Chess etiquette question
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I tend to agree with both sides while it depends on the the position I would agree that stronger players may want to keep their queens on the board in order to pressure their opposition. The Queen creates several battering rams with rooks and bishops and are excellent for open files and long diagonal attacks backed up by a bishop or rook, while in some positions it may be a good idea I don't think high level players would want to be rid of the others queen. The only reason I can see why someone would want both queens off the board right away is out of fear that the other player can use HIS queen better than YOU can use your queen and if that is the case by all means trade, because a stronger player that knows how to use his queen can be far deadiler than one that lets it sit defending pawns. So I guess in some ways I agree with both points but I tend to be an agressive player so what do I know.
The majority of players lack serious end game skills. If I obtain a clear advantage I will trade Queens which results in less counter play and threats from my opponent.
General_Anders wrote:
I was actually talking about this one, where I was forced to trade queens or lose a knight:
http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=70268
In the game you referenced yes, he stopped me from castling, but I still hoped he wouldn't trade me. I'll have to avoid that opening.
Even ignoring the fact that 3. Qh5? is just a bad move (Qh5/Qh4 in the opening is one of the first moves novices are taught not to play, with some rare variations in which it is justified), you shouldn't move your queen out so early if you want to avoid early queen exchange.
In any case, to answer your question, knowing when to exchange queens is part of what makes a strong player. If exchanging queens benefits you, do it; if it does not, don't do it. It is not about etiquette, it is an essential part of the game. Whether you like positions without queens or not shouldn't be a factor; you should know how to play them, otherwise you are limiting your options and are going to miss a lot of advantageous moves.
As for the variations in which you lose a right to castle after getting your queen taken on d8/d1, most of the time it is just a blunder; you should only allow it when you are absolutely sure that the King stuck at the center isn't going to compromise your position.