<p>The queen is the most powerful piece on the chess board and can virtually control most of the board, short range as well as long range. Once a few pieces and pawns are exchanged, the queen really relishes long-range targeting through open files, rows and diagonals.<br /> <br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, White is dominating for most part and only after a careless move, allows Black to get back into the game. By that time, it is virtually a war between two queens and the way Black is able to move his queen to control squares and also attack, decides the game in his favour.<br /><br />White: Roman Ovetchkin (2475) – Black: Sergey Volkov (2545) <br />Moscow , 1998<br />French Defence<br />1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 <br />The French Defence<br />3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4<br />The French Classical system<br />5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 b6 8.Bc4<br />If 8.g3 Bb7 9.Qe2 Qd5 10.Ned2 Nc6 11.c3 0–0–0 12.Bg2 Qh5 <br />8...Bb7 9.Qe2 c6 10.0–0–0 Qc7 11.Rhe1 Nd7 12.Kb1 0–0–0 <br />Black also castles on the queenside in this variation <br />13.Ba6 He wants to exchange the light square bishop which is trained on his King 13. .. Bxa6<br />If 13...Rhe8 14.Bxb7+ Kxb7 <br />14.Qxa6+ Kb8 15.Qe2 <br />If 15.g3 f5 16.Ned2 Bf6 <br />15...Rhg8 If 15...Rhe8 16.a3 Bf8 17.c4 h6 18.Nc3 f5 19.d5 Bg7<br />16.g3 f5 17.Ned2 Bf6 <br />If 17...Rg4 18.Nc4 Bf6 19.Ne3 Rgg8 20.Ng2 Nf8 21.Nf4 Ng6 22.Nh5 Bh8 <br />18.Nc4 If 18.c3 c5 19.Nc4 cxd4 20.Nxd4 Nc5 21.f3 a6 22.Ne3 b5 23.Nec2 Kb7 18...Bh8 Black deviates with a new move. Black can also look at 18. ..Rg4 19.c3 h6 19.Nfe5 Nf6 20.Rd3<br />A bold move! If 20.c3 Ne4 21.f3 Nf6 <br />20...Ka8 21.Red1 Rc8 22.Ra3<br />Interesting move!<br />22...Rgd8 If 22...Rcd8 23.Nxb6+ Qxb6 24.Ra6 Qb7 25.Nxc6 Rd7 26.Rxa7+ Qxa7 27.Nxa7 Rxa7 28.c4 <br />23.Nxf7 Sacrificing the knight !<br />23...Qxf7 24.Nxb6+ <br />Trouble is brewing up for Black<br />24. ..Kb8 25.Nxc8 Rxc8 26.Re3<br />White should have played 26.Re1 Re8 27.Re3 Rd8 28.Qc4 Ne4 29.Rb3+ Kc7 30.Qb4<br />26...Ka8 27.Re1 <br />If 27.Rxe6 Ne4 28.Rh6 Rb8 29.Qe3 Qc4 27...Qd7 28.c3 c5 29.dxc5<br />Here White could have played 29.Rxe6 Ne4 30.Rxe4 fxe4 31.Qxe4 <br />29. .. Nd5 30.Rxe6 Bxc3 31.Rd6 Qb7 32.Rd1 White once again misses the correct move. Better is 32.Rc1 Rb8 33.b3 (33.Rxd5 Qxb2+ 34.Qxb2 Rxb2+ 35.Ka1 Rc2+ 36.Kb1 Rb2) 33...Bh8 34.Qf3 Nc7 35.Qxb7+ Kxb7 36.Rc4<br />32...Bd4 33.Qd2 If 33.c6 Nc3+ 34.Ka1 Qb8 35.Qd2 Qxd6 (35...Nxd1 36.Rxd4) 36.Qxd4 Qxd4 37.Rxd4 Ne4<br />33...Nc3+ 34.Ka1 Nxd1 35.Qxd4 Nxf2<br />Suddenly the scenario has changed and it is White who is fighting to stay in the game after appearing to be totally in the driver’s seat<br />36.b4 Qh1+ 37.Kb2 Qxh2 38.Rd7 Ne4+ 39.Kb3 Qxg3+ 40.Ka4<br />Diagram 1<br />40. .. Qg8 It is important to understand the power of the queen and also which squares need to be controlled.<br />41.a3 Qe6 42.Ka5 Nxc5<br />Simplifying and steering the game towards a winning ending<br />43.bxc5 Rxc5+ 44.Qxc5 Qxd7 45.Qf8+ Kb7 46.Qb4+ Kc6 47.Qc4+ Kd6 48.Qf4+ Ke7 49.Qg5+ Kf7 50.Qh5+ Kf8 <br />51.a4 Qd8+ 52.Kb4 a5+ 53.Kc5 Qf6 54.Kb5 f4! 55.Kxa5 f3 56.Qc5+ Kf7 57.Qf2 Qe5+ 58.Kb6 Qe6+ 59.Kb7 Qe2 60.Qd4 f2 <br />61.Qf4+ Ke6 62.Qh6+ Ke5 63.Qg7+ Kf4 64.Qh6+ Kg3 65.Qg7+ Qg4 66.Qc7+ Kg2 67.Qc2 Qb4+ 0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br /> 1.Qxc3+ Nxc3 2.b4 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The queen is the most powerful piece on the chess board and can virtually control most of the board, short range as well as long range. Once a few pieces and pawns are exchanged, the queen really relishes long-range targeting through open files, rows and diagonals.<br /> <br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, White is dominating for most part and only after a careless move, allows Black to get back into the game. By that time, it is virtually a war between two queens and the way Black is able to move his queen to control squares and also attack, decides the game in his favour.<br /><br />White: Roman Ovetchkin (2475) – Black: Sergey Volkov (2545) <br />Moscow , 1998<br />French Defence<br />1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 <br />The French Defence<br />3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4<br />The French Classical system<br />5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 b6 8.Bc4<br />If 8.g3 Bb7 9.Qe2 Qd5 10.Ned2 Nc6 11.c3 0–0–0 12.Bg2 Qh5 <br />8...Bb7 9.Qe2 c6 10.0–0–0 Qc7 11.Rhe1 Nd7 12.Kb1 0–0–0 <br />Black also castles on the queenside in this variation <br />13.Ba6 He wants to exchange the light square bishop which is trained on his King 13. .. Bxa6<br />If 13...Rhe8 14.Bxb7+ Kxb7 <br />14.Qxa6+ Kb8 15.Qe2 <br />If 15.g3 f5 16.Ned2 Bf6 <br />15...Rhg8 If 15...Rhe8 16.a3 Bf8 17.c4 h6 18.Nc3 f5 19.d5 Bg7<br />16.g3 f5 17.Ned2 Bf6 <br />If 17...Rg4 18.Nc4 Bf6 19.Ne3 Rgg8 20.Ng2 Nf8 21.Nf4 Ng6 22.Nh5 Bh8 <br />18.Nc4 If 18.c3 c5 19.Nc4 cxd4 20.Nxd4 Nc5 21.f3 a6 22.Ne3 b5 23.Nec2 Kb7 18...Bh8 Black deviates with a new move. Black can also look at 18. ..Rg4 19.c3 h6 19.Nfe5 Nf6 20.Rd3<br />A bold move! If 20.c3 Ne4 21.f3 Nf6 <br />20...Ka8 21.Red1 Rc8 22.Ra3<br />Interesting move!<br />22...Rgd8 If 22...Rcd8 23.Nxb6+ Qxb6 24.Ra6 Qb7 25.Nxc6 Rd7 26.Rxa7+ Qxa7 27.Nxa7 Rxa7 28.c4 <br />23.Nxf7 Sacrificing the knight !<br />23...Qxf7 24.Nxb6+ <br />Trouble is brewing up for Black<br />24. ..Kb8 25.Nxc8 Rxc8 26.Re3<br />White should have played 26.Re1 Re8 27.Re3 Rd8 28.Qc4 Ne4 29.Rb3+ Kc7 30.Qb4<br />26...Ka8 27.Re1 <br />If 27.Rxe6 Ne4 28.Rh6 Rb8 29.Qe3 Qc4 27...Qd7 28.c3 c5 29.dxc5<br />Here White could have played 29.Rxe6 Ne4 30.Rxe4 fxe4 31.Qxe4 <br />29. .. Nd5 30.Rxe6 Bxc3 31.Rd6 Qb7 32.Rd1 White once again misses the correct move. Better is 32.Rc1 Rb8 33.b3 (33.Rxd5 Qxb2+ 34.Qxb2 Rxb2+ 35.Ka1 Rc2+ 36.Kb1 Rb2) 33...Bh8 34.Qf3 Nc7 35.Qxb7+ Kxb7 36.Rc4<br />32...Bd4 33.Qd2 If 33.c6 Nc3+ 34.Ka1 Qb8 35.Qd2 Qxd6 (35...Nxd1 36.Rxd4) 36.Qxd4 Qxd4 37.Rxd4 Ne4<br />33...Nc3+ 34.Ka1 Nxd1 35.Qxd4 Nxf2<br />Suddenly the scenario has changed and it is White who is fighting to stay in the game after appearing to be totally in the driver’s seat<br />36.b4 Qh1+ 37.Kb2 Qxh2 38.Rd7 Ne4+ 39.Kb3 Qxg3+ 40.Ka4<br />Diagram 1<br />40. .. Qg8 It is important to understand the power of the queen and also which squares need to be controlled.<br />41.a3 Qe6 42.Ka5 Nxc5<br />Simplifying and steering the game towards a winning ending<br />43.bxc5 Rxc5+ 44.Qxc5 Qxd7 45.Qf8+ Kb7 46.Qb4+ Kc6 47.Qc4+ Kd6 48.Qf4+ Ke7 49.Qg5+ Kf7 50.Qh5+ Kf8 <br />51.a4 Qd8+ 52.Kb4 a5+ 53.Kc5 Qf6 54.Kb5 f4! 55.Kxa5 f3 56.Qc5+ Kf7 57.Qf2 Qe5+ 58.Kb6 Qe6+ 59.Kb7 Qe2 60.Qd4 f2 <br />61.Qf4+ Ke6 62.Qh6+ Ke5 63.Qg7+ Kf4 64.Qh6+ Kg3 65.Qg7+ Qg4 66.Qc7+ Kg2 67.Qc2 Qb4+ 0–1<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br /> 1.Qxc3+ Nxc3 2.b4 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
