Blog
Articles on opening theory, study methods and what is new in TheoryChess.
· 5 min read
The Magnus Smith Trap: give up a bishop, win the queen in the SicilianIn the Sozin Sicilian, 6…g6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5! dxe5?? loses the queen to 9.Bxf7+! Kxf7 10.Qxd8. The trap, why it works and the right reply, 8…Ng4!More posts
· 5 min read
The Fried Liver Attack: sacrifice the knight, drag the king outIn the Two Knights Defense, 5…Nxd5? runs into 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3, with Black’s king stuck in the center. The attack move by move, Black’s best defence and the right reply, 5…Na5!
· 5 min read
The Tennison Gambit trap: play …h6?? and lose your queenIn the Tennison Gambit (1.Nf3 d5 2.e4) Black’s natural-looking 5…h6?? loses the queen: 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Bg6+!! gives check, opens the d-file and 8.Qxd8 follows. The trap, why it works and the right defence.
· 5 min read
The King’s Gambit Declined trap: take this pawn and lose your rookDeclining the King’s Gambit with 2…Bc5 sets a nasty trap: if White plays 3.fxe5??, then 3…Qh4+ 4.g3 Qxe4+ wins the rook on h1, and 4.Ke2 runs into 4…Qxe4# mate. The trap, why it works and the right move.
· 5 min read
Légal’s mate: give up the queen and mate in 7 with three minor piecesLégal’s mate is one of the oldest opening traps in chess: White ignores the pin and leaves the queen hanging, and if Black takes it, 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5# is mate. The trap, why it works and the right defence.
· 5 min read
The Dutch Defense trap: a queen sacrifice and Bg6# in 8 movesIn the Dutch Defense, chasing White’s bishop after 2.Bg5 ends in a queen sacrifice and mate in eight: 6…Rh6?? 7.Qxh5+! Rxh5 8.Bg6#. The trap, why it works and the right defence.
· 6 min read
The Caro-Kann smothered mate trap: Nd6# in 6 movesIn the Karpov Variation of the Caro-Kann, the natural-looking 5…Ngf6?? after 5.Qe2!? loses to 6.Nd6#, a smothered mate. The trap, why it works and the right defence.
· 5 min read
The Siberian Trap: checkmate on h2 in the Smith-Morra GambitThe Siberian Trap in the Smith-Morra: 8…Ng4! 9.h3?? Nd4! and 10…Qh2#. Move by move, why it works and how White avoids it.
· 5 min read
The Scandinavian Defence: a practical guide to 1.e4 d5The Scandinavian Defence strikes at the centre with 1…d5. Main line 3…Qa5, the alternatives, typical plans and common mistakes.
· 6 min read
The Noah’s Ark Trap: how Black traps the bishop in the Ruy LopezThe Noah’s Ark Trap in the Ruy Lopez, move by move: after 8.Qxd4?? c5! and …c4, White’s b3-bishop is trapped by Black’s pawns. How to set it and avoid it.
· 7 min read
The French Defence: a complete guide to plans and variationsThe idea behind 1.e4 e6, the Advance, Tarrasch, Winawer and Exchange lines, how to fix the bad bishop, and the 9.Bb5+ trap in the Advance.
· 6 min read
The Elephant Trap: how 6.Nxd5?? loses a piece in the QGDThe Elephant Trap in the Queen’s Gambit Declined, move by move: after 6.Nxd5?? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ Black wins a piece. Here is why it works and how to avoid it.
· 6 min read
The Lasker Trap: the Albin Countergambit's knight underpromotionHow 4.e3? loses the queen in the Albin Countergambit: the Lasker Trap move by move, why the pawn promotes to a knight, and how White avoids it.
· 6 min read
The Fishing Pole trap: mate down the h-file in the BerlinIn the Berlin Defence, 4…Ng4!? sets the bait: if White grabs the knight, the h-file opens and 8…Qh1# follows. The trap and how White avoids it.
· 6 min read
The Englund Gambit trap: checkmate in eight with Qc1#In the Englund Gambit (1.d4 e5) the natural 6.Bc3? loses to 6…Bb4!! and 8…Qc1#. The trap move by move, why it works and how White avoids it.
· 6 min read
The Blackburne Shilling Trap: checkmate in 7 moves in the Italian GameHow 4.Nxe5? gets mated after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!: the Blackburne Shilling trap move by move, and the right replies for White.
· 5 min read
The Sicilian Defence for beginnersWhat 1…c5 is really trying to do, the three main Open Sicilian lines and the anti-Sicilians you will meet at club level.
· 5 min read
Queen’s Gambit: accepted or declined?Why 1.d4 d5 2.c4 is not a real gambit, and what Black is aiming for with 2…dxc4, 2…e6, the Slav and the Albin Countergambit.
· 5 min read
The King’s Indian Defence: plans and pawn structuresThe King’s Indian set-up, when to strike with …e5 or …c5, the race after d5 and how to handle the Sämisch.
· 5 min read
The Italian Game: a practical guideThe ideas behind 3.Bc4: the Giuoco Piano with c3–d4 or the slow d3 plan, the Two Knights, the Fried Liver danger and the Evans Gambit.
· 5 min read
How to build an opening repertoirePick one first move as White, one answer to 1.e4 and one to 1.d4 as Black, and learn them deeply before adding anything else.
· 5 min read
Opening traps every club player should knowSix short opening traps, from Scholar’s mate to Légal’s trap and the Fried Liver, and the habits that keep you out of them.
· 6 min read
The London System in five ideasA chess opening you can play against almost anything: the five ideas behind the London System, its main move orders and the traps to avoid.
· 7 min read
How to learn opening theory without memorising itWhy lists of moves do not stick, and four steps that do: understand the idea, play it on the board, review with spaced repetition and test yourself.