Chess trap
Encyclopedia
List of chess traps
Ordered by chess openingChess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
:
- Albin CountergambitAlbin CountergambitThe Albin Countergambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:and the usual continuation is:The opening is an uncommon defense to the Queen's Gambit. In exchange for the gambit pawn, Black has a central wedge at d4 and gets some chances for an attack...
– Lasker TrapLasker TrapThe Lasker Trap is a chess opening trap in the Albin Countergambit, named after Emanuel Lasker, although it was first noted by Serafino Dubois . It is unusual in that it features an underpromotion as early as the seventh move.... - Blackmar-Diemer GambitBlackmar-Diemer GambitThe Blackmar–Diemer Gambit is a chess opening characterized by the moves:- History :The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit arose as a development of the earlier Blackmar Gambit, named after Armand Blackmar, a relatively little-known New Orleans player of the late 19th century who popularized its...
– Halosar TrapHalosar TrapThe Halosar Trap is a chess opening trap in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.The trap begins with the movesThe Halosar Trap is a chess opening trap in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.... - Bogo-Indian DefenceBogo-Indian DefenceThe Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-Variations:White has three viable moves to meet the check. 4.Nc3 is a transposition to the Kasparov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian, therefore the main independent variations are 4.Bd2 and 4.Nbd2.-4...
– Monticelli TrapMonticelli TrapThe Monticelli Trap is a chess opening trap in the Bogo-Indian Defence, named for Italian champion Mario Monticelli from the game Monticelli versus Prokeš, Budapest 1926.The trap begins with the moves... - Budapest Gambit – Kieninger TrapKieninger TrapThe Kieninger Trap is a chess opening trap in the Budapest Gambit named after the German International Master Georg Kieninger, who used it in an offhand game against Godai at Vienna in 1925...
- Italian GameItalian GameThe Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves:The game's defining move is the White king's bishop's move to c4 in preparation for an early attack on Black's vulnerable f7-square. As such the game is typified by aggressive play, where Black's best chances are often...
– Blackburne Shilling GambitBlackburne Shilling GambitThe Blackburne Shilling Gambit is the name facetiously given to a dubious chess opening, derived from an offshoot of the Italian Game, that begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!... - Petrov's DefencePetrov's DefencePetrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
– Marshall TrapMarshall TrapThe Marshall Trap is a chess opening trap in Petrov's Defence named after Frank Marshall.The trap begins with the movesThe Marshall Trap is a chess opening trap in Petrov's Defence named after Frank Marshall.The trap begins with the moves... - Philidor DefencePhilidor DefenceThe Philidor Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:It is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative to the common 2...Nc6...
– Légal TrapLégal TrapThe Legal Trap, Blackburne Trap, also known as Legal Pseudo-Sacrifice and Legal Mate is a chess opening trap, characterized by a queen sacrifice followed by checkmate with minor pieces if Black accepts the sacrifice. The trap is named after Sire de Légal , a French player... - Queen's Gambit DeclinedQueen's Gambit DeclinedThe Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
– Elephant TrapElephant TrapIn chess, the Elephant Trap is a faulty attempt by White to win a pawn in a popular variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. This simple trap has snared thousands of players, generally amateurs....
, Rubinstein TrapRubinstein TrapThe Rubinstein Trap is a chess opening trap in the Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense.Black loses a pawn after Nxd5 due to the threat of his queen being trapped on the back rank by Bc7. The Rubinstein Trap is a chess opening trap in the Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense.Black loses a... - Ruy LopezRuy LopezThe Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
– Mortimer TrapMortimer TrapThe Mortimer Trap is a chess opening trap in the Ruy Lopez named after James Mortimer. The Mortimer Trap is a true trap in the sense that Black deliberately plays an inferior move hoping to trick White into making a mistake....
, Noah's Ark TrapNoah's Ark TrapThe Noah's Ark Trap is a chess opening trap in the Ruy Lopez.The name is actually used to describe a family of traps in the Ruy Lopez in which a white bishop is trapped on the b3-square by black pawns.The origin of the name is uncertain....
, Tarrasch TrapTarrasch TrapTarrasch Trap refers to two different chess opening traps in the Ruy Lopez that are named for Siegbert Tarrasch.Unlike many variations that appear only in analysis, Tarrasch actually sprung his traps against masters in tournament games....
, Rombaua Trap - Sicilian DefenceSicilian DefenceThe Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
– Magnus Smith TrapMagnus Smith TrapThe Magnus Smith Trap is a chess opening trap in the Sicilian Defence, named after three-time Canadian chess champion Magnus Smith ....
, Siberian TrapSiberian TrapThe Siberian Trap is a chess opening trap. After a series of natural moves in the Smith-Morra Gambit of the Sicilian Defence, White can lose a queen... - Vienna Gambit – Würzburger TrapWürzburger TrapThe Würzburger Trap is a chess opening trap in the Vienna Gambit.It was named around 1930 for German banker Max Würzburger.The trap begins with the movesThe Würzburger Trap is a chess opening trap in the Vienna Gambit....
Many more opening traps, all ending in checkmate
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
, are given under Checkmates in the opening
Checkmates in the opening
In chess, checkmates in the opening are examples of a player being checkmated during the first few moves of the game . Some common or notable mating patterns have names of their own...
.
See also
- Checkmates in the openingCheckmates in the openingIn chess, checkmates in the opening are examples of a player being checkmated during the first few moves of the game . Some common or notable mating patterns have names of their own...
- Fool's mateFool's mateFool's Mate, also known as the Two-Move Checkmate, is the quickest possible checkmate in the game of chess. A prime example consists of the moves:leading to the position shown...
- Scholar's mateScholar's mateIn chess, Scholar's Mate is the checkmate achieved by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6? 4. Qxf7#. The moves might be played in a different order or in slight variation, but the basic idea is the same—the queen and bishop combine in a simple mating attack on f7 .Sometimes Scholar's Mate is...
- Swindle (chess)Swindle (chess)In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss. It may also refer more generally to obtaining a win or draw from a clearly losing position. I. A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeld distinguish among...