The Twopenny Trap

[FEN "r2q1rk1/4bppp/p1np1nb1/Pp2p3/4P1PN/2P4P/1PB1QP2/RNB1K2R b KQ - 0 1"]

1... Bxe4 {Black takes the pawn, both players are thinking they have trapped each other.} 2. Bxe4 Nxe4 3. Qxe4 {First sneaky. The c6 Knight hangs, Black has no time to take the h4 Knight. But both players saw...} 3... d5 4. Qg2 {This is the sly boots move White was counting on because after....} 4... Bxh4 5. g5 {White has Qg4 winning the trapped Bishop. End of White analysis.} 5... e4 {The moment White realised he had been led up the garden path around the rose tree and dumped into the pond. If 6.Qg4 Ne5 and White cannot play 7.Qxh4 Nf3+ wins the Queen.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6 {Not the best way to hold the e-pawn. Using a Queen, your best attacking piece to defend a pawn is just not good chess. However....} 3. c3 c6 4. d4 d6 5. Bg5 Qg6 6. Bh4 Qxe4+ {.....thanks to some careless play Black has picked up free of charge the White e-pawn.} 7. Qe2 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 exd4 9. Nxd4 {Black is OK here. 9..Be7 swap off White's active bits, castle, develop and see if he can nurse home the extra pawn.} 9... f6 {This in no good. Black plonked his Queen on f6 and it went unpunished, now a pawn goes to f6. This opens the door for Bh5+ g6 and Bxf6 hitting the h8 Rooks ideas.} 10. Nd2 Ne7 11. O-O a6 {Another pointless pawn move. Get the bits out in the opening, leave the pawns alone.} 12. Nc4 {Black is in trouble now. d6 is hanging with a check. Nb6 is in there as is that BH5+ and Bxf6 idea I mentioned a few moves back.} 12... Nd7 {See a threat, stop a threat, fall for an even bigger threat. This was played to stop Nb6. But it does give us a very picturesque finish.} 13. Nxd6+ Kd8 14. Ne6# {Check Knight mate.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. O-O {White ignores 3...h6 and carries on developing. Very sound strategy.} 5... h5 {Having stopped Ng5 Black now forgets why he played it and is perhaps thinking of playing Ng4. Not a good idea when one is lagging in the big D.} 6. Ng5 {Of course.} 6... d5 7. exd5 Na5 {We are getting close to the main line of the two Knights Defence. The big difference, and it is a massive difference is that White is 2 tempo up on the main line. 2 tempo up in 1.e4 e5 openings is always a huge plus.} 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Nxd7 10. d4 Be7 11. Nce4 f5 12. Ne6 Qc8 13. Nxg7+ Kd8 14. Ng5 {Not looking good is it? 14...Bxg5 15.Bxg5+ is a nightmare, don't go there. Black stop 15.Nf7 checkmate....} 14... Rf8 15. N5e6# {...but not this one.}

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qe5+ 4. Qe2 {Not a me move. I'd prefer 4.Be2 getting in Nf3 or d4 with a freebie tempo on the Queen, But White shows he knows a thing or two about tempo and goes his own instructive way.} 4... Nc6 {Better was Qxe2+ now we see White take over.} 5. Qxe5 Nxe5 6. Nb5 {There are time when you can make jolly with the rule of thumb about moving pieces twice in the opening to go stealing pawns, This is one of them.} 6... Kd8 {The Black King will not be castling in this game which is the concession White’s double Knight hop has bought. White, as will see, can still castle.} 7. d4 a6 {Not liking this. 7...Ng6 to stop Bf4 hangs on. The text losses a pawn which Black thinks he will be getting back tactically.} 8. dxe5 axb5 9. Bxb5 Ra5 {Pinning the Bishop to the e-pawn.} 10. a4 c6 {Now winning the e-pawn with a check?} 11. b4 {No.} 11... Ra7 {A clumsy retreat encouraging White to develop with more tempo gains.} 12. Bc4 b5 {Black is trying make the best of bad of bad job but he is getting in deeper and deeper and the hole in his boat is getting wider and wider.} 13. Be3 Ra8 14. Bxf7 bxa4 {At least Black has a protected passed pawn for his troubles, “…and with the Queens off not being able to castle is no big deal.”} 15. Bb6+ Kd7 16. O-O-O {Always castle, it might be mate.}