Mortimer Trap
Encyclopedia
The 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.
The trap begins with the moves:
Black plays the Berlin Defense to the Ruy Lopez. Although the Berlin was much more popular in the 19th century than in the 20th, it "became the height of theory
when Vladimir Kramnik
used it as his main defense to defeat Garry Kasparov
in their 2000 World Championship
match".
White plays a quiet alternative to the more common 4.0-0, 4.d4, or 4.Nc3 (the last would transpose to the Four Knights Game
). I.A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeld
wrote that 4.d3 is "Steinitz's
move, with which he scored many spectacular successes during his long reign as World Champion
."
The Mortimer Defense, intending to reroute the knight
to g6. This rare move loses time and thus is inferior to other moves, but it sets a trap.
White has many acceptable replies, but the tempting capture of the black pawn
on e5 is a mistake.
(See diagram.)
Attacking the white bishop
and threatening 6...Qa5+.
If the bishop moves (6.Ba4 or 6.Bc4), Black wins a piece with 6...Qa5+, forking
the white king
and knight
.
White's best try, covering a5 and thus preventing 6...Qa5+, and threatening smothered mate
with 7.Nd6#.
Black forks the white bishop and knight, winning a piece for two pawns.
Mortimer played his defense at the 1883 London tournament
against Berthold Englisch
, Samuel Rosenthal
, and Josef Noa
, losing all three games. Johannes Zukertort
, the tournament winner, also played it against Englisch, the game resulting in a draw
. Zukertort wrote of 4...Ne7, "Mr. Mortimer claims to be the inventor of this move. I adopted it on account of its novelty." The first edition of the treatise
Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern analyzed 5.Nc3 Ng6 6.0-0 c6 7.Ba4 d6 8.Bb3 and now the authors gave either 8...Be6 or 8...Be7 as giving Black an equal game. A bit more recently, Horowitz and Reinfeld observed of 4...Ne7, "This time-wasting retreat of the Knight to an inferior square blocks the development of the King Bishop ... . Yet it is a matter of record that this pitfall
had a vogue for many years".
Today, 4.d3 is rarely seen, and 4...Ne7 still less so. The latter move is not mentioned in either Modern Chess Openings
(which relegates 4.d3 to a footnote, and mentions only 4...d6 in response) or the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (which mentions only 4...d6 and 4...Bc5).
Chess 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...
trap
Chess trap
- List of chess traps :Ordered by chess opening:*Albin Countergambit – Lasker Trap*Blackmar-Diemer Gambit – Halosar Trap*Bogo-Indian Defence – Monticelli Trap*Budapest Gambit – Kieninger Trap...
in the Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The 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...
named after James Mortimer
James Mortimer
James Mortimer was an American chess player, journalist, and playwright who spent the last 40 years of his life in Britain.-Life:...
. 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.
The trap begins with the moves:
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Bb5 Nf6
Black plays the Berlin Defense to the Ruy Lopez. Although the Berlin was much more popular in the 19th century than in the 20th, it "became the height of theory
Chess theory
The game of chess is commonly divided into three phases: the opening, middlegame, and endgame. As to each of these phases, especially the opening and endgame, there is a large body of theory as how the game should be played...
when Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
used it as his main defense to defeat Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
in their 2000 World Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
match".
- 4. d3
White plays a quiet alternative to the more common 4.0-0, 4.d4, or 4.Nc3 (the last would transpose to the Four Knights Game
Four Knights Game
The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: "Develop knights before bishops." It was one of the workhorses in the family of the Open Game, at even the highest levels, until World War...
). I.A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeld
Fred Reinfeld
Fred Reinfeld was an American chess master and a prolific writer on chess and many other subjects, whose books are still read today.-Biography:...
wrote that 4.d3 is "Steinitz's
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
move, with which he scored many spectacular successes during his long reign as World Champion
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
."
- 4. ... Ne7
The Mortimer Defense, intending to reroute the knight
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
to g6. This rare move loses time and thus is inferior to other moves, but it sets a trap.
White has many acceptable replies, but the tempting capture of the black pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
on e5 is a mistake.
- 5. Nxe5? c6!
(See diagram.)
Attacking the white bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
and threatening 6...Qa5+.
If the bishop moves (6.Ba4 or 6.Bc4), Black wins a piece with 6...Qa5+, forking
Fork (chess)
In chess, a fork is a tactic that uses a single piece to attack multiple pieces at the same time. The attacker usually hopes to gain material by capturing one of the opponent's pieces. The defender often finds himself in a difficult position in which he cannot counter all threats. The attacking...
the white king
King (chess)
In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
and knight
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
.
- 6. Nc4
White's best try, covering a5 and thus preventing 6...Qa5+, and threatening smothered mate
Smothered mate
In chess, a smothered mate is a checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because he is surrounded by his own pieces....
with 7.Nd6#.
- 6. ... d6!
- 7. Ba4 b5
Black forks the white bishop and knight, winning a piece for two pawns.
Mortimer played his defense at the 1883 London tournament
London 1883 chess tournament
The London 1883 chess tournament was a strong chess tournament among most of the leading players of the day. It was won convincingly by Johannes Zukertort ahead of Wilhelm Steinitz . Remarkably, Zukertort was already assured of victory with three rounds to go, having scored an astonishing 22/23...
against Berthold Englisch
Berthold Englisch
Berthold Englisch was a leading Austrian chess master.Englisch was born in Czech Silesia into a Jewish family. He earned his living as a stock-market agent....
, Samuel Rosenthal
Samuel Rosenthal
Samuel Rosenthal was a Jewish chess master. Chess historian Edward Winter wrote, "He dedicated his life to chess-playing, touring, writing, teaching and analysing...
, and Josef Noa
Josef Noa
Joseph Noa was a Hungarian chess master.He was a judge by profession. Although an amateur he played in a number of tournaments throughout the 1880s and 1890s and defeated some of the famous players of his time. In 1880, he took 8th in Graz...
, losing all three games. Johannes Zukertort
Johannes Zukertort
Johannes Hermann Zukertort was a leading chess master of German-Polish-Jewish origin. He was one of the leading world players for most of the 1870s and 1880s, and lost to Wilhelm Steinitz in the World Chess Championship 1886, which is generally seen as the first World Chess Championship match, he...
, the tournament winner, also played it against Englisch, the game resulting in a draw
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
. Zukertort wrote of 4...Ne7, "Mr. Mortimer claims to be the inventor of this move. I adopted it on account of its novelty." The first edition of the treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
Chess Openings, Ancient and Modern analyzed 5.Nc3 Ng6 6.0-0 c6 7.Ba4 d6 8.Bb3 and now the authors gave either 8...Be6 or 8...Be7 as giving Black an equal game. A bit more recently, Horowitz and Reinfeld observed of 4...Ne7, "This time-wasting retreat of the Knight to an inferior square blocks the development of the King Bishop ... . Yet it is a matter of record that this pitfall
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...
had a vogue for many years".
Today, 4.d3 is rarely seen, and 4...Ne7 still less so. The latter move is not mentioned in either Modern Chess Openings
Modern Chess Openings
Modern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
(which relegates 4.d3 to a footnote, and mentions only 4...d6 in response) or the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (which mentions only 4...d6 and 4...Bc5).