The major pieces like the queen and rook are the most powerful pieces on the chess board and are supposed to be used for attack. The queen, however, because of its ability to move like the rook and the bishop, also can play an important role to thwart an attack.
In the game which follows, white enjoys an edge for most part. However black’s queen on more than a couple of occasions misses a chance to strengthen the defence and on the 36th turn, this results in an immediate loss for black.
White: Larry Melwyn Evans – Black: William James Lombardy
New York, 1962
Queen’s Gambit Accepted
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4
Accepting the gambitted pawn
3.Nf3 a6
An indication that black may be thinking about retaining the accepted pawn
4.e3 Bg4
Black can think of 4. ..c5
5.Bxc4 e6 6.Qb3
White can castle here
6. .. Bxf3. Black decides to rupture the king side and try and prevent white from castling there.
7.gxf3 b5.
If 7...Ra7 8.Bd2 Nf6 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Be2 c5 11.d5
8.Be2 Nf6
If 8...Nd7 9.a4 b4 10.Nd2 Ngf6 11.Ne4 c5 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Bd2 0–0 15.0–0–0 was played in a previous game
9.a4 b4 10.Nd2
White can consider 10.Qc4! Be7 11.Nd2 0–0 12.Nb3 Nbd7 13.Qc6
10...Nbd7 11.0–0
White decides to castle on the kingside despite a broken pawn structure. He can also think about 11.Qc4 c5
11...c5 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nc4 0–0 14.Kh1
Getting out of the open file. White can play 14.a5
14. ..a5 15.Bd2
Better appears 15.Qc2 or 15. Rg1 to take charge of the open file
15. ..Nd5
Black had a stronger move in 15. ..Rc8 or 15. ..Qc7
16.Rg1
White can also think about 16.Rac1 or 16.Rad1
16. ..Be7
If 16...Qh4 17.Rg3 g6 18.Rf1
17.e4 N5f6
If 17...N5b6 18.Bh6 Bf6 19.Rxg7+ Bxg7 20.Rg1 Qf6 21.Bxg7 Qxg7 22.Rxg7+ Kxg7
18.Bh6 g6
Black hardly has any choice and has to give up the exchange. If 18...Ne8 19.Rad1 Qc7
19.Bxf8 Qxf8 20.Rad1 Bc5
Here black could have considered 20. ..Nc5 or 20. ..Qb8
21.Rg2 Qb8 22.Ne3
Here 22.Qd3 is stronger
22. ..Qf4 Better appears 22. ..Be7 or 22. ..Bf8. If 22...Ne5 23.f4
23.Ng4 Ne5 24.Qc2
White can think of 24.Nxf6+
24. ..Nexg4 25.Qxc5 Ne5 26.Qe3
An invitation to trade queens
26. ..Nh5 27.Rgg1 Kg7
Here 27. ..Qf6 looks better
28.Rc1 Qf6 29.Rgd1 Nf4 30.Bf1 h6 31.b3 Qg5
Here worth thinking is 31. ..g5
32.Rc5 Kh7
A big mistake! Black should have played 32.Qf6 even though white maintains an edge
33.Rd7
If 33.Qd4 Nxf3 34.Rxg5 Nxd4 35.Rc5 Nxb3 36.Rc7
33...Kg8 34.Rdc7 Kg7 35.Rc8
Forcing the exchange of rooks
35. ..Rxc8
If 35...Ra7 36.Rxe5
36.Rxc8
Diagram 1
36. ..Nd7
A big blunder! Black once again misses 36. ..Qf6 which gives a chance for Black to hang on1
37.Qd4+ Qe5
If 37...Nf6 38.Qd8 And if 37...Ne5 38.Rc5
38.Qxd7 Qa1 39.Qb5 g5 40.h3 Qe1 41.Rc2 Qd1 42.Qc4 Qxf3+ 43.Kh2
1–0
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate
1.Qxh5+ gxh5 2.g6+ Kxg6 3.Rg1+ Kh7 4.Rfxg7 checkmate
Published 18 March 2017, 18:16 IST