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Trapping the queen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trapping the queen is a tactical motif which occurs in both amateur and master games. The tactic is similar to a mating net, whose target is the defender's king, rather than his queen. When the opponent's queen is successfully trapped, it usually results in his immediate resignation.

Examples

[edit]
Trapping the queen
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
c8 black bishop
d8 black queen
e8 black rook
g8 black king
b7 black pawn
d7 black knight
e7 black bishop
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
a6 black pawn
c6 black pawn
d5 black pawn
f5 black pawn
d4 white pawn
e4 black knight
f4 white bishop
c3 white knight
d3 white bishop
e3 white pawn
f3 white knight
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white queen
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
c1 white rook
f1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Moves1.Nxd5 cxd5 2. Bc7 Resigns (Idea Variation)
ECOD60
ParentQueen’s Gamit Declined, Orthodox Defense

The diagram on the right shows a position from the game Alekhine-Rubinstein, San Remo 1930. White plays for trapping the queen, as after the moves (1.Nxd5 cxd5 2.Bc7), Black's queen is lost.[1] In the game, Black did not take the knight and after the sequence (1. Nxd5 Bd6 2.Bxd6 Nxd6 3.Nf4), simply lost a pawn without compensation.

Trapping the queen
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
e8 black king
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
d7 black bishop
e7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black bishop
h7 black pawn
c6 black knight
d6 black pawn
f6 black pawn
a5 black queen
b5 white bishop
h5 white queen
a4 white knight
d4 white knight
e4 white pawn
f4 white pawn
c3 white pawn
g3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Moves1.Ne6 Bf8 2.b4 Nxb4 3.Bxd7+Kxd7 4.Qxa5
ECOB44
ParentSicilian defense, Open Variation

A more complex position, shown in the second diagram originates from the game Liberman-Ioffe, URS, 1961. After the move 1.Ne6 Bf8 (forced, since 1...Bxe6 loses the queen to 2.Bxc6+ bxc6 3.Qxa5). After the moves (1.Ne6 Bf8 2.b4 Nxb4 (forced, otherwise the queen is trapped) 3.Bxd7+Kxd7 4.Qxa5 (and the Black queen is lost anyway)

Trapping the queen
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
c8 black bishop
e8 black king
h8 black rook
b7 black pawn
e7 black knight
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
a6 black pawn
e6 black pawn
d5 black pawn
e5 white pawn
d4 white knight
f4 white pawn
a3 white knight
c3 black queen
d3 white bishop
a2 white pawn
d2 white queen
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
c1 white bishop
e1 white king
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Moves1…Qxa1 2.Bb1 Resigns
ECOCO2
ParentFrench Defense, Advanced variation

The position shown in the third diagram on the right originates from the game Nezhmetdinov-Konstantinov, Rostov, 1936, after the moves (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5Bxc5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Qe2 Qc7 7.Nf3 Nd4 8.Nxd4 Bxd4 9.f4 Ne7 10.Na3 a6 11.c3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qxc3+ 13.Qd2). When one of the strongest tactical geniuses of all time, Rashid Nezhmetdinov leaves a rook hanging, it may be advisable to proceed with caution. However, in the game Black took the rook and after 2.Bb1 he resigned, since the Black queen is trapped and will be lost after 3.Bb2[2][3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Murray Chandleer (2003). Chess Tactics for Kids. Gambit Publications. pp. 1–128. ISBN 1-901983-99-4.
  2. ^ George Huczek (2017). A to Z Chess Tactics. Batsford. pp. 001–349. ISBN 978-1-8499-4446-5.
  3. ^ chessgames.com. "'Rashid Nezhmetdinov vs Alexander Ivanovich Konstantinov'". chessgames.com. Retrieved 2021-01-18.