Chess Teaching » Trap

Noah’s Ark Trap

Chess Teacher — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:32:42 +0000

Noah’s Ark Trap is not just an opening trap. The name is used for a lot of openings in which the white bishop is trapped on b3 by black pawns. Most of the games that contain this trap can be found in the Ruy Lopez.

Noahs_Trap

1.e4 e5

( I start with this trap in the Sicilian defence since this variation very clearly demonstrates the trap 1...c5 2.Bb5 Not a very good move. 2...a6 3.Ba4 ( 3.Bc4 is better, but also makes it very clear that White should not have played Bb5 in the first place. ) 3… b5 4.Bb3 c4 and Black wins the bishop like in Widmer – Moheni, 1982. )

( and even in The Pirc and other openings the trap can be found 1...d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 c6 6.Qd2 Nbd7 7.O-O-O Qc7 8.Bc4 b5 9.Bb3 h6 10.h4 a6 11.Nh2 Bb7 12.f4 e6 13.Nf3 O-O-O 14.d5 exd5 15.exd5 c5 16.Rhg1 c4 like in Riezu – Rodrigo, 2003. )

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 as mentioned before Noah’s Ark Trap is mostly found in the Ruy Lopez.

4.Ba4 d6 5.d4?! b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4?? c5 9.Qc3 ( 9.Qd5 doesn’t help either 9...Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qd5 c4 and the white Bishop is trapped. ) 9… c4 like in Bruned Segura Mario ( 2255 ) — Duran Albareda Xavier ( 2290 ) , 1999. 0-1

More chess lessons? The next lesson in this series is about the King’s Gambit.

The Lasker Trap

Chess Teacher — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:50:17 +0000

As a kind of followup on the lesson about the minor promotion I have added this lesson on the Lasker Trap in the Albin Countergambit. The underpromotion plays an important role in this trap and probably contributes to the success of it.
The Albin Countergambit starts with the moves 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 after which we can find the following position on the board.

The best option is to accept the gambit 3.dxe5 after which black probably continues with 3…d4. If White continues with 4.e3? he’ll find himself in deep trouble.

Lasker_Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.e3?

( 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3 Be6 6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.Bg2 is the main continuation )

4… Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 in this Albin, Lasker Trap of the QGD White has three options. 6.Bxb4? is a blunder. This is called the Lasker Trap.

The best option for White is 6.fxe3 with a bad pawn structure, but White may still have some chances after 6... Nc6 7.Nf3 Bg4 for example by playing 8.Nc3 instead of the more frequently played 8.Be2

Another alternative is 6.Qa4+ but this is also something that White should avoid, because of 6... Nc6 7.Bxb4 ( 7.fxe3 Qh4+ 8.Kd1 Bg4+ 9.Nf3 O-O-O ) 7… exf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Qd4+ 10.Kg2 Qxb2+

6… exf2+ 7.Ke2

( After 7.Kxf2? Black can capture the queen 7... Qxd1 )

7… fxg1=N+ a nice example of a situation in which promotion to a minor piece is indeed the better move 8.Ke1

( After 8.Rxg1 Black also wins the queen 8... Bg4+ )

8… Qh4+ 9.Kd2 Nc6 10.Bc3 Bg4 11.Qe1 O-O-O+ 12.Kc2 Nd4+ 13.Kc1 Qxe1+ 14.Bxe1 as played in 1965 by Boris Bereschnoj against David Lees. White resigns. 0-1

You may also want to read the lesson about the underpromotion or about the Elephant Trap or continue with the lesson about Noah’s Ark Trap.
A complete overview of the chess lessons at this site can be found in the chess lessons index.

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The Elephant Trap

Chess Teacher — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:24:08 +0000

The Elephant Trap is a famous trap in the Queen’s Gambit Declined. I am not sure why it is called the Elephant Trap, but the name reminds me to an oil painting of Eddie William Powell. The picture above shows a part of this painting. More information about this and other paintings of this artist can be found at this website.
But OK, let’s continue with the trap.

Elephant_Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7

It seems that White is able to win a pawn by 5.cxd5 exd5 followed by 6.Nxd5??

It seems that the knight is pinned, but White should have sticked to something like 6.e3

6… Nxd5! Black just captures the knight 7.Bxd8 and White takes the queen. At this moment it turns out that after the check 7...Bb4+ White has only one legal move 8.Qd2 Bxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Kxd8 and Black has won a piece

Another interesting trap is the Lasker Trap, but for now we continue with explaining some of the more difficult Chess Notation Symbols.

Kieninger trap

Chess Teacher — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:53:37 +0000

The Budapest Defence is a chess opening that starts with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5. This is one of the rare gambit lines for Black, because almost all of the gambit lines are for White. It is rarely played at grandmaster level, but for the amateur it may be a nice way to immediately attack White’s centre. During most games the sacrificed pawn will be given back, because the alternatives are giving Black a nice advantage in the development of his pieces.
In this lesson we will focus on showing the Kieninger trap, which is one of the reasons to play the Budapest gambit at all. In addition the most important variations of the Budapest gambit are shown.

Storming_the_Castle

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 The Budapest Defence 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3

( 4.Bf4 is the Rubinstein variation, often continued like 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qe7 )

( 4.Nf3 is the Adler variation, which can transpose to the Rubinstein by 4... Nc6 5.Bf4 )

( The Normal variation with 4.e6 is hardly played )

4… Nc6 5.Bf4 Bb4+ So here we are back at the main line of the Rubinstein variation 6.Nbd2

( A less frequently played alternative 6.Nc3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qe7 )

6… Qe7 7.a3

( 7.e3 Ngxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 is about equal )

7… Ngxe5 8.axb4?? This is the famous Kieninger trap resulting in a mate in one. It seems that this trap is the reason for some players to play the Budapest.

( 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.e3 )

8… Nd3# 0-1

Liked this game? You will probably like the Immortal Game even more.

Smothered mate

Chess Teacher — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:25:12 +0000

In a smothered mate the mated king is unable to move because he is surrounded (or smothered) by his own pieces. Therefor a smothered mate can only be delivered by a knight. We have seen an example of a smothered mate before in the lesson about the Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

This lesson deals with the most common form of smothered mate as shown by the diagram on the left side. The knight delivers mate to the king which is prevented from escaping the check by the rook and the pawns.

As an illustrative example the game Jan Timman – Nigel Short at the 1990 Tilburg tournament is given.

Tilburg

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 d5 6.O-O O-O 7.b3 Bd7 8.Ba3 Nc6 9.Qc1 a5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nc3 Be8 12.Qe3 dxc4 13.bxc4 Rd8 14.Rfd1 Ng4 15. Qf4 Bf7 16.Rab1 e5 17.dxe5 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Qc5 19.Ng5 Bxc4 20.Nd5 Nd8 21.e6 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 Qa3 23.Rd7 Nc6 24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.e7 Re8

Here White is able to force Black in a very well known position.

26.Qc4+ Kh8

This is one of the most common examples of a smothered mate. We have to check with the knight 27.Nf7+ Kg8

Now we move the knight away, double checking the king 28.Nh6+ Kh8

Sacrifice the queen in order to force the rook next to the king 29.Qg8+ Rxg8

and mate with the knight 30.Nf7# 1-0

Try to learn these last moves very well.

Next lesson a square rule for separated pawns will be presented.

Some very short Scotch games

Chess Teacher — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:19:39 +0000

Learning a chess opening has to include that you know what to do if someone isn’t playing the right moves. Opening traps ans miniatures are very illustrative and help us to increase our knowledge about an opening.
As a follow-up on the lesson about the Scotch game this post will show a combination of some miniatures of this Scotch game. These games are often called traps, but a trap is in fact a game that is won as a result of playing a dubieus move. In the following miniatures Black makes a mistake and White knows how to deal with this.

The main game is a game between Magem and Fernandez in the Spain championship, but I have merged three other miniatures with this game..

Scotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5

Another short game is the game Frazer – Taubenhaus [Paris 1888] 4... Qh4 5.Nc3 Nf6? 6.Nf5 Qh5?? 7.Be2 Qg6 8.Nh4 and Black resigned because there are no safe squares left for the Queen 8... Nxe4 9.Nxg6

And Blumenfeld played in Moscow 1903 4... Nge7?! against an unknown player 5.Nc3 g6? 6.Bg5 Bg7 7.Nd5 Bxd4? 8.Qxd4 Nxd4 resulting in a mate in two: 9.Nf6+ Kf8 10.Bh6#

The game Sakirsjanov – Usmano [Kasan 1983] went 4...Qh4 5.Nb5 Bc5? ?! 6.Qf3 ( 6.Nxc7+ seems to be better at first sight, but continues like 6... Kd8 7.Bg5+ Qxg5 8.Nxa8 which is about equal ) 6… Kd8 7.Bf4 d6 8.Qg3 Qf6 9.N1c3 a6?? 10.Nxc7

5.Nxc6 Qh4??

( 5… dxc6? 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.Nc3 is better for White ) ( 5… Qf6! 6.Qf3 )

6.Nd4 1-0

Five nice miniatures worth replaying.

The next lesson is about getting a draw.

A trap in the Italian game

Chess Teacher — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:47:23 +0000

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit is the name of the chess opening (or in fact a trap in the Italian game) that begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!
It is also referred to as the KostiÄ‡ Gambit after the Serbian grandmaster Borislav KostiÄ‡, who played it in the early 20th century. According to our rules for the opening Black’s third move has to be a bad move.

Blackburne

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?! This is in fact a dubious move, but the move hides a famous trap. It is called the Blackburne-Shilling gambit and Black is hoping for the move 4.Nxe5?

Both 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O as well as 4.O-O Nxf3+ 5.Qxf3 are better for White.

4… Qg5! A double attack on g2 and the Knight. 5.Nxf7?

( 5.Bxf7+ is White’s best alternative, but after 5...Ke7 6.O-O Qxe5 the advantage is on Black’s side. Furthermore the consequences of 5.Nxf7 are rather difficult to spot. )

5… Qxg2! 6.Rf1

( 6.d3 Qxh1+ 7.Kd2 Qxh2 8.Ke3 ( 8.Nxh8 is even worse for White 8...Bb4+ 9.Ke3 Qh6+ 10.f4 Qh3+ 11.Kf2 Qh2+ 12.Ke3 Bc5 ) 8… Bc5 9.c3 Nc2+ 10.Kd2 Qxf2+ 11.Qe2 Be3+ 12.Kd1 Qxe2+ 13.Kxe2 )

6… Qxe4+ 7.Be2

( 7.Qe2 is the best move, but still looses the Queen 7...Nxe2 )

7… Nf3# 1-0

The checkmate is rather nice.

The next chess lesson is about the opposition.

The Pin

Chess Teacher — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:53:38 +0000

This lesson introduces one of the most important tactic building blocks in chess: the pin. A pin is a move which forces one of the opponent’s pieces to stay put because moving it would be illegal (an absolute pin) or exposes a more valuable piece behind it (a relative pin).

In the diagram below two pins can be recognized. The black Knight at c6 is pinned to the King and it is illegal to move this piece. The white Knight at f3 is pinned to the Queen and makes it very unlikely that it will be moved, but White still has the choice to move it.

Only Bishops, Rooks and Queens are able to pin an opposing pieces down. Kings, Knights, and pawns cannot pin other pieces down. Any piece can be pinned down except the king.
A pin that often occurs in openings is the move Bb5 and the diagram above is in fact an example of such an opening.

A pin is very useful in a lot of tactical combinations. Since the pinned piece cannot move out of the line of attack it is rather easy to attack the pinned piece. Furthermore a piece that is unable to move is rather useless as a defender or an attacker.

The difference between a relative pin and an absolute pin may be very important. The most famous example of a pin that didn’t work can be found in the game De Legal vs Saint Brie as played in 1750 in Paris.

It is called Legal’s Mate.

The game can be automatically replayed by pressing the button with the black circle below the chessboard.

Legals_Mate

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4

The mate can follow different variations, but in 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Nxe5? the last move can be considered as a blunder because if the opponent doesn’t play the very bad move 5...Bxd1?? but 5...Nxe5! it turns out that White has given a piece for a pawn. After 5…Bxd1?? however White will win the game 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#

2… d6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5! Bxd1??

5… Be6 is probably Black’s best move, but after 6.Bxe6 fxe6 7.Nf3 White is a pawn ahead. The variation with 5... dxe5 will meet 6.Qxg4

6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5# 1-0
This is a very nice game, because it also shows that you may loose a game by winning the Queen.

There is some discussion about the original Legal-Brie game. Weinstein in his book “Combinations and traps in the opening” mentions this game with Nc6 and after Nxe5 says “…but Legal can be pardoned, he was 80 years old when he played this”

At this moment we have learned a lot of chess lessons, but you may have a feeling that you want to learn more openings. Please wait with this. Try to focus on strategics and tactics and on some of the endgames, but in order to survive the opening we will learn some rules for the opening in the next lesson.