Queen vs three pieces
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Queen vs three pieces
White to play
Leafing through an old Chess Magazine i came across this position. At a glance you can tell that a key decision for White is whether or not to give up the Queen - and whether you get enough in return if you do.
I’m interested as to what forumites think about White’s best play from the diagram.
I’m also curious as to other games with the Queen vs three pieces theme. Can anybody think of any? Either GM or club level?
I’m sure I should know of some but nothing’s coming to mind.
Last edited by Jonathan Bryant on Mon Apr 27, 2020 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
I've had a very similar position, and I took the knight.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Bc4 Bg7 5 Qe2 Nc6 6 e5 is an opening line that I vaguely recall from years ago.Jonathan Bryant wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:43 pm
White to play
Leading through an old Chess Magazine i came across this position. At a glance you can tell that a key decision for White is whether or not to give up the Queen - and whether you get enough in return if you do.
I’m interested as to what forumites think about White’s best play from the diagram.
I’m also curious as to other games with the Queen vs three pieces theme. Can anybody think of any? Either GM or club level?
I’m sure I should know of some but nothing’s coming to mind.
http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/game ... 7-Nxd4.htm
Rather more bizarre is this one: http://200opengames.blogspot.com/2017/0 ... ieces.html
Last edited by LawrenceCooper on Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
I've seen it happen in a Couple of my own games, once as a result of a bit of an opening blunder and the other it was a deliberate attempt to neutralise an attack but in both cases the minor prices won out.
This particular position has plus and negatives for write, king safety is good so no material is likely to get nicked with forks or skewers and the minor pieces are all on fairly safe squares to control the board plus hold the position together. On the less good side the queenside will be weak and potentially exploitable and also black really doesn't have any major structural weaknesses that you could potentially exploit for advantage (ideally it's nice to have a target pawn to gang up against. Id probably say it would give white the edge in the long run but black will be able to take his chances too
This particular position has plus and negatives for write, king safety is good so no material is likely to get nicked with forks or skewers and the minor pieces are all on fairly safe squares to control the board plus hold the position together. On the less good side the queenside will be weak and potentially exploitable and also black really doesn't have any major structural weaknesses that you could potentially exploit for advantage (ideally it's nice to have a target pawn to gang up against. Id probably say it would give white the edge in the long run but black will be able to take his chances too
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
As I recall that gets some outings in David Short's book on Nigel.LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:59 pm
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Bc4 Bg7 5 Qe2 Nc6 6 e5 is an opening line that I vaguely recall from years ago.
http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/game ... 7-Nxd4.htm
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Generalising here, but it depends very much on how coordinated the "three pieces" are.
Well, and 3 minor pieces are often better than a Q, Badly, and a Q can easily outplay a R and 2 minors.
Well, and 3 minor pieces are often better than a Q, Badly, and a Q can easily outplay a R and 2 minors.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Several examples here including an example by Nigel Short.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Ah yes of course.LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:59 pm1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 4 Bc4 Bg7 5 Qe2 Nc6 6 e5 is an opening line that I vaguely recall ....
Someone tried to play this against me at a tournament a few years back. I avoided as was thought best at the time. Marin’s book on the Pirc suggests Black can grab the material though.
There’s also this theoretical line in a book by Vigus:-
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Nigel Short's game against Richard Miles is the one given in the book by David Short which Justin mentioned.Richard Thursby wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:41 pmSeveral examples here including an example by Nigel Short.
Black has two potential improvements: Playing something other than … Rxg7 on move 9 and playing … Be6 rather than … e6 on move 11.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
This position in the Dragon has been reached on numerous occasions.
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Here's a bizarre game.
Fritz thinks the final position is better / winning for White and prefers 18...Bd7, when it might stay as Q v 3 pieces, because taking the rook allows a draw, and 19. Ka1 allows 19...Re3. Crazy stuff!
Fritz thinks the final position is better / winning for White and prefers 18...Bd7, when it might stay as Q v 3 pieces, because taking the rook allows a draw, and 19. Ka1 allows 19...Re3. Crazy stuff!
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Just come across a nice example of this - Schussler v Polugayevsky at Skara 1980 (Polu got 3 minor pieces for his Q and won)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:29 pmJust come across a nice example of this - Schussler v Polugayevsky at Skara 1980 (Polu got 3 minor pieces for his Q and won)
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Re: Queen vs three pieces
Thanks Reg/Nigel/Matt.
All of those were unknown to me.
Curious that all the examples so far involve a fianchetto
All of those were unknown to me.
Curious that all the examples so far involve a fianchetto
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