Sacrificing the Queen for Two Minor Pieces (Part 1)

The long-term positional sacrifice of the queen for two minor pieces is perhaps the most fascinating and difficult to evaluate type of material sacrifice. According to the counting scheme inculcated in all of us from very early in our chess education, two minor pieces (6 points) should be completely inadequate compensation for the queen (9 points). After all, even rook and a minor piece (8 points) is insufficient compensation for the queen.

Some creative players have attempted to show, however, that in the right kind of position, two minor pieces can hold their own against the queen.

One of the earliest, most famous, and most important games to feature this kind of sacrifice was played between Boris Spassky and David Bronstein at the Amsterdam Candidates' Tournament in 1956.

Boris Spassky-David Bronstein
Candidates Tournament (12), Amsterdam 1956

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 e5 6. d5 Nh5 7. Be3 Na6

At the time, the normal moves in this position were 7...f5 or 7...O-O. Tal had played the former move against Spassky a couple of months earlier at the 23rd USSR Championships; Spassky won in 38 moves. Ragozin had been the first to play 7...Na6, in a game against Tolush from the same Soviet Championship tournament. Ragozin had reached a passive position, however, after 8. Qd2 Bd7 9. Bd3 c5 10. Nge2 Qh4+ 11. g3 Qe7 12. a3 Nc7 13. O-O-O a6 14. g4 Nf6 15. h4.

Bronstein had a different idea. What if, rather than waiting for White to play Nge2 and cover g3, he played the queen check a couple of moves earlier? Of course, if Black plays ...Nxg3, White can also pin it with Qf2...

8. Qd2 Qh4+ 9. g3

9...Nxg3!!?? 10. Qf2 Nxf1 11. Qxh4 Nxe3 12. Kf2 Nxc4