Trap · played as Black

Smith-Morra: Siberian Trap

In the Smith-Morra Accepted, 9...Nd4 hits the queen, and White's natural 10.Nxd4?? allows 10...Qh2 mate, the queen slipping in behind the pawn wall.

A position this opening is aiming for.

You play
Black
Variations covered
10
What it wins
Checkmate

The main line

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qe2 Ng4

How the trap springs

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.O-O Nf6 8.Qe2 Ng4 9.h3 Nd4 10.Nxd4 Qh2#

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 4 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 Smith-Morra: Siberian Trap