chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

, a trap is a move which tempts the opponent to play a losing move. Traps are common in all phases of the game; in the opening, some traps have occurred often enough that they have acquired names.

List of chess traps

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chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...

: * Albin Countergambit:

Lasker Trap The Lasker Trap is a chess opening trap in the Albin Countergambit. It is 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. Analysis 1. ...

Blackmar–Diemer Gambit The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit (or BDG) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. e4 dxe4 :3. Nc3 where White intends to follow up with f2–f3, usually on the fourth move. White obtains a tempo and a half-open f-file in re ...

: Halosar Trap *

Bogo-Indian Defence The Bogo-Indian Defense is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nf3 Bb4+ The position arising after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 is common. The traditional move for White here is 3.Nc3, threatening to set up a big pawn c ...

Monticelli Trap In chess, the Monticelli Trap is a combination in the Bogo–Indian Defence, named for Italian champion Mario Monticelli from the game Monticelli versus Prokeš, Budapest 1926. Although it is called a trap because White wins the exchange, Blac ...

* Budapest Gambit:

Kieninger Trap The Budapest Gambit (or Budapest Defence) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e5 Despite an early debut in 1896, the Budapest Gambit received attention from leading players only after a win as Black by Grandmast ...

* Englund Gambit Trap *

Italian Game The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 This opening is defined by the of the white bishop to c4 (the so-called ""), where it attacks Black's vulnerable f7-square. It is part ...

: Blackburne Shilling Gambit *

Petrov's Defence Petrov's Defence or the Petrov Defence (also called Petroff Defence, Petrov's Game, Russian Defence, or Russian Game – russian: Русская партия) is a chess opening characterised by the following moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nf6 Tho ...

: Marshall Trap *

Philidor Defence The Philidor Defence (or Philidor's Defence) is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 d6 The opening is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative ...

Légal Trap The Légall Trap or Blackburne Trap (also known as Légall Pseudo-Sacrifice and Légall Mate) is a chess opening , characterized by a queen sacrifice followed by checkmate with minor pieces if Black accepts the sacrifice. The trap is named after th ...

* Queen's Gambit Declined: **

Elephant Trap In chess, the Elephant Trap is a faulty attempt by White to win a pawn in a popular variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. The earliest recorded occurrence of the trap seems to be the game Karl Mayet–Daniel Harrwitz, Berlin 1848.

Rubinstein Trap The Rubinstein Trap is a chess opening Chess trap, trap in the Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense. Black loses a pawn after Nxd5 due to the threat of his queen (chess), queen being trapped on the Chess terminology#B, back rank by White's Bc ...

Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one o ...

: **

Mortimer Trap 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 to tempt White into making a mistake. Analysis 1. e4 e5 2. N ...

Noah's Ark Trap The Noah's Ark Trap is a chess opening Chess trap, trap in the Ruy Lopez. The term describe a family of traps in the Ruy Lopez in which a white bishop (chess), bishop is trapped on the b3-square by black pawn (chess), pawns. Discussion The origin ...

Tarrasch Trap Tarrasch 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. Tarrasc ...

**Fishing Pole Trap *

Sicilian Defence The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4, e4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5, c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. Ope ...

: **

Magnus Smith Trap The Magnus Smith Trap is a chess opening trap in the Sicilian Defence, named after three-time Canadian chess champion Magnus Smith (1869–1934). In an article titled "The 'Magnus Smith Trap published in his ''Chess Notes'' column (hosted at the ...

** Siberian Trap * Vienna Gambit: Würzburger Trap

List of chess traps

See also