Trap · played as White
Caro-Kann: Réti–Tartakower Trap
After 4...Nf6 5.Qd3, Black's premature 5...e5?? runs into 8.O-O-O and the crushing 9.Qd8+!! queen sacrifice mating by force; declining with 5...Nxe4 keeps Black safe but hands White an easy game.
A position this opening is aiming for.
- You play
- White
- Variations covered
- 11
- What it wins
- Checkmate
The main line
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qxe5 8.O-O-O Nxe4
How the trap springs
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qxe5 8.O-O-O Nxe4 9.Qd8+ Kxd8 10.Bg5+ Kc7
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
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qxe5
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qxe5
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Ng4 7.Nf3
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Nd5 7.Nf3
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qc7
- 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 Nxe4 6.Qxe4 Nd7 7.Nf3
…and 5 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: Réti–Tartakower Trap →