TacticForge

Lesson 1 of 6

Intermediate

The Queen Sacrifice

Giving up the queen is the most spectacular sacrifice in chess, and it works more often than you might think: when the enemy king can be dragged into the open, or when a double check leaves it no time to escape.

A queen is worth about nine pawns, so a queen sacrifice has to win more than that: usually the king itself. The two games in this lesson show the two classic ways. In Réti–Tartakower, the queen is given up to pull the king onto an open file, where a double check finishes it. In Lasker–Thomas, the queen is given up to drag the king out of its shelter, and White's pieces chase it across the whole board.

What the two have in common is the reason the sacrifice works: White has more pieces near the king than Black has defenders, and every move after the sacrifice is a check, so Black never gets time to bring help.

This lesson is taught from White's side. A move that works wins; a move that fails is at least one and a half pawns worse (see "How these lessons were checked"). You get three key moments, each with the move that wins and a natural one that does not, both combinations move by move, the two games, and four positions to solve.

The idea

A king on an open file

In Réti–Tartakower, White has castled queenside and the rook on d1 faces Black's king down the open d-file. Only White's queen on d3 stands in between.

The double check

After 9.Qd8+!! Kxd8 10.Bg5+ the king is in check from both the bishop and the rook. Against a double check the king has to move, and both squares lead to mate.

Dragged out

In Lasker–Thomas, after 11.Qxh7+!! Kxh7 12.Nxf6+ Kh6 the king has been pulled out of its shelter, and White's knights, pawns and bishop drive it forward with check after check.

Before you play it: the checklist

Each condition with two positions: one where it holds and the move works, one where it is missing and the same move fails. The number is Stockfish's evaluation after the move, from the attacker's side.

1.Clear the line

When only your own queen stands between your rook and the enemy king, sacrificing it with check can open the line.

It works

9.Qd8+Mate

9.Qd8+!! forces the king onto the d-file, and mate follows.

It fails

9.Re1+0.9

9.Re1 wins the pinned knight back, but White is only slightly better.

The engine prefers Qd8+ (Mate).

2.Take the shelter away

When your pieces surround the king, giving the queen for the pawn in front of it can drag the king into the open.

It works

11.Qxh7+Mate

11.Qxh7+!! and the king is mated.

It fails

11.Nxf6++0.5

11.Nxf6+ trades knights calmly, and White is only slightly better.

The engine prefers Qxh7+ (Mate).

3.Keep checking with the right piece

Once the king is out, every move must be a check, and the checking piece must leave the others in place.

It works

13.Neg4+Mate

13.Neg4+ keeps the knight on f6 and the hunt goes on to mate.

It fails

13.Nfg4++2.5

13.Nfg4+ checks with the wrong knight: the king escapes and White is only slightly better.

The engine prefers Neg4+ (Mate).

Move by move

Click a move or use the arrows. Under each note you'll find the defender's other choices and how to answer them. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation from the attacker's side.

Queen sacrifice, double check

Réti–Tartakower: the double check

Mate
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  21. 11.

8…Nxe4. The notes are on the highlighted moves.

Other moves here

Queen sacrifice, king hunt

Lasker–Thomas: the king hunt

Mate
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  35. 18.

10…Qe7. The notes are on the highlighted moves.

Other moves here

Model games

Tartakower grabs a knight with 8…Nxe4, but his king is still on e8, facing White's rook on the open d-file. 9.Qd8+!! and a double check end the game two moves later.

Vienna · 1-0

Richard Réti – Savielly Tartakower, 1910

+0.3
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  21. 11.

Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black's 10…Qe7 lets White strike: 11.Qxh7+!! drags the king out, and after eight checks in a row, the last of them mate, the king dies on g1, far from where it started.

London (offhand game) · 1-0

Edward Lasker – George Alan Thomas, 1912

+0.3
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  27. 14.
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  31. 16.
  33. 17.
  35. 18.

Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Your turn

Each position has one best move. Find it, then check the solution.

Exercise 1

White to move. Black has just taken White's knight on e4.

Show solution

9.Qd8+

9.Qd8+!! Kxd8 10.Bg5+ Kc7 11.Bd8#. The bishop and the rook give a double check, and the king has nowhere to go.

Réti–Tartakower, Vienna 1910.

Exercise 2

White to move. White has given up the queen.

Show solution

10.Bg5+

10.Bg5+ is a double check: the bishop and the rook on d1 both attack the king, and mate follows next move.

Réti–Tartakower, Vienna 1910.

Exercise 3

White to move. Black's queen has just gone to e7.

Show solution

11.Qxh7+

11.Qxh7+!! Kxh7 12.Nxf6+ is a double check, and White's pieces hunt the king to mate.

Edward Lasker–Thomas, London 1912.

Exercise 4

White to move. The king has come out to h6.

Show solution

13.Neg4+

13.Neg4+ checks with the knight from e5 and keeps the one on f6, which controls the escape squares. Mate follows.

Edward Lasker–Thomas, London 1912.

From history

Two young masters

Richard Réti began his career as a combinative player who favoured the King's Gambit; only after the First World War did he become one of the leaders of hypermodernism. Edward Lasker's game against Sir George Thomas was an offhand clock game in London in 1912. After being mated, Thomas said, "This was very nice." Lasker, who did not yet speak English, was touched by his opponent's sportsmanship when a spectator translated the remark.

Take these into your games

Count the attackers

A queen sacrifice works when your pieces near the king outnumber its defenders.

Checks leave no time

After the sacrifice, keep checking. Every quiet move gives the defender time to bring help.

Open files are dangerous

A king on a file your rook controls is one move away from trouble, even if your own piece is in the way.

Double check

Against a double check the king must move. If it has no good square, the game is over.

Look for the forcing line

When a sacrifice is possible, calculate only checks and captures first. If they lead to mate, you do not need anything else.