A Queen for a King
Byrne – Fischer, New York 1956 · 0–1 · 3 songs · 8:14
- 0:00 Overture
- 0:23 ♫ My Queen Steps Out
- 3:05 Interlude
- 3:26 ♫ Take Her, Mister Byrne
- 5:08 Interlude
- 5:39 ♫ Last Dance for the King
- 7:47 Finale
Overture
New York, October 1956, round eight of the Rosenwald tournament. Donald Byrne has White against Robert James Fischer. It begins as a Grünfeld, and it becomes the story of a wandering queen and a king left in the centre.
My Queen Steps Out
sung from White's side
Verse 1
Queen to b3, I'm feeling fine 6.Qb3 c6
Rook to d1, not the natural line 7.Rd1 dxc4
Queen takes on c4, pawn to e4 8.Qxc4 Nbd7 9.e4 Nb6
Queen to c5, she spins once more 10.Qc5 Bg4
Chorus
The queen went out dancing
Bishop to g5, the mistake is done 11.Bg5
My king is stuck on e1
His knight to a4, brilliant, prancing 11...Na4
He wants my c3 knight gone
The guard my e4 pawn leans on
Verse 2
My queen kept stepping, round and round
While all his pieces came to town
My bishop needed e2, you see
To castle and set my king free
The pawn on e4, weak as can be
So roll it back and watch with me
Chorus
The queen went out dancing
Bishop to g5, the mistake is done 11.Bg5
My king is stuck on e1
His knight to a4, brilliant, prancing 11...Na4
He wants my c3 knight gone
The guard my e4 pawn leans on
Interlude
Taking the knight would lose, so the white queen moves again. The pawn on e4 falls, Black gives up the exchange for the open e-file, and the white king will never castle now.
Take Her, Mister Byrne
sung from Black's side
Verse 1
New York night, Byrne plays White,
My b6 queen in his bishop's sight —
Bishop to e6, I leave her there! 17...Be6
If his queen takes c3, beware: 18.Qxc3
Queen takes c5, bishop takes c3, 18...Qxc5 19.dxc5 Bxc3
Wins a piece — so take her, please!
Chorus
The queen went out dancing!
Bishop to e6 — take her, go on! 17...Be6
His bishop takes b6, and she's gone, 18.Bxb6
Bishop takes c4, check, a6 to f1, 18...Bxc4+
The diagonal's open, the windmill's begun!
Verse 2
King to g1, knight e2, check! 19.Kg1 Ne2+
King to f1, knight takes d4, check! 20.Kf1 Nxd4+
King to g1, knight e2, check! 21.Kg1 Ne2+
King to f1, knight c3, check! 22.Kf1 Nc3+ 23.Kg1
Bishop and knight, discovered checks,
c4, d4 — his d1 rook is next!
Chorus
The queen went out dancing!
Bishop to e6 — take her, go on! 17...Be6
His bishop takes b6, and she's gone, 18.Bxb6
Bishop takes c4, check, a6 to f1, 18...Bxc4+
The diagonal's open, the windmill's begun!
Interlude
The dust settles. Black takes the bishop on b6 and then the rook on d1. That leaves rook, two bishops and knight against queen and knight, plus extra pawns, and the white queen cannot stop them working together.
Last Dance for the King
sung from an observer's seat
Verse 1
Byrne's king on g1, on the run
In check, he steps to f1 36.Kf1
Knight to g3, king to e1 36...Ng3+ 37.Ke1
Bishop to b4, he has to flee 37...Bb4+
King to d1, bishop to b3 38.Kd1 Bb3+
Fischer, thirteen, sets pieces free
Chorus
The queen went out dancing
Too often, White's queen on b8
His king got left in the centre
Black's pieces together spell mate
Verse 2
King to c1, knight to e2 39.Kc1 Ne2+
Black's rook on a2 waits its cue
King to b1, knight to c3 40.Kb1 Nc3+
King back to c1, no reprieve 41.Kc1
White's queen on b8 just looks on
Rook to c2, mate, dance is done 41...Rc2#
Chorus
The queen went out dancing
Too often, White's queen on b8
His king got left in the centre
Black's pieces together spell mate
Finale
Checkmate. Fischer wins with Black. The lesson: White moved his queen too often and left his king in the centre, and thirteen-year-old Fischer punished it with active pieces and a famous queen sacrifice.
Songs and film made with AI.