A Problematic Queen has several of these features: it lacks mobility, is poorly positioned, is badly coordinated with other pieces, contributes little to attack or defense. In the diagram above, the problematic Queen on a6 is badly placed and risks remaining in a passive position for a long time.
Ideas against an opponent's Problematic Queen: (1) Use your pawns and pieces to keep the Queen restricted, (2) Look for opportunities to trap it, (3) Consider launching an attack on the opposite side of the board from where the problematic Queen is located. Ideas for when you have a Problematic Queen: (1) Reposition your Queen to a more active square, possibly without losing tempi, (2) Consider simplifying the position through exchanges.
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When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Problematic Queens. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this type of advantage.
This is a very short video (less than 60 seconds) by the growing Bad Bishop Chess Channel. It is the perfect example of a Problematic Queen which does not manage to get out of its bad situation.
In this nice video by Chessfactor you’ll be treated to many examples of badly placed pieces, including Queens. The explanations are highly instructive, as usual.
Have a look at this nice video by Remote Chess Academy. It’s the 2nd part of a mini-series on bad pieces. One example, in particular, highlights a poorly placed Queen, but all are of great value.
This book is part of the acclaimed Winning Chess Series by Yasser Seirawan. Engaging and informative. Read the Queen section in the chapter "Understanding Where the Pieces Go". Perfect for both beginners and intermediate players.
This recent work by Eugene Perelshteyn is unique. It contains roughly 200 exercises, similar to many workbooks. However, the focus here is not on calculation. The positions have to be "evaluated". Obviously, we think it's a must-read.
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