Death in 10 moves or less...

[Michael Morris]

This is a thread to share traps - opening blunders/combinations that lead to mate in relatively few moves.

There are a lot of traps. I had an openent stumble into one I've never seen before in the Smith Morra Gambit that's instructive.

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In the Smith Morra if the opponent plays the e pawn before the d pawn then white should seek to occupy or at least put monstrous pressure on d6. Black's first fumble is the knight move which allows immediate invasion and occupation of that critical square. After the knight moves off white prepares to put a knight on the square after BxB. Black tries a queen check figuring white has overextended himself, but the pushy b pawn smacks the queen.

Black resigns because white now threatens Nc7#. Black must lose the queen to prevent this. Black might have fun harrassing white's king - after 8. ... BxB, 9. PxQ Bb4+ and the white king is put to flight 10. Ke2 Nf4+ Kf3. but down a queen for a bishop white can equalize.

[Spiny Norman]

Ummm ... are you sure those moves are right? What's wrong with Black playing Qb6 ... what have I missed?

[Michael Morris]

Ummm ... are you sure those moves are right? What's wrong with Black playing Qb6 ... what have I missed?

8. ... Qb6
9. Nc7+ QxN (forced)
10. BxQ Bxb4+
11. Ke2 Nf4
12. Kf3

And black can resign since he doesn't have the resources to chase the white king further and he's down a queen.

Black's best is 8. ... Nf4!? with the desperate hope of winning back the queen if white plays the above line. But white refutes this with the simple Bc4

[Pillsbury]

I liked that move b4!
Event: Unkown
Site: Unkown
Date: ????.??.??
Round: ?
White: Unkown
Black: Unkown
Result: *
ECO: B21
PlyCount: 24

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[Michael Morris]

In your line, after Ke8, white plays Rc1. The black queen is toast since if she moves off the file white plays RxB#. So QxR QxQ is forced.


Anyway, onto other traps in the Smith Morra

Loose Bishop Trap

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Pushy pawn wins a queen.

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Humiliating Mate at the hand of 2 knights
This is slightly longer than 10 moves but, it's still pretty and related to the above.

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[Michael Morris]

Traps work because one side grossly violates a general principle. While some positions will let you do this - and may even require it, the majority don't. These traps certainly don't.

Some other traps..

Don't Be Greedy
Danish Gambit (A cousin to the Smith-Morra, but not as sound).

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Black can't stop mate.

Trojan Horse Mate
I see this one come up often enough that it should be reviewed, though any book on traps has this number.

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Did You Need that Rook?
Just so Black doesn't feel completely abused - player's of the King's Gambit must be wary of this.

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[Kerry Stead]

8. ... Qb6
9. Nc7+ QxN (forced)
10. BxQ Bxb4+
11. Ke2 Nf4
12. Kf3

And black can resign since he doesn't have the resources to chase the white king further and he's down a queen.

Black's best is 8. ... Nf4!? with the desperate hope of winning back the queen if white plays the above line. But white refutes this with the simple Bc4

Is 9...Qxc7 really forced??
What's wrong with 9...Kd8?
If 10.Nxa8 then Qxd6; if Bxf8 then Qxc7;
Perhaps its not the best position in the world, but hardly a forced sacrifice of the queen!

[Michael Morris]

Is 9...Qxc7 really forced??
What's wrong with 9...Kd8?
If 10.Nxa8 then Qxd6; if Bxf8 then Qxc7;
Perhaps its not the best position in the world, but hardly a forced sacrifice of the queen!

I already went over it again - my mistake. Qxc7 is only forced if black mistakenly plays Qd8??

[Pillsbury]

In your line, after Ke8, white plays Rc1. The black queen is toast since if she moves off the file white plays RxB#. So QxR QxQ is forced.

Are you sure?

If 13.Rc1, then 13...Nc6 protects Black Queen. And the Bishop gets protection from Queen Rook in future attacks. If 14.b5 then 14...Qf4 brings Black in to the game.

[Lucena]

Hey does anyone know about some game Fischer played in a simul and he lost in 9 moves or something?

[Pillsbury]

Event: Biel
Site: ?
Date: 1988.??.??
Round: ?
White: Zapata, A.
Black: Anand, V.
Result: 1-0
ECO: C42
PlyCount: 11
EventDate: 1988.??.??

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[Pillsbury]

Hey does anyone know about some game Fischer played in a simul and he lost in 9 moves or something?

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for! But the games are longer than 10 moves. But they are interesting!
Event: San Francisco sim
Site: San Francisco
Date: 1964.??.??
Round: ?
White: Fischer, Robert James
Black: Burger, Robert
Result: 0-1
ECO: C57
PlyCount: 24
EventDate: 1964.??.??
Source: ChessBase
SourceDate: 2000.11.22

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Event: Houston sim
Site: Houston
Date: 1964.??.??
Round: ?
White: Fischer, Robert James
Black: Michalopoulos
Result: 1-0
ECO: C30
PlyCount: 29
EventDate: 1964.??.??
Source: ChessBase
SourceDate: 2000.11.22

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[Lucena]

Thanks for that, I think that Burger one was what I was the one I heard about.

That Zapata-Anand game is a classic. Apparently Anand had see Bf5 (it was a TN)in a published game and a draw was quickly agreed. What he possibly didn't realise was the two opponents just wanted a quick draw. An illustration of the dangers of adopting other people's novelties without checking them first!

[antichrist]

Those games which Fisher lost were sickening. I used to play my opening winning a knight for 2 pawns I think. I also did not castle and had a playable game against unrated players usually winning. I never documented it, I could have given it a name.

Gareth, there is a book called "The Best 1000 Short Games of Chess" which is quite good. It could be in the old notation and was out of print. But ten years ago was in print in the Philippines on brown recycled paper. And I have two copies somewhere.

[Michael Morris]

Ke2 is NOT the correct response to the queen check at h4 in the King's Gambit. Add this 8 move kill to the list.

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