Queen must rule the roost in open play

Chess Checks

The Queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and is most effective in Open positions where it can gun long range. The queen and rook are pieces which are meant for attacking and if they can infiltrate the enemy territory, then it is easier to carve a victory.

In the game which follows, both players somehow play some weird looking moves with the Queen. In fact Black’s queen goes to his own corner and is stranded there, almost till the end of the game. White too does not wrap up the game cleanly but never the less scores a victory.

White: Curt Hansen (2618) – Black: Henrik Danielsen (2514)
Aalborg , 2000
Schmid Benoni
 1.d4  c5 2.d5 f5
Dutch Defence type of Opening
 3.g3
If 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Qb6
 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 g6 5.b3
White can play 5.c4 Bg7 6.Nc3 d6  7.Nf3 0–0 8.0–0 Na6
 5...Bg7 6.Bb2 0–0 7.Nf3 d6 8.0–0 b5
A good and bold pawn advance on the queen-side
 9.Na3 b4
 A very tempting move to make but not exactly the right one! If 9...a6 10.c4 b4 (10...bxc4 11.Nxc4) 11.Nc2
 10.Nc4 Ne4
Taking stance at the centre ! Black can actually try 10. ..a5  11.a3 Na6  12.Ng5 Nc7
 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.a3
White is keen on Opening the ‘a’ file
12...Na6 13.axb4 Nxb4
If 13...cxb4 14.Rxa6 Bxa6 15.Qa1+
14.Ra3
Interesting move, vacating the square for the queen but White can think of 14.Ne1 e6  15. dxe6 Bxe6  16.Bxe4 fxe4  17.Nxd6
14...Rf6
Black can play 14. ..e6  15.dxe6  Bxe6  And if 14...Nc3 15.Qa1 Nbxd5 16.Ne3
15.Ne3 Bb7 16.c4 Qh8
A trifle weird square to place the queen! Seldom does one see the queen place in such a corner, especially considering the fact that the files around there are closed. If 16...Qb6 17.Qa1 a6 18.Nh4
17.Qa1
An interesting looking position!
17. .. a6 18.Nh4
If 18.g4 f4 (18...Kg8 19.gxf5 gxf5 20.Nh4) 19.Nd1 Nc2 20.Qb2 Nxa3 21.g5and White is better.
18...Kg8 19.f3
Time to dislodge the knight anchored at the centre
19. ..Ng5 20.f4 Nf7
If 20...Ne4 21.g4
21.Qc1 Nh6 22.Nf3 e6
One again this does not look like a good move. Black could have played
22. ..Ng4 Nxg4 fxg4. And if 22...Nf7 23.g4 and White remains better
23.Ng5
White now gets into a good position
23. ..e5
Another mistake which lands Black in more trouble. If  23...exd5 24.Qd1 (24.Qd2 d4 25.Bxb7 dxe3 )
24.fxe5 dxe5 25.Ne6 Rc8
Both queens are virtually out of the game
26.Nd1 Nf7 27.Ra5 e4
Blackshould play 27. ..Rb8 instead of provoking at the centre
28.Qd2 Rxe6 29.dxe6 Ne5 30.Rxc5 Nec6 31.Ne3 Rd8
A mistake in an already difficult position but then Black is lost in this position
32.Nd5
Simpler and winning outright is 32.e7 Rxd2  33.Rcxf5 Kg7

Diagram 1

32. ..Qg7
The queen after being cut off in the corner tries to make a comeback
33.e7 Nxe7 34.Nxe7+ Qxe7 35.Qxb4 and Black resigned.
1–0

Diagram 2

White to play and win
1.Rxd7+ Kxd7 2.Nc5+and White forks the King and queen.