Trap · played as White

King's Gambit: the Qc6 Skewer

The Modern Defence 3...d5 gives the pawn back to free the position. After 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nc3 the queen is attacked and 5...Qc6?? picks the one square that loses her, 6.Bb5 pins the queen to the king.

A position this opening is aiming for.

You play
White
Variations covered
9
What it wins
Wins the queen

The main line

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nc3 Qc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Bxc6 Nxc6 8.O-O O-O-O

How the trap springs

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nc3 Qc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Bxc6 Nxc6 8.O-O O-O-O 9.d3

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 King's Gambit: the Qc6 Skewer