Reginacide II: Jettisoning the Lady

by Jonathan Speelman
6/7/2020 – Star columnist Jonathan Speelman continues looking at queen sacrifices — or “reginacides”. In this instalment, he analyzes two from his games and two from games played by Ding Liren. Not to be missed! | Painting by Abel de Pujol: "La mort de Marie Stuart", 1587
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More queen sacrifices

As promised last time, we continue today with some more “Reginacide” starting with a tragicomic involuntary instance in a recent blitz game.

This was in my Bundesliga Club's (Munich 1836) monthly blitz tournament, which is held on a Monday and currently online of course.

The first one I played in went pretty badly for me, but this time I started well dropping just one draw in the first ten games before I lost a tough battle against Amin Tabatabaei. I won another couple, but about one and a half hours into the two-hour session I began to feel tired and attempted to remedy the situation with some chocolate.

This definitely didn't work — or at least not quickly enough — as I first walked into a back rank mate and then lost this absurd game. (I also lost a third in a row to Gawain Jones, who ended up winning the tournament. But that was a perfectly reasonable game and after it I  recovered  with two wins and draws against Parham Maghsoodloo and Gawain to finish seventh.)

 
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1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.e3 Bg7 4...Nf6 5.d4 cxd4 6.exd4 d5 5.d4 d6 6.d5 Ne5 7.Nxe5 Bxe5 8.Be2 Bg7 9.0-0 Nf6 10.e4 Black has lost some time but is pleased to have exchanged off a pair of minor pieces, which makes it easier given the space disadvantage. 0-0 11.Be3 e6 12.Qd2 My engine likes 12.e5 but I didn't consider it. 12...exd5 13.exd5 Re8 14.Bd3 Ng4 15.Bg5 Bxc3?! A bit unnecessary. 15...Bf6 surely can't be too bad for Black. 16.bxc3 f6 17.Bf4 Ne5 18.Rae1 Qa5? This is too far from the king. 19.Bxe5 fxe5 19...Rxe5 was better, though White still gets a strong initiative after 20.f4 20.f4 Bd7 21.fxe5 Actually 21.f5 was stronger, but again I didn't really consider it. 21...dxe5 22.Qh6
22.Bxg6! hxg6 23.Qg5 22...Qa6?? I saw that 22...e4 was the only defence to open up a path backwards from c3 to g7 and hoped that I'd have something strong though in fact 23.Rxe4 23.Bxe4 Qxc3 is also fine for Black 23...Rxe4 24.Bxe4 Qxc3 is perfectly okay for Black. 23.Rf7! Not a difficult combination. It now ought to be forced mate. Kxf7 24.Qxh7+ Kf6 25.Rf1+ Kg5 26.h4+ Kg4 27.Be2+ Kg3 28.Rf3+ Kg4
Here of course it's mate in three in various ways, but I found the outstanding 29.Qxg6+?? Qxg6 I was so annoyed that I actually smacked myself (gently) on the head but carried on when I saw I could win back his queen, not pausing to discover that Rh3+ forces perpetual. 30.Rf6+? 30.Rh3+ Kf5 31.Rf3+ Kg4 31...Ke4?? 32.Bd3# 32.Rh3+ 30...Kxh4 31.Rxg6 Rg8??
Still on tilt I now missed mate in two! 31...Rf8 should win, though White can fight a bit. 32.Rd6?? 32.g3+ Kh3 33.Bf1# was rather better. 32...Rg7 33.Kh2 Kg5 34.g3 Rh8+ 35.Kg2 Rh6 A truly horrible game which should dispel any fond lingering doubts that any readers may have that grandmasters don't blunder. It's so ridiculous that I don't find it a difficult story to tell against myself. And it is rather wonderful that after blundering a whole queen after sacrificing a rook I could still immediately have rescued a half point and then had an opportunity to take the full point. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Jon_Speelman2635Belezky23440–12020A35Apostelblitz May Arena

It could be argued that Reginacide is the last refuge of the chess-playing scoundrel and certainly, given the choice between a vile position with material equality and jettisoning the lady, I tend to come over all Henry VIII.

Here (and I've resisted working in some more puns) it worked out surprisingly well in a Dutch League game against Zsuzsa Polgar.

 
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1.Nf3 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.c4 d6 6.d4 0-0 7.Nc3 Qe8 8.b3 8.d5 is the main line. 8...e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Ba3 Rf7 10...e4? doesn't work or can only be played as an exchange sacrifice, since if 11.Bxf8 exf3 12.Bxg7 fxg2 13.Bxf6 gxf1Q+ 14.Kxf1 White is winning. 11.e4 Nc6 12.Re1 f4 13.Nd5 13.gxf4 Bg4 gives Black typical excellent play. 13...Bg4 14.Qd3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Nd4 16.Bg2 c6
Things really weren't working out very well. 17.Nxf4!? And if 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 we would be playing for only two results, so I decided to roll the dice. 17...Rd8 17...exf4 18.Qxd4 Ng4 19.e5 Bxe5 20.Qe4 looks nice for White unless Black has some combination involving Nxf2 or something, though in fact Rf5 is given as equal by my engine after 21.gxf4 Rxf4 22.Qxf4 Bxf4 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.Rd1 Bxh2+ 25.Kf1 Bf4 26.Rd7 Nh2+ 27.Kg1 Re1+ 18.Nh3 Nb5 19.Qxd8 Qxd8 20.cxb5 h6 20...Qa5 21.Bb2 cxb5 21...Qxb5 22.Bf1 22.Bxe5 is also reasonable for White. 21.bxc6 bxc6 22.Bb2 Ng4 22...g5 Houdini. 23.Bf1 Kh7 24.Bc4 Rf6 24...Rd7 25.Bc3 Bf8 26.Be6 26.Kg2 Bc5 27.Be2 h5 28.Rad1 Bd4 29.Bd2! Houdini Bxf2 30.Ng5+ Kg8 31.Bc4+ Kh8 32.Rf1 26...Rd3 27.Rac1 25.Rad1 Rd6 26.Be2 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Qc8
28.Kg2 Bf8 29.Rc1 Qd7 30.Bxg4!? Exchanging off the knight takes much of the potential energy out of Black's position.but there was a way to cause serious trouble in a move or so. Qxg4 30...Qd2 31.Rxc6 Qxb2 32.Rc7+ Kh8 33.Be6 31.Rc4 Bd6 31...Qe2 32.Bxe5 g5 33.Ra4 a5 34.Ng1 Qc2 was good for Black. 32.Ng1! Qd7 33.Nf3 Qc7 34.Bc1 g5 35.h3 Qb7 36.Be3 a6 37.Bc5 Bc7
38.Nh2 With all my poeces secure I can now manoeuvre to try to probe her weaknesses, and in practice it's definitely easier to play as White. h5 39.Nf1 Bd8 40.Ne3 Qd7 41.Rc1 Qe6 41...Qd3 42.Rd1 Qc3 42...Qxe4+ 43.f3 Qg6 44.Rd7+ 42.Rd1 Be7 43.Bxe7 Qxe7 44.Nc4 Qe8 45.Rd6 Kg7 46.Ne3 Qb8 47.Rxc6 Qb4 48.Rc4 Qe1 49.g4
49...h4?? This leaves the g4-pawn protected, after which White can manouevre the knight freely and is actually winning. Instead 49...hxg4 was necessary though still far from fun for Black. 50.Nxg4 50.hxg4 This pawn is weak, which makes Black's position defensible. Qb1 50...Qa5 50.Ra4 a5
51.Nf1! Kf6 52.Nh2 Qd2 53.Nf3 Qc3 54.Rc4 Qb2 55.Rc5 Qxa2 56.Rxe5 Qxb3 Black doesn't want to eliminate the queenside but there was nothing better. 57.Rxa5 Qb4
Here Zsuzsa resigned. With a little care I can win both of her last two pawns and keep all four of my own and then a slow advance will be unstoppable. A triumph for the lesser pieces and in particular the cavalry against Her Majesty, though there was a moment when the queen could have broken her bonds and wreaked havoc. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Speelman,J-Polgar,Z-1–01989A87/09NED tch

Of course all strong players know that sacrificing the queen is sometimes the best practical chance. In the Magnus Crlsen Invitational in April, Ding Liren twice faced queen sacrifices for unusual amounts of material, having to bail out to a draw against Alireza Firouzja but catching Fabiano Caruana's rather wild slog a few rounds later.

 
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1.Nf3 I originally started analysing this game with a few ideas of my own and computer notes translated into a bastardised form of English The more I read the computer notes the more irriitated I became. I'm sure that they are (mostly) true in the sense that the evaluations are correct and the lines in which a queen and rook attack against two rooks and a horde of space invaders do win when the engine says so... But from a practical human perspective they are nonsense. Playing space invaders with no time on your clock is a recipe for disaster, and Ding was absolutely right to bail out when he did. d5 2.g3 Nd7 3.d4 Nb6 This looks very odd, but it does make it difficult for White to play his thematic c4-break. 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.0-0 e6 6.Nbd2 c6 7.c4! anyway. Ding sacrifices a pawn for activity. dxc4 Having set out to prevent c4, it's very hard to resist taking it, but perhaps 7...h6 or 7...Be7 were safer. 8.Qb3 dxc4 9.Nxc4 Nxc4 10.Qxc4 Be4 is slightly more comfortable for White, but nothing too serious. 8.e4 White is slightly better. Bg6 9.Qe2 Nf6 10.Rd1 Bb4 11.Ne5 '!' c3
12.bxc3 A very dangerous movelty. 12.Nf1 had been played once before. 12.Nf1 Na4 13.Qc2 Nxb2 14.Bxb2 cxb2 15.Qxb2 Qe7 Here the engines like 16.Nxg6 16.a3 Ba5 17.d5 with a serious initiative. 16...hxg6 17.Rdb1 Ba5 18.Qxb7 Qxb7 19.Rxb7 ½-½ (37) Cherniaev,A (2415)-Sokolov,I (2636) Jakarta 2013. Bb6 20.Rc1 Bxd4 21.Rxc6 Ng4 22.Rc2 0-0 23.Bf3 Ne5 24.Kg2 Rac8 25.Rbc7 Rxc7 26.Rxc7 Rb8 27.Bd1 Rb1 28.Bb3 Nd3 29.Rd7 Ne1+ 30.Kh3 Bxf2 31.Nd2 Rc1 32.Nc4 Bb6 33.Ne5 Rc7 34.Rxf7 Rc5 35.Rf1 Rxe5 36.Rxe1 Kf7 37.Kg4 1/2-1/2 (37) Cherniaev, A (2415)-Sokolov,I (2636) Jakarta INA 2013 12...Bxc3 13.Rb1 0-0 If 13...Qxd4 14.Ndc4 Bh5 15.Bf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 is winning because of course if Qxe4 17.Nd6+ 13...Bxd4 14.Ndf3 c5 14...Bh5 15.g4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Ba3 14.Nb3 Qe7
The opening has gone tremendously well for Ding who, against a magnificently tricky opponent, now ideally wanted to find a way to get a large clear advantage with the minimum of mess. If 14...Nbd7 15.Ba3 Re8 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Rd3 Ba5 18.Nxa5 Qxa5 19.e5 Nd5 20.Rxb7 is very unpleasant for Black. 14...Bb4 loses to 15.Nc5 15.Bg5 15.Qc2! was actually the best because if Na4 15...Bb4 16.a3 Bxa3 17.Bxa3 Qxa3 18.Nc5 and, despite the two-pawn deficit and Black being on move, White will regain the outgoing with interest. However, this isn't easy to be sure of during a game, especially a rapdiplay game, so Ding's choice was also very sensible 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Rd3 will "only" win bishop and knight for rook, but White retains full control. Bb4 18.a3 Bxa3 19.Bxa3 Qxa3 20.Nc5 15...Qa3 15...h6 would perhaps have set more practical problems. 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nxg6 fxg6 18.Qc2 Na4 19.Rd3 Bb4 Here the engine really likes 20.e5 fxe5 Or 20...f5 21.a3 Bxa3 22.Na5 Nb2 23.Rb3 Rab8 24.Qd2 g5 25.Ra1 21.dxe5 Kh7 22.Nc1 but again this is difficult to calculate with real confidence. 16.Rd3 Na4 16...Bb4 17.Nc5 Bxc5 17...Qa5 18.Nxb7 Qa6 19.Rxb4 Qxb7 looks disgusting. 18.Rxa3 Bxa3 19.h4 and since White retians the initiative with his position completely intact this is pretty miserable for Black (as well as surely being lost with best play). 17.h4 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Nxg6 hxg6 19.Qc2 was surely the way to go. Black must allow Rxc3 after Qe7. Qe7 19...e5 20.Nc5 wins a whole piece 20.Rxc3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Of course there is still work to be done to win this, but it's an easy postion for White to play. 17...c5!?
Starting to hack. 18.Bxf6 18.Nxc5 Nxc5 19.dxc5 Qa6 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Nd7 is complicated but resolves quite quickly. Black has too many pieces loose and, although it's uncomfortable having the rooks rather loose, after a few more moves White should get complete control. Rfd8 22.Qd1 Bh5 22...Qc6 23.Rc1 Ba5 24.Rd6 Qc7 25.Nxf6+ Kg7 26.e5 22...Qxa2 23.Rxb7 Qa6 24.Rb3 Ba5 25.Nxf6+ Kg7 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Qa1 e5 28.Nd5 23.g4 18...gxf6 19.Nc4 Qb4 20.Nbd2 Bxd2 21.Rxb4 Bxb4 22.h5 22.a3 b5 23.axb4 bxc4 24.Ra3 cxd4 25.Rxa4 Rfc8 This may well be winning for White but is far from obvious in practice. 22...b5 23.hxg6 bxc4 24.gxh7+ 24.gxf7+! would have exposed the white squares and given White more leeway later. 24...Kh8 25.Rf3 c3 26.a3
26.Qc2 cxd4 27.Qxa4 Rfc8 28.Qc2 Bf8 29.Bf1 Bg7 29...Rab8 30.Bd3 26.Qe3 cxd4 27.Qh6 Be7 28.Rf4 f5 29.exf5 exf5 30.Bxa8 Here White has so much material that you might not panic too much about the pawns. c2 31.Rxf5 Rc8 32.Bc6! Though this is still a dififuclt move to see f6 32...d3 33.Rxf7 33.Kg2 Rxc6 34.Qg6 Rc8 35.Rf4 c1Q 36.Rg4 Qg5 37.Rxg5 fxg5 38.Qe6 26...cxd4! The only chance to keep on fighting. 27.axb4 Rac8 28.Qc2 Nb2 This may well be winning for a machine but is unclear in a rapidplay game between humans '?' 28...Nb6 29.Rd3 29.Rxf6? d3-+ 29...Rc4 29.Bf1 Rfd8
Although White should now win with best play, watching at the time, I thought that Alireza had very decent chances. 30.Bd3? This was the moment when Ding lost control. 30.Qc1! c2 31.Qh6! c1Q 31...f5 32.Qf6+ Kxh7 33.Rf4! 32.Qxf6+ Kxh7 33.Qxf7+ Kh8 34.Qh5+ Kg8 35.Qg6+ Kh8 36.Rf7 This shouldn't have been that difficult a line to find since, wonderfully for White, he obviously has at least perpetual check if things go wrong. 30...e5 31.g4 31.Kg2 f5? 32.Rxf5 Nxd3 33.Qxd3 c2 34.Qa6! 31...Kxh7 32.Kf1 32.Rxf6 Apparently works since if Kg7 32...Nxd3 33.Rxf7+ Kg6 34.Qa2! but this is incredibly dififuclt to see, and even more so to believe. 33.Rf3 32...Nxd3 33.Rxd3 Rc4? In fact, either Kg6 or apparently Kg7 were better to get the king safe before activating the rook. 34.Qc1 '?' 34.g5! Rc6 34...fxg5 35.Rh3+ 34...f5 35.Rh3+ Kg7 36.Qe2 gains a huge tempo on the rook. 35.Rh3+ Kg7 36.Qc1! 34...Kg7
The engine likes 34...Rh8 35.Kg2 Kg6 34...c2 35.Rh3+ 35.Kg2 Kg7 35...Kg8 36.Kg2 Kf8 37.g5 Ke7 Houdini keeps on blethering on that White is much better, but it's completely unobvious to me. 35.g5 f5! Again engines totally miss the point. Perhaps c2 is better, but this is really hard to deal with. 35...c2 36.gxf6+ Kxf6 37.Ra3 d3 38.Qh6+ Ke7 39.Rxa7+ Rd7 40.Qg5+ Ke8 41.Qxe5+ Kd8 42.Rxd7+ Kxd7 43.Qd5+ Ke7 44.Qxc4 36.g6 36.exf5 c2 36...e4 37.Rh3 e3 38.f6+ Kg6 39.Qd1 c2 40.Qd3+ 37.Kg2 e4 38.Rh3 e3 39.Qh1 is aparently winning, but again you'd have no certainty in a rapidplay game that Black would't escape and maybe even win. c1Q 40.Rh7+ Kf8 41.Qh6+ Ke8 42.Qf6 36...fxe4
36...f4! This defends the king, after which even engines concede that it isn't that clear. 37.gxf7! Very sensibly bailing out. 37.Rh3! e3 38.Qd1! 38.gxf7 38.fxe3 d3= 38...fxg6 38...c2 39.Rh7+ 39.Qa4 wins. Of couerse I believe the engine, but in a game it would be very hard to be sure that the threats come first. 37...exd3 38.Qg5+ Kxf7 39.Qf5+ Ke7 40.Qxe5+ Kf7 41.Qf5+ Ke7 42.Qe5+ Kf7 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2791Firouzja,A2728½–½2020A07Carlsen Invitational1.3
Ding,L2791Caruana,F28351–02020D73Carlsen Invitational2.3

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Gambit play and the joy of sacrificing is an important part of the improving process. In order to become a strong player you must learn to attack and make combinations. Many continue to play in an aggressive style throughout an entire chess lifetime!

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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

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