Traps & tricks

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.

In the 4...Nd7 line, 5.Qe2 threatens 6.Nd6#; Black's natural 5...Ngf6?? allows it, while the correct 5...Ndf6 leaves White comfortably better.

After 5...Bg4 6.h3 Bh5, White plays 7.g4 — and Black's natural-looking 7...Nxg4?? sacrifice is unsound: 8.hxg4 Bxg4 leaves Black a piece down for two pawns with no attack. 7...Bg6 is the move.

Black's Dragon-style 6...g6 in the Fischer-Sozin lets White play 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5, when the natural 8...dxe5 loses the queen to 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxd8.

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.

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.

Meet the Fantasy Variation 3.f3 by striking with 3...e5. After 4.dxe5 the queen goes to b6 — not d6, which hangs to exd6 — and lines up with the bishop on c5 against f2. The natural 5.Bc4? already loses material.

Against the Fantasy Variation (3.f3), 4...e5! hits the center; White's greedy 5.dxe5?? loses to 5...Qh4+, when 6.Ke2 Qxe4+ or 6.g3 Qxe4+ wins by force.

In the Panov, 6...Bb4 pins the Nc3; White's natural 7.b3?? leaves the knight undefended, and 7...Bxc3+ 8.Bd2 Bxa1 wins knight and rook for the bishop.

Against the Fantasy (3.f3), 3...Qb6 hits b2 and d4 together. After 4.Nd2 e5, the natural grab 5.dxe5?? runs into 5...Bc5 — d4 has vanished, f2 is pinned, and the g1 knight is stuck. Note it needs 4.Nd2: against 4.Nc3 the same plan does not work.

White's Allgaier knight sac 5.Ng5 and 6.Nxf7+ overreaches — after ...Kxf7 Black returns the pawns and keeps a whole piece; the sound 5.Ne5 only draws.

In the Salvio Gambit White's greedy 7.Nxf7 (or any capture on f7/g4) runs into ...Nxf7 and drops a piece; only the retreat 7.d4 and 8.Nd3 holds equality.

White snatches the e5 pawn with 9.Nxe5?; 9...Nxe4! unveils the g7-bishop and hits the c3-knight, and a knight retreat runs into ...Nxc3 and ...Bxc3+ winning the a1-rook.

In the Samisch, 8.Qd2 Qh4+ 9.g3 invites 9...Nxg3!; the natural 10.hxg3 opens the h-file for 10...Qxh1, winning the rook, and declining still drops the f1-bishop.

4...Bh4+ looks like a free hit — it drives your king to f1. But the bishop now stands on h4 attacked by the knight on f3, and 5...Nf6?? loses it to 6.Nxh4. The most-played mistake anyone makes against this opening.

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.

Against 3...g5 you play 4.h4 and the g5 pawn is already loose. 4...h6 defends it — but 5.hxg5 hxg5?? forgets that the h-file opens with a rook staring down it. 6.Rxh8 wins a rook, and often a second one on f8.