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Team play: queen and rook

gejimayu

Updated: Jun 17, 2020, 12:07 PM | 10

A beginner can learn the rules of the game quite fast. What makes chess complex and so interesting is the variety of combinations of the pieces. It's the white squad against the black squad, so it is crucial to achieve an efficient team play. In this article we will take a closer look at the combination of queen and rook.

www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/981260/practice

Let's have a detailed look at this position, it's Q+R against Q+R. White must chose if he trades his rook against his black counterpart at d4 or not. Such a situation oftenly appears. Ask yourself:

Is my piece useful, for attack or defense?

If yes, better keep it. If you are the defender (or just up a lot material) then exchange in general to reduce the opponent's attacking power.

White can avoid trading and thereby threatening checkmate:

After 1. Re1, there is the severe threat 2. Qh8#. Giving check with 1. Qh8+ instead forces black's king into the center but only do this when you have a clear follow-up move.

Now Black must defend. The block 1. ... Re4 does not work because white's two pieces both control this square and 1. ... Qe6 loses material, so 1. ... f6 is crucial:

Now white can enter black's back rank with with 2. Qh8#. If 2. ... Kf7 then 3. Qf7 is check mate, so black plays 2. ... Qe8. This leads to the crucial theme:

Again, do not trade pieces instantly. Black's king is busy defending his queen and white can deflect him with the sacrifice of the rook:

This wins the queen and the game for white. What was the essence of this team play?

1. Keep your rook as attacking piece!

2. Enter black's back rank with your queen.

3. Deflect the black king by sacrificing your rook.

4. Win the black queen and the game.

In the next example, the attacker has an advanced pawn.

www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/757510/practice

Black's rook is already active on the open e-file but the queen's position can be improved. The passed pawn on d2 will thereby be offered:

Now both black pieces are active and white must take action against the promotion of the d-pawn. So he grabs the pawn:

Now it's the right moment for team play:

The rook enters white's position, attacks white's queen and the h-pawn. The black queen defends the rook and attacks the h-pawn as well. This wins the game.

So let us think about team play: Individual pieces support each other. Sometimes other pieces remain on the substitutes' bench, others have to sacrifice themselves, everything to achieve the higher goal - the victory.

Team play: One for all, all for one. [2]

In the third puzzle we will learn another practical principle.

www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/765056/practice

Obviously, white's knight on f4 can directly by taken - by the rook and the queen. But this isn't best play:

When you can capture something, look if you can do so with check!

Because a check gives you a free move so to speak. Strong players know the following technique inside out:

1. ... Qc1+

2. Kh2 Qxf4+ CHECK

The queens will be exchanged, black has a won endgame without worrying about his back rank anymore.

Summary

There are two squads fighting against each other.

You are in charge for every single piece.