Develop instead
The Queen's Gambit Declined: no grab
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efgh+0.3
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5…exd5. The notes are on the highlighted moves.
Other moves here
Lesson 3 of 4
BeginnerLook Before You Grab
A pawn or a piece left for the taking in the opening is often bait. Before you grab, look at what your opponent does next: a check, a pin, a discovered attack.
Winning material is good, but in the opening a piece that seems to be hanging has usually been left there on purpose. The grab costs time, and often it opens a line, removes a defender or pulls a piece away from where it was needed.
The test is simple: before you take, look at every check and capture your opponent has after it. In the three traps in this lesson, the answer is a queen won back with check, a pawn that promotes with check, and a smothered mate.
This lesson is taught from White's side, with exercises from Black's side of the traps. A move that works keeps the position; a move that fails loses (see "How these lessons were checked"). You get three conditions, each with a move that works and one that fails, the right way move by move, and five positions to solve.
The idea
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defghA pawn that looks free
In the Queen's Gambit Declined, Black's knight on f6 is pinned to the queen and the pawn on d5 seems to hang. The Elephant Trap is waiting.
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defghThe pin is broken
After 6.Nxd5?? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ White has taken the queen, but has to give back its own, and Black comes out a piece ahead.
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hA bishop that looks free
In the Budapest Gambit, Black's bishop on b4 is attacked and Black has ignored it. Taking it would let a knight check from d3.
Before you play it: the checklist
Each condition with two positions: one where it holds and the move works, one where it is missing and the same move fails. The number is Stockfish's evaluation after the move, from the attacker's side.
1.A pinned piece can still move
A piece pinned to the queen can move if it wins more than the queen, or gets it back.
It works
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defgh6.e3+0.2
6.e3 develops calmly, and the position is level.
It fails
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defgh6.Nxd5−5.8
6.Nxd5?? takes the pawn, but 6…Nxd5! gives up the queen and wins a piece.
The engine prefers e3 (+0.3).
2.Look at every check first
Before you take a piece, check what your opponent can do with check.
It works
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defgh6.fxe3−0.1
6.fxe3 accepts doubled pawns and keeps the position close to level.
It fails
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defgh6.Bxb4−7.8
6.Bxb4?? takes the bishop, but 6…exf2+ and a promotion with check win.
The engine prefers fxe3 (−0.1).
3.Count the squares around your king
When your king is boxed in by its own pieces, a single check can be mate.
It works
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h8.Nxe5+0.2
8.Nxe5 trades a pair of knights, and the position is level.
It fails
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h8.axb4−Mate
8.axb4?? takes the bishop and 8…Nd3# is mate.
The engine prefers Nxe5 (+0.3).
Move by move
Click a move or use the arrows. Under each note you'll find the defender's other choices and how to answer them. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation from the attacker's side.
8721adefghDoubled pawns, but safe
The Albin Countergambit: taking back
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defgh−0.1
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5…dxe3. The notes are on the highlighted moves.
Other moves here
Your turn
Each position has one best move. Find it, then check the solution.
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aExercise 1
Black to move. White has taken the pawn on d5.
Show solution
6...Nxd5
6…Nxd5! gives up the queen: after 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ Black wins it back and comes out a piece ahead.
The Elephant Trap.
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fedcb
aExercise 2
Black to move. White has taken Black's queen.
Show solution
7...Bb4+
7…Bb4+! White has to block with the queen, and Black takes it.
The Elephant Trap.
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78hgf
edcbaExercise 3
Black to move. White has taken the bishop on b4.
Show solution
6...exf2+
6…exf2+! If 7.Kxf2, Black takes the queen on d1.
The Lasker Trap.
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78hgf
edcbaExercise 4
Black to move. The pawn on f2 can promote.
Show solution
7...fxg1=N+
7…fxg1=N+! A knight, with check, and White's queen is still in danger. Promoting to a queen instead would only lead to a trade of queens.
The Lasker Trap.
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aExercise 5
Black to move. White has taken the bishop.
Show solution
8...Nd3#
8…Nd3#. The knight checks the king, which is boxed in by its own pieces.
The Kieninger Trap.
From history
Three old traps
The earliest recorded Elephant Trap is the game Mayet–Harrwitz, Berlin 1848. The Lasker Trap is named after Emanuel Lasker, although it was first noted by Serafino Dubois, and it is unusual in featuring an underpromotion as early as the seventh move. The Kieninger Trap is named after Georg Kieninger, who used it in an offhand game in Vienna in 1925.
Take these into your games
Free material is suspicious
In the opening, a pawn or piece left hanging has usually been left there on purpose.
Checks and captures first
Before you grab, look at every check and capture your opponent has after it.
Pins can break
A piece pinned to the queen can still move if it wins the queen back or more.
Know your king's squares
A king boxed in by its own pieces can be mated by a single knight.
Development beats a pawn
When in doubt, develop. A calm developing move is rarely a blunder.