Légal Trap
Italian Game · intermediate · set by White
A real queen sacrifice — if Black greedily takes it, two minor pieces deliver mate.
Black pins White's knight to the queen with ...Bg4, expecting White to worry about the pin. Instead White ignores it entirely and plays Nxe5, offering the queen. If Black grabs it with Bxd1, White's bishop and both knights combine for forced mate in two. The pin was never real — the knight was defended by tactics Black didn't see. The safe response is to recapture the knight with ...Nxe5 instead of taking the queen.
Move by move
- 1. e4: Opens the center.
- 1... e5: Standard reply.
- 2. Nf3: Develops, attacking Black's e5-pawn.
- 2... Nc6: Defends the pawn and develops.
- 3. Bc4: Develops toward the weak f7 square.
- 3... d6: Solid, but slightly passive — opens the bishop.
- 4. Nc3: Develops the last minor piece before castling.
- 4... Bg4: Pins the knight to the queen — looks strong, but the pin isn't as real as it seems.
- 5. h3: Challenges the bishop pinning the knight.
- 5... Bh5: Keeps the pin alive, expecting White to worry about it — the losing choice.
- 6. Nxe5: White ignores the 'pin' completely and offers the knight — the point of the whole combination.
- 6... Bxd1 (the mistake): Grabbing the queen looks completely winning — it isn't. This is the critical mistake.
- 7. Bxf7+: The bishop grabs f7 with check, forcing the king out.
- 7... Ke7: Forced — the king has nowhere else to go.
- 8. Nd5#: The knight delivers checkmate, completing the combination White set up moves earlier.
Safe instead: Nxe5