[blind-chess] Chess Article #60: Chess Traps, Part 3
- From: Roderick Macdonald <rmacd@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Blind Chess Mailing List <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:17:58 -1000 (HST)
Chess Article #60:
Chess traps
Part Three of Three Parts
Adapted and Condensed from
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
++10. Bogo-Indian Defense, Monticelli Trap
Moves:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 b6 6. g3
Bb7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. Nc3 Ne4 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Ng5!
The Monticelli Trap is a chess opening trap in the Bogo-Indian
Defense, named for Italian champion Mario Monticelli from the game
Monticelli-Prokes, Budapest 1926.
The trap begins with the moves
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
Black plays the Indian Defense.
3. Nf3 Bb4+
Black plays the Bogo-Indian Defense.
4. Bd2 Bxd2+
5. Qxd2 b6
6. g3 Bb7
7. Bg2 O-O
8. Nc3 Ne4
9. Qc2 Nxc3
10. Ng5!
Black must respond to two different threats: the mate threat 11.
Qxh7# and 11. Bxb7 winning a bishop and a rook.
However, chess legend Jose Razl Capablanca (Black) showed this trap
wasn't so irrefutable when he drew in a game against fellow legend
Max Euwe (White) in 1931 (Amsterdam).
Capablanca responded with
10. ... Ne4!
11. Bxe4 Bxe4
12. Qxe4 Qxg5
13. Qxa8 Nc6
14. Qb7 Nxd4
15. Rd1 c5
16. e3 Nc2+
17. Kd2 Qf5
18. Qg2 Nb4
19. e4 Qf6
20. Kc1 Nxa2+
21. Kb1 Nb4
22. Rxd7 Nc6
23. f4 e5
24. Rhd1 Nd4
25. Rxa7 exf4
26. gxf4 Qxf4
27. Re1 Nf3
28. Re2 Nd4
29. Re1
=-=
Nonetheless, this trap is still a massive blow to most opponents.
++11. Ruy Lopez, Mortimer Trap
Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Ne7
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:
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 when Kramnik used it as his main
defense to defeat Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match".
4. d3
White plays a quiet alternative to the more common 4. 0-0, 4. d4,
or 4. Nc3 (the latter would transpose to the Four Knights Game).
Horowitz and Reinfeld wrote that 4. d3 is "Steinitz's move, with
which he scored many spectacular successes during his long reign as
World Champion." (Horowitz and Reinfeld 1954, p. 59)
4. ... Ne7
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.
5. Nxe5? c6!
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.
6. Nc4
White's best try, covering a5 and thus preventing 6. ... Qa5+, and
threatening smothered mate 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 against
Englisch, Rosenthal, and Noa, losing all three games. 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).
++12. Ruy Lopez, Noah's Ark Trap
Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. d4? b5 6. Bb3 Nxd4
7. Nxd4 exd4 8. Qxd4??
The 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. The shape of the black pawns
on a6, b5, and c4 may resemble an ark, or the name may suggest that
the trap is "old as Noah's Ark".
Even chess masters have occasionally fallen victim to this trap. An
example is Endre Steiner-Jose Capablanca at the Budapest tournament
in 1929.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 d6
5. d4(?)
Better moves for White are 5. c3, 5. Bxc6+, and 5. 0-0.
5. ... b5
6. Bb3 Nxd4
7. Nxd4 exd4
8. Qxd4??
Alexander Alekhine recommended this move in the tournament book for
New York 1924 as a means for White to draw, but it is a mistake
that loses material. White should instead play 8. Bd5 or try a
gambit with 8. c3.
8. ... c5
9. Qd5 Be6
10. Qc6+ Bd7
11. Qd5 c4
The white king bishop is trapped. White resigned after move 32.
++13. Queen's Gambit Declined, Rubinstein Trap
Moves:
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 Be7 6. Nc3 0-0
7. Rc1 c6 8. Bd3 a6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. 0-0 Re8 11. Qb3 h6 12.
Bf4 Nh5?
The Rubinstein Trap is a chess opening trap in the Queen's Gambit
Declined, Orthodox Defense. Black loses a pawn after the
characteristic move Nxd5 due to the threat of having his queen
trapped on the back rank by Bc7. The queen is attacked by a white
bishop while being hemmed in by its own pieces.
The trap takes its name from Akiba Rubinstein who had the
misfortune of falling into it twice in the games Max Euwe-
Rubinstein, Bad Kissingen 1928, and Alexander Alekhine-Rubinstein,
San Remo 1930. Rubinstein was not the first to fall victim to the
trap, as the first recorded game featuring the trap is Amos Burn-
Heinrich Wolf, Ostend 1905.
Euwe-Rubinstein, 1928, began
1. Nf3 d5
2. c4 e6
3. d4 Nf6
Transposing into the Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense.
4. Bg5 Nbd7
5. e3 Be7
6. Nc3 0-0
7. Rc1 c6
8. Bd3 a6
9. cxd5 exd5
10. 0-0 Re8
11. Qb3 h6
12. Bf4 Nh5?
Black falls into the trap.
13. Nxd5
Now Black will lose a pawn after 13. ... Nxf4 14. Nxf4 or more
after 13. ... cxd5 14. Bc7 when the black queen is trapped on the
back rank by her own pieces.
++14. Sicilian Defense, Smith-Morra Gambit, Siberian Trap
Moves:
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4
Qc7 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Qe2 Ng4! 9. h3??
The Siberian Trap is a chess opening trap. After a series of
natural moves in the Smith-Morra Gambit of the Sicilian Defense,
White can lose a queen. The name appears to result from Boris
Shipkov of Novosibirsk.
The trap has occurred at least twice in tournament play: Kolenbet-
Shipkov, Khabarovsk 1987, and Tesinsky-Magerramov, Budapest 1990.
Here are the moves:
1. e4 c5
This is the Sicilian Defense.
2. d4 cxd4
3. c3 dxc3
White's 3. c3 introduces the Smith-Morra Gambit. Black accepts the
gambit pawn.
4. Nxc3 Nc6
5. Nf3 e6
6. Bc4 Qc7
7. 0-0 Nf6
8. Qe2
White prepares e4-e5. This move is playable if White is careful on
the next move. After 8. Re1 Bc5 Black has a good game as White's f2
square is sensitive. White also doesn't achieve much after 8. h3
a6. Instead, NCO suggests 8. Nb5 Qb8 9. e5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe5 11.
Re1 and White has some compensation for the sacrificed pawns.
8. ... Ng4!
9. h3??
This is a decisive mistake. The same fate befell White after 9.
Bb3?? in Kramadzhian-Shipkov, Novosibirsk 1988. Another try that
doesn't work is 9. Rd1 Bc5. MCO-14 recommends 9. Nb5! Qb8
(threatening 10. ... a6 11. Nc3 Nd4!) 10. h3 h5 11. g3 Nge5 12.
Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bf4 a6 with a sharp position with roughly equal
chances.
9. ... Nd4!
The Black threat of 10. ... Nxf3+ followed by 11. ... Qh2# wins
White's queen, at least. If 10. Nxd4?, Qh2#.
++15. Ruy Lopez, 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.
++16.A Tarrasch Trap in the Open Variation
Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5
7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Re1 0-0 11. Nd4 Qd7?
Two masters actually fell for this trap against Tarrasch: Zukertort
at Frankfurt in 1887 and Gunsberg at Manchester in 1890.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 Nxe4
This is the Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez.
6. d4 b5
7. Bb3 d5
8. dxe5 Be6
9. c3 Be7
10. Re1 0-0
11. Nd4 Qd7?
Falling into the trap.
12. Nxe6
Black's pawn on d5 will be pinned no matter how he recaptures.
After 12. ... Qxe6 or 12. ... fxe6 White wins a piece with 13.
Rxe4.
++16.B Tarrasch Trap in the Steinitz Variation
Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 Bd7 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. O00 Be7
7. Re1 0-0?
The second Tarrasch Trap occurs in the Steinitz Variation. Tarrasch
published analysis of this trap in 1891, but 18 months later Marco
fell into it in Tarrasch-Marco Dresden 1892. Tarrasch spent just 5
minutes of thinking for the whole game.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 d6
This is the Steinitz Variation of the Ruy Lopez.
4. d4 Bd7
Black breaks the pin to meet the threat of 5. d5.
5. Nc3 Nf6
6. 0-0 Be7
7. Re1
Laying a subtle trap Castling seems natural for Black, but instead
7. ... exd4 is better.
7. ... O-O?
8. Bxc6 Bxc6
9. dxe5 dxe5
10. Qxd8 Raxd8
11. Nxe5
Black's best move here is probably 11. ... Bd7, although White
would remain a pawn ahead.
11. ... Bxe4
12. Nxe4 Nxe4
Now 13. Rxe4?? would be a horrible blunder as Black would checkmate
with 13. ... Rd1+ 14. Re1 Rxe1#. White blocks that possibility with
his next move, making the threat real against the black knight on
e4.
13. Nd3 f5
The black knight can't move because of the pin against the bishop
on e7.
14. f3 Bc5+
15. Nxc5 Nxc5
16. Bg5 Rd5
17. Be7 Re8
18. c4
White wins at least the exchange, so Marco resigned.
++17. Vienna Game, W`urzburger Trap
Moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3 Qh4+ 6. g3
Nxg3 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nxd5 Bg4 9. Nf4 Bxf3 10. Nxh5 Bxd1 11. hxg3
Bxc2?
The W`urzburger Trap is a chess opening trap in the Vienna Gambit.
It was named around 1930 for German banker Max W`urzburger.
The trap begins with the moves
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. f4
White plays the Vienna Gambit. Black's next move is thought to be
the best reply.
3. ... d5
4. fxe5 Nxe4
5. d3 Qh4+
6. g3 Nxg3
7. Nf3 Qh5
8. Nxd5 Bg4
9. Nf4 Bxf3
10. Nxh5 Bxd1
11. hxg3 Bxc2?
Black tries to win a pawn, but instead loses a piece.
12. b3
The black bishop on c2 is trapped, and next turn white can move his
king to d2, attacking the bishop.
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