Trap · played as Black

Caro-Kann: the Ne5 Overreach

In the Exchange Caro-Kann, White pins with 5.Bb5 and then reaches for 6.Ne5 to make something of it. The knight is just hanging: 6...Nxe5 7.dxe5 Bxb5 leaves you a clean piece up.

A position this opening is aiming for.

You play
Black
Variations covered
9
What it wins
Wins a piece

The main line

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Ne5 Nxe5 7.dxe5 Bxb5 8.Nc3 Bc6

How the trap springs

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Ne5 Nxe5 7.dxe5 Bxb5 8.Nc3 Bc6

Traps are only worth knowing if somebody actually falls into them, so each one here was checked against what club players really play, not only against what an engine would.

Some of the variations

…and 3 more in the trainer.

Train it

ChessReflex drills the branch points where a line splits rather than making you replay it move by move, so a repertoire this size is a handful of decisions instead of hundreds of moves. Free, and no account needed to start.

Open Caro-Kann: the Ne5 Overreach