Kf8 38.e4 fxe4 39.Rxb6 and Black resigned.
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Rxf6 Rxf6 2.Rf1 Raf8 3.Qg5 Kg8
If 3...Kg7 4.Nh5+
4.Rxf6 Rxf6 5.Bxf6 and White wins.