3/31/2023 – Middlegame secrets are revealed - in a series of articles featuring videos by Jan Markos. We'll begin with the Queen, exploring things to avoid when playing with the most powerful chess piece! If you wish to know more, we recommend the full course by Jan Markos: Middlegame Secrets Vol.1: The Power of the Queen | Photo: Alexis Fauvet/Unsplash
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Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
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Middlegame Secrets Vol.1: The Power of the Queen
For a chess player, chess pieces are like specific tools in a toolbox. We need to know how to use them best, like a craftsman knows their tools. We shouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail; and we shouldn’t use the queen just for defence. This series will show you in great detail the specific qualities of each chess piece, so that you can maximize their effectiveness and thus improve your game. Queens are the true ladies of the chessboard. They are dangerous attackers, but poor defenders. They dislike dirty work, and often wait until other pieces prepare space for them. Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
The Queen is a bad defender but an excellent attacker
You may know all about the attacking potential of the queen, but are you aware that you should generally avoid using the queen as a defender? Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule, but queens are clearly best utilised in attacks. Jan Markos shows why in the following example:
Radjabov vs Nepomniachtchi
The white pawn is quite advanced. How to blockade with Black? Use the Queen or the Bishop? An example clip from the video course will give you insights.
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33...Qc7?!"The queen is a bad blocker!" Of
course Nepomniachtchi knew that, but the temptation to provoke g2-g3 was
probably too strong. But actually g2-g3 is a useful move, ensuring the king
some breathing space and restricting the bishop.AFter33...Bc7!
the most constructive move seems to be34.g3anyway, when Black is
absolutely stable and can choose whether to sit and wait or display some
activity.f534...g5=34...Kg7=AND SLOW PLAY35.Nc535.Nf2Rd235...Qd534.g3Rb435.Kh1Kg736.Qd1Possibly not the
strongest but from a practical point of view brilliant as it caused an
immediate blunder. Black was probably scared by the threat Qd7, which is not
so terrible actually.36.Nf2!?Bd437.Nd3Rb838.Qc4Rd839.Kg236...Bd4?Optically logical but losing.36...Rd4is better36...a537.Kg2!?The king is heading for the relatively safest h3.37.Qd7
is not too dangerous.Qxd738.cxd7Rd439.Rc5Bf640.Rc8Be740...Rxd7??41.Rg8+!41.Nc5Rd537...Rb638.Qd7g539.Kh3Rb440.Rc5g4+!?40...Rxa441.Qxc7Bxc742.Nc3Rb443.Nb5Bb644.Nd644.c7Rxb544...Rd445.c7Bxc746.Ne8+Kg647.Nxc7a4wih drawing chances due
to the weakened kingside.41.Kxg4Rxa4The knight is pinned now.42.Kh3Rd443.Qxc7Bxc744.Nc3Rd845.Nb5Rc846.Kg437.Nd6!+-The
double threat Ne8+ and Nb5 wins.Kh738.Nb5Rxb539.axb5e540.Qb3Kg741.Qd5Be342.Rd1Qb843.Re1Bd444.f41–0
Jan Markos is a grandmaster from Slovakia.. He is the author of numerous excellent books and for some time has also been a writer for ChessBase. Besides his column in ChessBase Magazine "Practical tips for the tournament player" he writes a column for ChessBase News "The Winning Academy". With his new video series "Middlegame Secrets" the specific qualities of each piece are explained in detail. Each piece has certain tasks for which it is better suited than others. With the help of rules of thumb and principles, The Queen and the Rook are dealt with in the first two volumes. Markos knows how to break down the complexity of the pieces into simple rules of thumb. This makes it easier to learn and apply. On the occasion of the publication of the courses, we have made a nice interview with the author:
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
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