Chess Traps (Part 1)

Chess Traps (Part 1)

Hello, my name is Aashu and I made this blog Chess World to make everyone learn chess through my blogs. My page will have content for all chess players who have an interest in chess and know it’s basics and want to go further in it so everyone can enjoy chess. But it’s not so that it will not have content for higher level, they will also find there mean of content on this blog of mine. Today I will be talking about traps in the opening of chess.

There can be hundreds of traps in chess but some well known traps which have occurred in the opening are necessary to know as anyone can put those traps upon you in the game. Chess traps are recommended to put on amateur players but sometimes people can set them so it’s necessary for us to know the response.

There are total 16 main opening traps so I will be covering them in 5 parts.

1.The Lasker’s Trap

It is a popular and very pretty trap played from the black side. It starts with the moves-

1.d4 d5

2.c4 e5

3.dxe5 d4

4.e3

The move 4. e3 from the white side gives black a little edge but there are other good options which white should play to remain tension free in the game. After 3… d4 from the black side white should do –

4.Nf3 Nc6

5.g3

The best option for white is only to fianchetto the bishop and play comfortably and flexibly. Black also castles queenside and attacks the white king. A line after 5.g3 is –

5…Be6

6.Nbd2 Qd7

7.Bg2 0-0-0

8.0-0 h5

Or 4.e4 Bb4+

5.Bd2 which is totally fine.

So, let’s get back to the main line after 4.e3

4…Bb4+

5.Bd2 dxe3

6.Bxb4??

Move 6.Bxb4 is a blunder the correct move is 6.fxe3 after which a line is -

6…Qh4+

7.g3 Qe4+

8.Qf3 Bxd2

9.Nxd2 Qxe5

At 7…Qe5, 8.Nf3 looks good but it is losing another pawn after 8…Qxe3 as the bishop on d2 is pinned.

After 8.Qf3 also white loses a pawn but the point is the flexibility of the king and pieces of white remains good.

10. Bg2 Nf6

11.Qf4 Nbd7

12.Ngf3 Qxb2

13.0-0

Here black is a pawn up for which white has compensation in basis of development so the position is around equal or slight better for white.

So let’s get back to the main line after 6.Bxb4 –

6…exf2+

7.Ke2 fxg1=N+ (at 7… if black plays fxg1=Q then the position will be equal as then white will play

8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, 9.Rxg1)

8.Rxg1 Bg4+ and you can see white is losing his queen.

2.The Marshal Trap

This trap occurs in the Petrov’s Defence and is played from the black side. It starts with the moves –

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nf6

3.Nxe5 d6

4.Nf3 Nxe4

5.d4 d5

6.Bd3 Bd6

7.0-0 0-0

8.c4 Bg4 After 8.c4 we can see that dxc4 is not coming because then white can take black’s knight on e4 by Bxe4.

9.cxd5 f5

After 9.cxd5 black don’t cares about the d5 pawn as that can be regained any time, black instead plays f5 to play aggressively by ideas like Rf6-Rg6,

followed by Bh3 and also the f5 move supports the e4 knight and g4 bishop.

After f5 if white plays the move Re1 which looks very natural then he is going to be in some trouble. Let’s see the line –

10.Re1 Bxh2+!!

11.Kxh2 Nxf2

12.Qe2 Nxd3

13.Qxd3 Bxf3

After 9…f5 correct move is 10.h3 black will have to play Bh5 and after that with 11. Nbd2 white will have a very comfortable position.

After 13…Bxf3, correct move is Kg1 after that black will play Be4 and black will have a very great position and if White takes the bishop on f3 then he will lose his rook by Qh4+.

3.Copy Cat Trap

It is a very low level trap only amateurs play that but let’s see it. This trap also occurs in Petrov’s Defence.

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nf6

3.Nxe5 Nxe4

4. Qe2 Nf6

5.Nc6+

In this trap at 4… black should play Qe7 so that if white plays Qxe4 black can equalise with d6 as knight on e5 will be pinned at that point.