Gopal G.N. vs. Ostensen,Nicolai Maxime - Fagernes Chess GM-Swiss 2025 1-0
In the Fagernes Chess GM-Swiss 2025 event on 2025.04.13, Gopal G.N. made a strategic move with his queen, playing Qb4. This move can be seen as a missed opportunity to gain an advantage by threatening black's position directly. By choosing to play Qb4 instead of attacking a more vulnerable part of the board, Gopal is ignoring a strong threat chance that could have put pressure on Nicolai Ostensen.
Furthermore, this move also misses the chance to reveal the attack on one of Black's pieces, potentially catching him off guard and gaining an upper hand. Another potential benefit of this move was capturing the outpost at b4, which could have given White more control over the center of the board. Unfortunately for Gopal, his choice does not allow him to escape any potential attacks from Black, as his queen is now exposed on the open file.
Moreover, playing Qb4 means that Gopal is neglecting the protection of an underdefended piece, leaving it vulnerable to counter-attacks. However, in this case, the real issue is that White's move does not provide better protection for the piece, and instead, it's more about developing a piece for active play. The queen's development on b4 sets the stage for further strategic maneuvering, although it may not be the most effective choice given the circumstances.
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[Date "2025.04.13"]