The Outer Limits: Phase 5, Multiple Queens

It is said that there are three phases of the chess game, opening, middlegame and endgame. In recent years chess writers have also drawn a distinction for a fourth phase of the game; when both players regain their queens in the endgame.

I would like to draw your attention to an even more rare zone of the chess game. Multiple queens for both sides is a true rarity in chess. The game becomes tense and crowded battle and the games are often short lived as checkmate, perpetual check and mass exchanges are likely outcomes. However there have been cases of four, five and even six queens existing on the chess board for an extended amount of time.

Welcome to phase five, a true outer limit of chess. Let us explore this strange dimension and attempt to keep our sanity intact as well as learn some new strategies and tactics of chessgames with multiple queens.

First let us look at a typical example.

Lessons learned:

1. King Shelter is of utmost importance.

2.Initiative is a really big deal.

3. Positional centraliztion of the Queen(s).

4. A material advantage still counts as mass exchanges to reduced endgames are possible.

 This next endgame study by Razumenko displays the importance of pins, checkmate nets and the potential of gaining yet more queens!