Solitaire Chess Quiz: Queen's Gambit Declined

Solitaire Chess Quiz: Queen's Gambit Declined...by, Mrs Jessica E Prescott

Hi chess friends!  It's time for another Solitaire Chess Quiz.  Get out a piece of paper and a pencil.  You will need to write down the letter of your choice and check at the bottom to see how you did.

 

This is a game played between Truong Son Ngoc Nguyen and Borki Predojevic.  Pretty cool names, right?  Nguyen is Vietnam's youngest Grandmaster, and he is now 21 years old and his rating is 2662.

Predojevic is Bosnia-Herzegovina's youngest Grandmaster!  He is now 24 and his rating is 2628.  At the time of this game, however, Nguyen's rating was 100 points below Predojevic's.  Ratings are just numbers and not always accurate, ok?!

 

If you like a move, choose a, b, or c.  The best strategy is to choose your own move first, BEFORE looking at your options.

 

 

 

 

 

1)  Move 5. What would you do here?  a. a4  b.  e4  c.  b3  Write your answer down before scrolling to the next diagram!

 

 

 

 

 

If you play a4 first, it stops black from playing b5.  He wanted to play b5 to guard his pawn on c4.  With the pawn on a4, you will just take a pawn that lands on b5 because you are attacking b5 twice, right?  With the pawn and with the knight.  This move is pretty clever.  Remember to play a4 first before e4 if you try this opening.  

2)  Move 10.  What would you do here?  a. Nxe5   b. Ne3    c.  Bf4

 

 

 

Putting the bishop on f4 develops a new piece while creating a relative pin at the same time!  If black then plays Nxc4, look out queen!  The bishop on f4 will just take it!  If you can do two good things at once it's called "gaining a tempo."  Do you play music?  You might have heard the word "tempo" before...

3) Move 17.  What would you play as white?  a.  Ne4   b.  Nb5  c.  Nd5

 

 

 

4) Move 23 in the variation.  We are looking at if instead of 22. Rab1 white takes the bishop on c5 with 22.Nxc5.  Black plays Nxc5 and 23. Qxc5.  Have you won the bishop?  Or does black have a nasty option here?  a...Qxc5  b...Qxe2   c...Rd1+

 

 

 

 

 

5)  White has just made the shocking move 26. Rb4!  Instead of saving his knight, he sacks his rook!  What did he have in mind, now that the pawn is off the c file?  a.  Bxb7   b.  Nc6+  c. Nothing.  Silly Grandmaster sacking pieces for no reason!

 

 

 

 

Nice!  In the game, black played Ka8 and white just took the sitting queen and won soon thereafter.  But what if black took the bait and played 27...bxc6?  It's mate in two!  White played Qb6 check, and if you can figure out the next move, bonus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results:

1) a. a4 5 points.  This move prevents ...b5!  Do you see how?  You would like to play e4 next so you can take the pawn with your bishop on f1.  If they can play b5, they get to keep their pawn.  Notice if black plays a6 to protect his pawn on b5, you can still take b5!  The pawn on a6 is pinned to the rook!  b.  e4 2 points.  Nice discovery!  But it's premature.  Black can play b5 and guard his pawn.  c.  b3 0 points.  This doesn't help win the pawn, it just trades it.

2)  a. Nxe5 2 points.  Yes, you can trade the knights, but you have better.  b.  Ne3 1 point.  This blocks your bishop in!  c. Bf4!  5 points.  Great move.  Here you gain a tempo = you do two things at once.  Develop and pin the knight to the queen!

3) a. Ne4 1 point.  You block in your bishop on g2, which is a very important bishop.  b.  Nb5 5 points!  The pawn is pinned and won't capture you back.  c.  Nd5 3 points.  The pawn is pinned but here you block your important bishop again.  Also, with the knight on b5 it can go to d4 next and pressure c6.

4)  a....Qxc5 1 point.  Boring!  b...Qxe2  2 points.  Only a pawn!  c...Rd1+ 5 points.  The whole cookie jar!  A rook deflection.  When the rook captures back, NOW you can take the queen.  Slow down and look for forcing moves in every position.

5) a.  Bxb7 0 points.  Another crazy sac?  Nope.  b. Nc6+, why yes!  5 points.  This family fork is beautiful!  Black must lose the queen or the game.  If bxc6 then Qxc6 and the queen and the bishop make a deadly battery.  c.  Silly GM?  No, silly you for picking this answer.  -10 points. 

BONUS:  Qb7#!  10 points.  The knight is pinned and can't capture the queen.

There were 35 GM points possible.  How many did you get?  Review this game again.  It's brilliant!

Tip of the week:  Spend some time making your own holiday cards for your family and friends.  Make one for your chess teacher, too!