A trade of queens may accelerate an initiative because one big defender is gone.
Miroslav Tosic White
Vladimir Dimitrov Black
Bulgaria 1998
Sicilian Defense B32
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 d5
Question 86: Why not 5 ♗b5 and then 5...dxe4 6 ♘xc6 ♕xd1+ 7 ♔xd1 ?
5 exd5 ♕xd5 6 ♗e3 ♘xd4?
White’s lead in development looks good after 7 ♗xd4 and 8 ♘c3. But 7...e5! 8 ♗c3 ♕xd1+ trades queens in a much better way.
7 ♕xd4! ♕xd4 8 ♗xd4 ♗d7?
Black had to anticipate ♘c3, followed by ♘b5 or ♘d5, with 8...a6 or 8...♘f6.
9 ♘c3 a6
Black avoids 9...♘f6 10 ♘b5!, e.g. 10...♗xb5? 11 ♗xb5+ ♘d7 12 0-0-0.
10 ♘d5 ♖c8 11 ♘b6!
Now 11...♖xc2 12 ♘xd7 ♔xd7 13 ♗c3 traps and loses (♗d3) the rook.
11...♖c6 12 ♘xd7 ♔xd7 13 0-0-0 ♔c8 14 g3 ♘f6 15 ♗g2 ♖d6
This makes ♖d3-c3+! strong. But also bad is 15...♖c7 16 ♖d3 e6 17 ♖hd1 ♗e7 18 ♗b6.
16 ♖d3 ♖d7 17 ♖hd1 e6 18 ♖c3+
Now 18...♖c7 19 ♗b6 ♖xc3 20 ♖d8 mate.
Or 18...♔d8 19 ♗xb7! ♖xb7? 20 ♗xf6+ and mates.
18...♔b8 19 ♗e5+ ♔a7 20 ♖c8! resigns.
Question 87: What was the threat?
Federico Rosin White
Dragan Popp Black
Lugano 2003
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 d5 5 exd5 ♕xd5 6 ♗e3 e5? 7 ♘c3 ♗b4 8 ♘b5 ♕xd1+ 9 ♖xd1 ♗a5 10 ♗c5 ♘ge7 11 ♘d6+ ♔f8 12 ♗c4 ♗xc3+ 13 bxc3 b6 14 ♗a3 ♗e6 15 ♗xe6 fxe6 16 0-0 g6 17 f4! ♔g7 18 fxe5 ♖hf8 19 ♖xf8 ♖xf8 20 ♘b5 ♖f5 21 ♖d7 ♔f8 22 ♘d4 ♔e8 23 ♖c7 ♖xe5 and resigns before 24 ♘xc6.