Hi all,

Apart from the recently started series on Chess Studies, I am also introducing another new series on Chess Opening Traps.
Today I post the first one on the Torre Attack.

The main aim of the series is to get yourself acquainted with these traps so as not to fall for them, and also to have some fun with them 😉

In general I’m not a favorite of setting opening traps just for the sake of setting a trap.
If an otherwise good move also happens to contain a trap, then it is fine, but we should never forget that our opponent normally will never comply with our plans, and then our “trap” may turn against us since the move setting it up did not address the demands of the position!

Click on the moves below to start playing and show a chess board:

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1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O c5 8. c3
b6 9. Qa4 Bb7 10. Ne5 {This move actually sets the trap!} Nxe5? {After this
move White will retain an opening advantage.} (10… c4 $10) 11. dxe5 {This
capture opens up the fourth rank…} Nd7 $4 {And Black falls for it! At the
time of writing I found no less than 21 games in the database where both
players had a “rest day”.} ({Relatively best is:} 11… Nh5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13.
Be2 g6 (13… Qg5 14. Nf3 $18) 14. Bxh5 gxh5 15. f4 $14) (11… Ne4 12. Bxe7
Qxe7 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bxe4 $14) 12. Qh4 $1 {Ouch, a surprising queen switch!
Due to the threats against e7 and h7, Black might as well resign…} *
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