Queen sacrifices in openings

Queen sacrifices are fairly rare, and one might say that they're generally made in mating combinations. Still, some openings involve Queen sacrifices, and some of them are even established in theory. Here are three lines in which one of the players sacrifices their Queen -- note that the two first ones have been reasonably tried in practice, whereas the last one is neither popular nor efficient; more like a eye-candy, if I might say.

1 – In the Kholmov Variation of the Pirc Defense

In this line, White sacrifices his Queen and two pawns for two Knights and the dark-squared Bishop.

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 White’s last move is called the Kholmov Variation. 4. … Bg7 Just so you know, instead of Bg7, or at any point with that configuration still on the board, Black has the possibility of 4. … Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Nxe4 =. 5. Qe2 Nc6

6. e5! Nxd4 7. exf6! Nxd2 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Ngxe2 +=

(9. …Rxg7 10. Bh6 Rg8 11. O-O-O +=)

White scores excessively good with that line. With 129 games from Chesslive, White scores an impressive 74 wins, 35 losses and 20 draws (W 57,36% ; B 27,13% ; Draw 15,50%). Instead of entering that variation, Black should simply play 6. … exd5 or 6. … Nd7, with perhaps even a slight advantage.

2- In the Saëmisch Variation of the King’s Indian Defense

In this line, it is Black who sacrifices his Queen for a pawn and two Bishops, with relatively acceptable results, although White still scores better.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 Nh5 8. Qd2 Qh4+ 9. g3 Nxg3 10. Qd2

10. … Nxf1 11. Qxh4 Nxe3 +=

Out of 184 games from Chesslive, White wins 86, loses 54 and draws 44 (W 46,74% ; B 29,35% ; Draw 23,91%). As we can see, this line has been slightly more tested than the one in the Kholmov (this one is still booked at move 11 where it is not in the Kholmov at the moment of the Queen sacrifice, given that Black did not play the best moves).

3- In the Botvinnik Variation (Main Line) of the Semi-Slav defense

This one is here more for the anecdote that will follow than for the actual line. Chesslive gives only 8 games with the Queen sacrifice in this line, with 7 wins for White and only 1 mere loss. The line goes thus :

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3

This is still booked, and g3 enters the Anti-Meran Gambit / Lilienthal Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Chesslive shows 990 games after g3, ranging from 1944 to December 2007. Lilienthal seems to be the first one to have used it – against Botvinnik himself – and lost… anyway. In this position, Chesslive gives only 9 games (0.09% of the 990 games) that continued with 11. … b5, which GM Soltis annotates with "?".

The interesting story behind it is that GM Vladimir Bagirov played as Black in this position in 1971, and White answered with the less forcing 12. Ne2, and Black eventually won the game. This game is the only one out of the 9 games reaching 11. …b5 which did not lead to the Queen sacrifice.

GM Bagirov was once again confronted with the position in 1980, with more disastrous results, where he did indeed sacrifice his Queen. So, instead of 12. Ne2 after 11. …b5 (see Diagram above), White answered with 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Bxd8 Kxd8 14. Bg2 f5 15. exf6(ep) Ndxf6??

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GM Bagirov is reported to have said that he had chose this line because all the manuals gave the advantage to Black, and that he had prepared the continuation 16. Qe2 Nd6 17. Bxc6 Rb8. But then, he was thrown off when his opponent played 16. Bxe4 Nxe4 17. Qf3!, winning instantly. Four of the 8 games that got to 13. …Kxd8 followed this exact variation, one of them as recently as 2003 (Black resigned on his 17th move).

Remember : 8 games that got to the Queen sacrifice, 7 of them were won by White. So you know what I suggest? I might surprise you but… don’t play it as Black.