Trap · played as White

Sicilian: Nxe4 Fork Trap

In the c3-Sicilian, snatching the loose e4-pawn with 4...Nxe4?? runs into 5.Qa4+, a double attack that forks Black's king and stranded knight and wins it with 6.Qxe4.

A position this opening is aiming for.

You play
White
Variations covered
11
What it wins
Wins a piece

The main line

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 Nxe4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.Qxe4

How the trap springs

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 Nxe4 5.Qa4+ Qd7 6.Qxe4

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 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 Sicilian: Nxe4 Fork Trap