The Chess Variant Forum

I managed to set a Queen Trap against someone online at Jocly.com while playing Capablanca's Chess in real-time.

1. d3

I still insist it is White to move and Win in Capablanca's Chess, and this is the winning move. Why d3 and not d4? On d3, the pawn blocks any moves that would otherwise deliver flank checks to the king, and, of course, there is an immediate attack against the unprotected i-pawn. Trying to hold the pawn and/or defend against the double attacks that occur later in the game as a result of this setup defect is what always allows White to win.

1...Nh6
2. e4 d6
3. Nh3 Cg6

A little too ambitious. Developing a Chancellor in front of a "wall of pawns" cannot be recommended.

4. Bh5

Of course!

4...Cf6

Not the best, nor the worst move. But 4...Ch4 5. Bj3 doesn't solve the issue of the misplaced Chancellor, and the Bishop on j3 still x-rays through to the black Queen.
White has a few options to defend the Bishop which lunged forward to h5.

5. Ae2! Qb5?!

The most aggressive continuation and the most aggressive attempt at rebuttal. White baited this move by Black to make it "look like" the Queen's double attack on h5 and b2 were in need of equal consideration, but this is not the case. Recall the "Poison Pawn" variations of the Sicilian Defense where ...Qxb2 is invited because the Queen is repulsed with tempo. The same sort of motif applies here, with the added attraction of dangling another pawn to completely entomb the Queen.

6. Cg3!!

Better than retreating with Bj3 and the failed Ac3 which would not work out.

6...Qxb2?

Falling for it.

7. Ac3

Attacking the Queen and Chancellor simultaneously.

7...Qb6
8. Axf6 exf6

And now White must add the next layer of deception. Not Nc3 immediately, or Black won't try and grab more pawns with the Knight's canopy exhausting some flight squares for the Queen. The doubled pawn on f6-f7 keeps the Black Bishop on g8 from holding the c4 square, which White is able to exploit.

9. f4! Qb2?

Still trying to be the aggressor, Black is soon hopelessly entangled.

10. Nc3 Qxc2?
11. Ce3!

Attacking the Queen and able to play Cc4 to cement the tomb.

11...Qb2
12. Cc4 Qc2
13. Cb4

The Queen is trapped.

Nice, but it seems to me black just tries to hang on to the Queen way too long. After 7. Ac3 Qxc3 8. Nxc3 the Pawn he grabbed should be enough compensation for the Q-A difference, with the Chancellors still in play.

After 7. Ac3 Qxc3 8. Nxc3 it is black to move and lose. If you want to take over as black and play a few moves, I can demonstrate this.

It could very well be that black is already lost in this position because of the awful placement of his Chancellor. But that doesn't mean he has to make things worse by giving away his Queen on top of it.

Playing out the game between us would do very little to prove the value of the position, because if you win, it could simply be that this is because you are a much stronger player, who would be able to beat me from an inferior position. It would be more revealing to continue the game from that position in computer self-play, where we know both sides are played by an equally strong player, and then see how it ends. Preferably the win/draw/loss statistics from a couple of hundred games.

Yes, but if you take the side I say is winning, and you beat me defending the losing side, what would that say?