Trapped Queen

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Trapped Queen
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White: John P. Pratt
Black: Bob Garn
Date: 11 Jan 1977
Location: Hill Air Force Base, Utah

Bringing the queen out early makes her a good target. But beware if the opponent suddenly stops attacking her. He may be laying a trap by closing all escape routes.

1. d2-d4, Ng8-f6.

2. c2-c4, d7-d5.

3. Nb1-c3, c7-c6.

4. Bc1-g5, Qd8-b6. White's first four moves are the Queen's Gambit. Then Black departs and gets aggressive which is dangerous.

5. Nc3-a4, Qb6-b4+. White attacks and defends with his knight, and Black shows how he loves to attack with his queen. But now he is only attacking a pawn which was offered as a sacrifice from the beginning.

6. Bg5-d2, Qb4xc4. And White loves to attack a prematurely developed queen.

7. Ng1-f3, e7-e6. White cannot play Ra1-c1 because of Qc4-xa2. So he develops and saves that queen pawn.

8. e2-e3, b7-b5. White's innocuous-looking copy-cat developing move has trapped the unsuspecting queen who must have been thinking that Black had given up attacking her. Instead he was closing all the escape routes of a trap. She has no where to run.

9. Bf1xc4, b5xa4. The deed is done.

10. Qd1xa4, d5xc4. White opts to sacrifice the bishop too for reasons not clear now. Compare the development of both sides. White is totally developed while Black was moving his queen about.

11. Qa4xc4, Bc8-a6. Black grabs the diagonal into White's potential castle.

12. Qc4-a4, Bf8-d6. White forces Black's queen knight to do double duty, locking in the rook. Finally Black develops the bishop, preparing to castle.

13. Ra1-c1, Ba6-b5. Now it is Black's turn to attack a queen.

14. Qa4-c2, 0-0. Black is now looking good, for having lost a queen. White needs to start his attack over.

15. Nf3-g5, Rf8-c8.

16. Ng5-e4, Nf6xe4. White wants to do damage or at least trade pieces.

17. Qc2xe4, g7-g6. White is surprised by Black opening up his castle.

18. h2-h4, h7-h5. White loves to ram that pawn down Black's throat. He has seen it too many times not to stop it. That is probably why he voluntarily broke up his castle.

19. g2-g4, a7-a5. White brings out reserve pawns and Black decides he must somehow develop that queen rook.

20. g4xh5, g6xh5.

21. Rh1-g1+, Kg8-f8. The Black castle is destroyed, now White can get serious. Note how White allowed Black's bishop to continue aiming into his castle because he had no plans for a castle.

22. Qe4-h7, Kf8-e7.

23. e3-e4, a5-a4. White advances a pawn preparing for Bd2-g5+. Black sees no defense for what is coming and neither to I.

24. Bd2-g5+, Ke7-d7. Ke7-e8 looks a little better.

25. Qh7xf7+, Bd6-e7. Now it's over.

26. Qf7xe7 mate It's tough to defend without a queen.

1. d2-d4, Ng8-f6.
2. c2-c4, d7-d5.
3. Nb1-c3, c7-c6.
4. Bc1-g5, Qd8-b6.	White's first four moves are the Queen's Gambit. Then Black departs and gets aggressive which is dangerous.
5. Nc3-a4, Qb6-b4+.	White attacks and defends with his knight, and Black shows how he loves to attack with his queen. But now he is only attacking a pawn which was offered as a sacrifice from the beginning.
6. Bg5-d2, Qb4xc4.	And White loves to attack a prematurely developed queen.
7. Ng1-f3, e7-e6.	White cannot play Ra1-c1 because of Qc4-xa2. So he develops and saves that queen pawn.
8. e2-e3, b7-b5.	White's innocuous-looking copy-cat developing move has trapped the unsuspecting queen who must have been thinking that Black had given up attacking her. Instead he was closing all the escape routes of a trap. She has no where to run.
9. Bf1xc4, b5xa4.	The deed is done.
10. Qd1xa4, d5xc4.	White opts to sacrifice the bishop too for reasons not clear now. Compare the development of both sides. White is totally developed while Black was moving his queen about.
11. Qa4xc4, Bc8-a6.	Black grabs the diagonal into White's potential castle.
12. Qc4-a4, Bf8-d6.	White forces Black's queen knight to do double duty, locking in the rook. Finally Black develops the bishop, preparing to castle.
13. Ra1-c1, Ba6-b5.	Now it is Black's turn to attack a queen.
14. Qa4-c2, 0-0.	Black is now looking good, for having lost a queen. White needs to start his attack over.
15. Nf3-g5, Rf8-c8.
16. Ng5-e4, Nf6xe4.	White wants to do damage or at least trade pieces.
17. Qc2xe4, g7-g6.	White is surprised by Black opening up his castle.
18. h2-h4, h7-h5.	White loves to ram that pawn down Black's throat. He has seen it too many times not to stop it. That is probably why he voluntarily broke up his castle.
19. g2-g4, a7-a5.	White brings out reserve pawns and Black decides he must somehow develop that queen rook.
20. g4xh5, g6xh5.
21. Rh1-g1+, Kg8-f8.	The Black castle is destroyed, now White can get serious. Note how White allowed Black's bishop to continue aiming into his castle because he had no plans for a castle.
22. Qe4-h7, Kf8-e7.
23. e3-e4, a5-a4.	White advances a pawn preparing for Bd2-g5+. Black sees no defense for what is coming and neither to I.
24. Bd2-g5+, Ke7-d7.	Ke7-e8 looks a little better.
25. Qh7xf7+, Bd6-e7.	Now it's over.
26. Qf7xe7 mate	It's tough to defend without a queen.