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Click HERE to go to my "Best Short Games" Page. Click
to go to my next page of Chess Traps. (# 2.) July 22, 2001.This
will be a page devoted entirely to CHESS
TRAPS. *** (A
Chess 'Trap' is commonly accepted as:) Games
that were won ... *** (This is a rather arbitrary definition. But it is one that will work. A good trap could also be a miniature, and visa-versa. But this page will be mostly those games that are true traps and are culled from the books that are in my library that are completely devoted to that topic. I have trap books by Reinfeld, Chernev, Horowitz, Lombardy, Pandolfini, (x3) and the list goes on. One of my goals for this page is to have a few traps from each book and a few traps for each type of opening to entertain and educate you.) ***
Usually one side must violate the basic
principles of the Opening,
[ More - on the principals of chess. A related article is: "My System In Chess." ] *** I do NOT want to reproduce all of the examples of chess traps that are out there. (But I do want to give some of the better known ones.) (I have probably at least a dozen books devoted to traps. These books will be my primary source of information for this page!) Just maybe a few of the better known traps, the more common ones, a few of the prettier ones. And maybe a few you have never seen before. And maybe I will throw in a few of my own!! *** ( A word about traps and miniatures. My good friend, Paul McClure told me like over 30 years ago that, ... "All traps are unsound." I have to say ... as a LIFE-Master ... that while ALL traps are not unsound; the large majority of them are based on, "Positionally suspect moves." What I mean is that one side must weaken their pawn structure or inhibit their own development to make many of these traps work. If you will pay attention, you will find this true of most traps. If you do not believe me, than I suggest you compare a "trap," to the opening moves in any good opening book like MCO. I think you will find what I am saying is true 75-90 percent of the time. I will also try to remember to point out the flaws in a trap whenever I can. ) Of course, traps are a part of any opening system. (What this means is you should NOT base your opening repertoire on traps alone. I have met several students whose entire opening preparation consisted of nothing but learning as many traps as possible. This type of player almost always fails when faced with a well-prepared opponent.) Now please do NOT misconstrue what I am saying. You have to learn traps, as part of learning the opening repertoire. You MUST know them, so you will not fall into them. You may also spring them on an un-wary opponent. {The traps and tactical motifs of an opening are probably the FIRST thing I learn, when I try to grasp a new opening system.} But speaking from over 35 years of tournament experience, you simply can NOT count on an opponent falling for these all the time. In fact, you will probably find, especially in adult tournaments, that these traps only occur in a VERY SMALL percentage of your overall number of games!!! *** I
see that one of the better sources for this page will be Irving
Chernev's book: (If
a game is found there and here, I will give the number of the game as it appears Click
HERE to go
to what I consider to be (It
is also considered to be a miniature, as it is less than 25 moves.) The "Fool's Mate" runs: 1. g4!?, e6; 2. f4???, Qh4 mate. It is probably so-named because only a very silly person, ... (Or a very INEXPERIENCED one!); would be mated this way! The "Scholar's Mate" runs: 1. e4, e5; 2. Bc4, Bc5; 3. Qh5!?, Nc6???; (Black only sees that his e-Pawn is attacked. 3...Qe7; is forced.) 4. Qxf7 mate. It is probably so named as it is one of the first mates [traps?] many English school-boys were taught (or learned) in the 18th century. Probably
the one of the most well known traps is called:
"Noah's Ark." A
good example is: 1.e4, e5; 2.Nf3, Nc6; 3.Bb5, a6;
4.Ba4, Nf6; 5.Nc3, {D?} 5...d6; 6.d4!? {Diag?} I don't much like this move, it is not really bad, but White could do much better. I have dozens of books on the Ruy Lopez, and a ChessBase CD-ROM that is brand new. More common today would be 6.Bxc6+!?, or 6.0-0. (Even 6.d3, a very slow approach - could be better than this move.) 6...b5;
('!') {Diagram?} The most active
move - and the correct play - for Black. 7.Bb3!?, (Maybe - '?!') {Diagram?} This is a natural-looking move, and it also an inaccuracy. The correct play was the in-between move, PxP. (d4xe5) 7...PxP, (...e5xd4); 8.NxQP/d4? {Diagram?} This is a mistake. Chernev says White must play Bd5, I prefer 8.Ng5. But no matter, either move is MUCH better than the silly capture on d4. BUT!! ... I should strive to mention, that - at least, to the average player - that these move appear both normal and good. 8...NxN/d4;
9.QxN/d4, c5; 10. White's Queen moves, & now
10...c4; {D?} This
is Trap # 2, of Irving
Chernev's wonderful book, "Winning
Chess Traps." One of the shortest games of all time is the following four move game between two French Masters. It was [supposedly] played between - White: Gibaud & Black: Lazard; in Paris, France in 1924. (Some masters, such as GM Soltis have disputed this game; but the authenticity will never be known for sure. I talked to one French player who said his Grand-Father actually witnessed this game, so I believe it really happened this way.) The
moves were: 1. d4, Nf6; 2. Nd2, e5!?; 3. d4xe5, Ng4; (This trap ... and the next one! ... clearly demonstrates the weakness of the White f2-square at the beginning of the game. {The King alone guards this square.} It also shows the sensitivity of the e1-h4 diagonal.) One of the shortest games I ever personally witnessed was the following game. Some poor soul, whom I am quite certain is happy to remain anonymous, was playing the White pieces. The player handling the Black pieces was my good friend, (J.) Scott Pfeiffer. (At one time, Scott was easily one of the most feared competitors in the Gulf Coast area when he lived in Pensacola, FL.) The game was played in MOBILE, AL in the early 1970's. (It may have been played in the Azalea City Open.) The
moves were: 1. f4!?, e5!; 2. f4xe5, d6; 3. e5xd6, Bxd6;
4. Nf3, g5!; The funny thing about this game is while Scott was playing this "gimme," I was playing a game that lasted around 7-8 hours and was adjourned twice!! What a break!! (For my friend, Scott. Definitely not for me!) One of the shortest games I ever played was in a one day tournament for the Chess Championship of Clubbs Middle School. (circa 1971.) [I won.] I set this trap, knowing my very inexperienced opponent would probably fall into it. The moves were: 1. e4, c6; 2. d4, d5; 3. Nc3, d5xe4, 4. Nxe4, Nd7!?; (4...Bf5;) 5. Qe2!?, ('?!') [ Correct is probably 5. Bc4 or even 5. Ng5!? ] 5... Nf6???; 6. Nd6 mate! (When I announced mate, my opponent at first did not believe it, then later he went crying from the room. I really felt sorry for him.) *** (White's
fifth move could potentially cause problems later, as it makes it very difficult
for the first player to develop his KB. *** The funny thing is when I took this game to the Pensacola Chess Club, the resident club 'expert' said Black's 4th move was a horrible mistake. (He even showed me a book that "proved" his point!) Yet 4...Nd7; is perfectly sound and was regularly used by former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. (I personally have lost many games to the 4...Nd7; system in the Caro-Kann.)
[ For the chess scholar out there, I was NOT the first person to play or use this trap. According to my chess database of nearly 3 million games, (one of the largest personal collections I know of); this game first occurred in the City Leagues in Hamburg, Germany. (Perhaps the Kaiser ... and others ... supported chess in an effort to get the Germans to forget about the ravages of WWI.) The antagonists were Vogt - Lehmann. (Lehrmann?) I have seen the year given as anywhere from 1911 to 1921. > The best bet is the time range 1915 - 1917. < (The German Master {Voight?} who probably played this game died in 1919.) And the great English Master, Blackburne, used a trap similar to this in one of his simul games in the late 1800's. ] ************************ Note: When I first wrote these words, {circa mid-1990's}; the average (on-line) DB only had around 300-500 thousand games. Today, the current version of the "Mega" database has MILLIONS of games, with few - if any - doubles! I have now installed the 2005 "Mega" database on my computer (sometime last year), and began updating that from "The Week In Chess." (Available in your favorite format from the website of the London Chess Center.) March 10th, 2006. A standard trap runs: 1. e4, e5, 2. Nf3, Nc6; 3. Bc4, h6?; (A waste of time. Black should develop by 3...Nf6. Or if he is really afraid of Ng5, he could develop and prevent this move by playing 3...Be7. And of course 3...Bc5; leads to the Giuoco Piano.) 4. d4, d6; 5. Nc3, Bg4?!; (Probably inferior.) (Again, Black should develop his K-side, get ready to castle with 5...Nf6. Lasker said, "Always develop your Knights before Bishops." This is safe advice to follow, although both the Ruy Lopez and the Nimzo-Indian openings violate this rule. However, if you are not sure of what to do, its a good rule of thumb to follow.) 6. d4xe5, NxP/e5?; ('??') (A terrible move. Black can avoid disaster with 6...Bxf3; or even 6...dxe5. Black figures that White will not move his KN, as it is pinned against the Queen. Black is wrong.) 7. NxN/e5!, BxQ/d1; (?) [A mistake.] Black can avoid mate by playing 7...PxN/e5. But White wins a piece with 8. QxB/g4. 8. BxP/f7+, Ke7; (The only legal move.) 9. Nd5. Checkmate. Black wasted TIME, and that was his biggest mistake. Because White was developing consistently while Black was fiddling around is the reason White is able to mate. Before White sprung the trap, Black had only made SIX moves, and had already moved his Knight twice. (He also wound up moving his QB twice.) White's opening was a model of correct play. He controlled the center and developed quickly. If Black had made good moves, White would have been ready to castle K-side and then finish the mobilization of his entire army. *** This is "Sire de Legal's Mate." (De Legal was A. Philidor's teacher.) *** The great English Master, J.H. Blackburne - (whom I believe would be a {super} GM if he were alive today); said he would catch 2-3 players in this trap every time he gave a simultaneous exhibition. *** (See also the game below.) A game (trap!) by one of the greatest American Masters. *** Harry N. Pillsbury - J. Fernandez; Havana, 1900. ( White was Blindfold.) 1. e4, e5; 2. Nc3!?, Nc6; 3. f4, d6; 4. Nf3, a6; (?) As in the trap above, Black wastes time. He is trying to prevent the pin on his Knight after 5. Bb5. 5. Bc4, Bg4; ('!?/?!') 6. d4xe5, NxP/e5; (?) 7. NxN/e5!, BxQ/d1; 8. BxP/f7+, Ke7; 9. Nd5# *** This game is, of course, the same exact pattern as the one above, with just a few changes in the pawn moves. One of the keys to traps is to spot the basic PATTERN, no matter what situation or position it arises in! Here
is a very nice trap. (Scotch Game.) This is very bad and loses nearly instantly. 5. Nc3, g6!?; This is the plan Black had and why he developed his KN to e7. 6. Bg5!, Bg7; This gives us the diagram immediately below.
The position after 8...Bg7. What would you play here? *** 7. Nd5!, (Maybe - '!!') (White can {also} keep the advantage with the simple 7. Nxc6, bxc6; 8. Qf3.) 7...Bxd4!?;
Now what move would you play? 8. Qxd4!, (Maybe - '!!') 8...0-0; "[]" (If 8...Nxd4?; 9. Nf6+, Kf8; 10. Bh6#.)
9.
Nf6+!, Kh8; 10. Ng4+!, Nxd4; 11. Bf6+, Kg8; 12. Nh6 Check-Mate! *** This
is trap # 23 in Bruce
Pandolfini's excellent book, *** ( A very similar trap is # 46, in "Winning Chess Traps," by Irving Chernev. This trap features the exact same mating pattern. ) *** I highly recommend Bruce's book. If you are 1800 or below, and/or play any of these openings, you should get both books! Not only is there a trap, there is a scenario which tells you the elements of the position. At the end of every position, there is a complete description where the trap is broken down step-by-step. Pandolfini breaks down each trap to its elements. He tells you what made the trap work and how each side could improve. I reviewed approximately a dozen different traps in preparing this page. As a MASTER, I found the examples informative, educational AND entertaining. If a Master enjoys this book and thinks its helpful and beneficial to his chess, shouldn't you check these books out? And you should definitely go to Amazon.com, and read ALL the reviews of this book, (including mine) and read what has been written about these books. A necessary addition to your library, don't you think? *** (And you should also read my "Training Page" and the narrative at the beginning of this page. Learning the tactics and patterns of the traps in the openings YOU play will definitely make you a better player. Isn't that logical? How could that not be good chess sense? ) In the opening ...... A "King's Indian Defense." A nice little trap: 1.d4, Nf6; 2.c4, g6; 3.g3, Bg7; 4.Bg2, d6; 5.Nf3, 0-0; 6.0-0, c5; 7.Nc3, Nc6; 8.dxc5, dxc5; 9.Be3, Qa5; 10.Qa4?, (Better was 10.Bd2.) 10...QxQ/a4; 11.NxQ/a4, b6!?; 12.Ne5?, {Diagram?} White succumbs to the yearning of his prelate on the long diagonal, and also the strong desire to win material. (Maybe best was 12.Nc3.) 12...NxN/e5!; 13. BxR/a8, Bd7!; Black wins material. ("/+") From the book: "New Traps in The Chess Openings," (© 1964) by Al Horowitz. (#63) The Scotch Game & Gambit1.e4, e5; 2.Nf3, Nc6; 3.d4, exd4; 4.Bc4!?, (4.Nxd4 or 4.c3, are the moves that are more normally played.) 4...Bc5!?; This is OK. (4...Nf6!; is even better. Click here.) 5.Ng5!?, Nh6; 6.Qh5!?, Again - pure aggression. But is it sound? 6...Ne5?; A mistake. (Better was: 6...Qe7! "=/+") 7.Ne6!, dxe6[]; (This is forced, according to Chernev.) 7.QxN/e5, "+/-" {Diagram?} White will win a piece. This is trap # 61 in Irving Chernev's book: "Winning Chess Traps."
Click
HERE to see a very detailed analysis
of the trap known as: ---> Over 1300 chess traps by USCF Master Bill Wall!!!! Check it out! [UN-believable!!!] I will add no more traps to this page. *** (Click HERE to go to the next page for {more} CHESS Traps.) (Page last updated on Friday; March 10th, 2006. Page last modified or edited on: 09/02/2009 .) ******* Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I
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