Traps
An opening trap is a tempting move that loses on the spot. Play each one from the trapper's side while the Trainer explains the bait, the blunder, and the punishment — then roam them all freely in the Explorer.
Traps ExplorerFree play Roam every trap from both sides. Each move is labelled — bait, blunder, refutation, safe — and the blunder is deliberately playable, so you can spring a trap on purpose and watch the punishment arrive.Open Games
- Scholar's MateC20The four-move mate every beginner meets — and the one every beginner must learn to sidestep.
- Würzburger TrapC29Offer a rook in the corner; the knight that takes it never comes home.
- Damiano Defence TrapC40Punish 2…f6 — the move that guards a pawn and opens the king's front door.
- Légal TrapC41Offer the queen, mate with three minor pieces — the most famous queen sacrifice in the opening.
- Marshall TrapC42A bishop sacrifice on h2 and a knight fork on f2 — Frank Marshall's punishment for one careless rook move.
- Petrov Symmetry TrapC42Copy your opponent one move too long in the Petrov and a discovered check costs you the queen.
- Blackburne Shilling GambitC50Hang a pawn on purpose, then mate with a knight on f3 — the trap Blackburne is said to have won shillings with.
Ruy Lopez
- Fishing Pole TrapC65Dangle a knight on g4 as bait; when White bites, the h-file opens straight onto his king.
- Mortimer TrapC65Retreat a developed knight on purpose; when White snatches the pawn, one pawn move wins a piece.
- Tarrasch Trap (Berlin)C66Black castles one move too early and a routine-looking exchange sequence wins a clean pawn.
- Noah's Ark TrapC71Three pawns close around the Spanish bishop like a wooden hull — and it never gets out.
- Tarrasch Trap (Open Defence)C83A rook takes a defended knight — because the recapture opens the d-file onto Black's queen.