10 chess opening traps
Short traps that catch players in the first moves. Step through the moves on the board and read where the mistake is and how to avoid it.
- Légal's Mate
- Scholar's Mate
- Fool's Mate
- Blackburne Shilling Gambit
- Elephant Trap
- Lasker Trap
- Englund Gambit Trap
- Fishing Pole Trap
- Siberian Trap
- Noah's Ark Trap
1. Légal's Mate
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
White offers the queen with 5.Nxe5! Black greedily takes 5...Bxd1?? and gets mated by the minor pieces in two moves. 5...dxe5 was correct, only a pawn down.
Play with the coach →2. Scholar's Mate
1. 2. 3. 4.
Queen and bishop both aim at f7, guarded only by the king. 3...Nf6?? misses the threat. Defend with 3...g6 or 3...Qe7.
Play with the coach →3. Fool's Mate
1. 2.
The fastest mate in chess. Two pawn moves open the e1–h4 diagonal and Black's queen mates on move two. Lesson: don't weaken the pawns in front of your king.
Play with the coach →4. Blackburne Shilling Gambit
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
3...Nd4 looks like it drops the e5 pawn. After 4.Nxe5?? Qg5! the queen hits g2, and if White keeps grabbing, a knight mates on f3. The calm 4.O-O or 4.Nxd4 leaves White better.
Play with the coach →5. Elephant Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The d5 knight looks pinned and loose. White grabs 6.Nxd5??, and after 7.Bxd8 Bb4+! has to give the queen back and ends up a piece down. A classic beginner mistake in the Queen's Gambit.
Play with the coach →6. Lasker Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Albin Countergambit. 4.e3?? opens the game and Black's pawn runs all the way: 7...fxg1=N+! promotes to a knight with check. A rare case where a knight beats a queen. 4.Nf3 is correct.
Play with the coach →7. Englund Gambit Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Black gives a pawn and the queen grabs b2. White chases it with 6.Bc3??, and after 6...Bb4! 7.Qd2 Bxc3 8.Qxc3 Qc1# it's mate on the back rank. 6.Nc3 was the move.
Play with the coach →8. Fishing Pole Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Ruy Lopez. The knight on g4 is the bait. White takes 6.hxg4?? and opens the h-file for Black's rook. After 7...Qh4 and 8...g3 mate on h2 can't be stopped.
Play with the coach →9. Siberian Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Smith-Morra Gambit. White kicks the knight with 9.h3, Black replies 9...Nd4! hitting the queen. White takes 10.Nxd4?? and the c7 queen mates on h2. Moving the queen, 10.Qd1, was necessary.
Play with the coach →10. Noah's Ark Trap
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Ruy Lopez. White grabs a pawn with 8.Qxd4??, and Black's pawns a6–b5–c5–c4 wall in the b3 bishop. The bishop is trapped and White loses a piece.
Play with the coach →