Learn › Lessons › Middlegame and tactics › Tactics

Queen sacrifices

Giving away the strongest piece to force checkmate.

Advanced · Tactics · 19 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine. With games of Viswanathan Anand, Divya Deshmukh, Praggnanandhaa R, Humpy Koneru, Arjun Erigaisi, Vaishali R.

Step 1

♜︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎
The position

Sometimes the queen is worth giving up. If taking the queen lets your other pieces give checkmate, the sacrifice wins the game. Legends calculate the whole line before they let the queen go.

Step 2

♜︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎
The position

Luke J McShane vs Viswanathan Anand, World Rapid 2017, Riyadh. Viswanathan Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1988 and was World Champion five times. Viswanathan Anand plays Black here. Look at the queen on e6: what can it do?

Step 3

♜︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 51...Qh3+

Viswanathan Anand puts the queen on h3, where it can be taken! It pins the knight on g2. It gives check.

Step 4

♜︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 51...Qh3+ 52.Kxh3 Rh1#

The moves: 51...Qh3+ 52.Kxh3 Rh1#. And it ends in checkmate. Brilliant! Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Luke J McShane – Viswanathan Anand, World Rapid 2017, Riyadh .

Step 5

♚︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position

S Foisor vs Divya Deshmukh, Women's Speed Chess Q5 2020. Divya Deshmukh from Nagpur won the FIDE Women's World Cup in 2025, at 19, and became a grandmaster. Divya Deshmukh plays Black here. Look at the queen on c5: what can it do?

Step 6

♚︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 29...Qxc3

Divya Deshmukh puts the queen on c3, where it can be taken! It captures the knight on c3. It attacks the queen on c1.

Step 7

♚︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 29...Qxc3 30.Rd1 Nxd1 31.Qxd1 Qb3 32.Qxb3 Rxb3

The moves: 29...Qxc3 30.Rd1 Nxd1 31.Qxd1 Qb3 32.Qxb3 Rxb3. At the end of the line, Divya Deshmukh has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

Step 8

♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

Shahruh Turayev vs Praggnanandhaa R, Titled Tuesday (online) 2021. Praggnanandhaa from Chennai became a grandmaster at 12 and reached the World Cup final in 2023. Praggnanandhaa R plays Black here. Look at the queen on a6: what can it do?

Step 9

♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 38...Qxa3+

Praggnanandhaa R puts the queen on a3, where it can be taken! It captures the pawn on a3. It pins the queen on b3. It gives check.

Step 10

♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 38...Qxa3+ 39.Qxa3 Rxa3+ 40.Kb1 Rxe3 41.Ka2 Ra3+

The moves: 38...Qxa3+ 39.Qxa3 Rxa3+ 40.Kb1 Rxe3 41.Ka2 Ra3+. At the end of the line, Praggnanandhaa R has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

Step 11

♜︎♚︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position

Antoaneta Stefanova vs Humpy Koneru, FIDE WGP Dilijan 2013. Humpy Koneru is one of India's greatest players and twice Women's World Rapid Champion. Humpy Koneru plays Black here. Look at the queen on f4: what can it do?

Step 12

♜︎♚︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 37...Qxf7

Humpy Koneru puts the queen on f7, where it can be taken! It captures the queen on f7.

Step 13

♜︎♚︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 37...Qxf7 38.Rf3 Qc7+ 39.d6 Qxd6+ 40.g3 Ng4+

The moves: 37...Qxf7 38.Rf3 Qc7+ 39.d6 Qxd6+ 40.g3 Ng4+. At the end of the line, Humpy Koneru has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

Step 14

♚︎♜︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♝︎♛︎♟︎
The position

Denis Lazavik vs Arjun Erigaisi, Speed Chess Super Swiss 2020. Arjun Erigaisi from Warangal became only the second Indian, after Anand, to cross a 2800 rating. Arjun Erigaisi plays Black here. Look at the queen on h3: what can it do?

Step 15

♚︎♜︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♝︎♛︎♟︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 38...Qxh2+

Arjun Erigaisi puts the queen on h2, where it can be taken! It captures the pawn on h2. It pins the rook on g1. It gives check.

Step 16

♚︎♜︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♝︎♛︎♟︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 38...Qxh2+ 39.Kxh2 Rh5#

The moves: 38...Qxh2+ 39.Kxh2 Rh5#. And it ends in checkmate. Brilliant! Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Denis Lazavik – Arjun Erigaisi, Speed Chess Super Swiss 2020.

Step 17

♜︎♚︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position

Vaishali R vs Kim Yew Chan, Qatar Masters Open 2023, Doha. Vaishali, Praggnanandhaa's sister, became India's third woman grandmaster. Vaishali R plays White here. Look at the queen on h5: what can it do?

Step 18

♜︎♚︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 40.Qxh7+

Vaishali R puts the queen on h7, where it can be taken! It captures the pawn on h7. It pins the rook on f7. It gives check.

From the game Vaishali R – Kim Yew Chan, Qatar Masters Open 2023, Doha .

Step 19

♜︎♚︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♛︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 40.Qxh7+ Rxh7 41.Rxh7#

The moves: 40.Qxh7+ Rxh7 41.Rxh7#. And it ends in checkmate. Brilliant! Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Vaishali R – Kim Yew Chan, Qatar Masters Open 2023, Doha .

Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.

More lessons in Tactics

Next lesson: The Greek gift sacrifice