The story behind the game
White’s queen takes an advanced a-pawn, but Black has central counterplay against the white king. A knight check on f3 permits a queen capture on c3, and a rook sacrifice on e3 then opens checking lines. The recorded draw makes this an instructive example of looking beyond material to a concrete defensive resource.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Challenge the centre before the opponent fixes it.
- A pawn capture can leave the queen far from the king.
- A knight sacrifice can open a queen’s entry square.
- A rook offer may create enough checks to save the game.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
c5 challenges the centre and permits an en passant decision. White captures en passant on c6 in the recorded game, and Black’s b-pawn recaptures there. This changes the central structure while White’s queen is active on f4. Track the en passant capture accurately before calculating the next queen and pawn moves.
d5 gains space while White’s queen eyes a3. White takes the a3 pawn in the recorded line. That removes an advanced pawn but places the queen far from the king. Compare Black’s forcing knight check with the apparent material gain before deciding that the queenside capture is harmless.
Nf3+ offers the knight to open tactical possibilities. White’s g-pawn captures on f3, and Black’s queen then takes the knight on c3. The capture changes the defenders around the white king. Calculate the following rook offer as well before judging the knight sacrifice only by its immediate material cost.
Rxe3 offers the rook to create forcing queen checks. White’s f-pawn recaptures on e3, leaving f2 open for the queen’s diagonal toward the king. Black takes on e3 with check and then checks from f3. The recorded repetition shows how active checking resources can save a position despite a large material change.
Result: 1/2-1/2. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 23: Challenge the advanced pawn
Which c-pawn move challenges White’s pawn on d5? In the game: c5. c5 challenges the centre and permits an en passant decision. White captures en passant on c6 in the recorded game, and Black’s b-pawn recaptures there. This changes the central structure while White’s queen is active on f4. Track the en passant capture accurately before calculating the next queen and pawn moves.
Engine-supported alternatives
g5 Qd4 Kg8 Ne2 c5 dxc6 Nxc6 Qa4 Qa5 Qxa5 Nxa5 Nd4 · +1.10 · depth 18
Qf6 Qa4 · +1.14 · depth 17
c5 dxc6 bxc6 Qb4 d5 Qxa3 d4 Nd1 Qb6 Qd6 Nd3 Qxd4+ · +1.18 · depth 17
Move 26: Support the centre before the queen raid
Which d-pawn advance gains central space beside the pawn on c6? In the game: d5. d5 gains space while White’s queen eyes a3. White takes the a3 pawn in the recorded line. That removes an advanced pawn but places the queen far from the king. Compare Black’s forcing knight check with the apparent material gain before deciding that the queenside capture is harmless.
Engine-supported alternatives
d5 Qxa3 Nf3+ gxf3 Qxc3 Qa7 Qb2 Kg2 h5 h4 Qf6 Qb6 · +1.43 · depth 19
c5 Qa4 Rb8 Qxa3 Nf3+ gxf3 Qxc3 Rxd6 c4 Qc5 Qa1+ Kg2 · +1.73 · depth 19
Qg5 Qxd6 Re6 Qxa3 Nf3+ Kh1 Nh4 Rg1 Qf5 Qb2 Rf6 f4 · +2.30 · depth 19
Move 27: Use a knight check to open the queen’s route
Which knight check reaches f3? In the game: Nf3+. Nf3+ offers the knight to open tactical possibilities. White’s g-pawn captures on f3, and Black’s queen then takes the knight on c3. The capture changes the defenders around the white king. Calculate the following rook offer as well before judging the knight sacrifice only by its immediate material cost.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nf3+ gxf3 Qxc3 Qa7 h5 Qd4+ Qxd4 Rxd4 Kf6 Ra4 Rc8 Kf1 · +1.51 · depth 19
h5 Ne2 g5 Qb4 Kg8 Qd4 Qg6 Rc1 Nd3 Rf1 h4 a4 · +1.94 · depth 19
Kg8 Ne2 · +1.99 · depth 19
Move 29: Open the checking diagonal
Which rook capture removes the pawn on e3? In the game: Rxe3. Rxe3 offers the rook to create forcing queen checks. White’s f-pawn recaptures on e3, leaving f2 open for the queen’s diagonal toward the king. Black takes on e3 with check and then checks from f3. The recorded repetition shows how active checking resources can save a position despite a large material change.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rxe3 fxe3 Qxe3+ Kf1 Qxf3+ Ke1 Qe3+ Kf1 · +0.00 · depth 19
Rd8 Kg2 c5 Qf4 Qf6 Qxf6+ Kxf6 Rc1 d4 exd4 cxd4 f4 · +0.92 · depth 19
Rb8 · +0.96 · depth 19
Every piece has a part to play.
White’s queen takes an advanced a-pawn, but Black has central counterplay against the white king. A knight check on f3 permits a queen capture on c3, and a rook sacrifice on e3 then opens checking lines. The recorded draw makes this an instructive example of looking beyond material to a concrete defensive resource.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 13–53. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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