Learning chess by Traps and Zaps

~~robbie carrobie~~

Only Chess

17 Feb '11 15:58

~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
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17 Feb '11 15:582 edits
Normally in chess literature we are 'warned ', against learning traps, better to begin
at the endgame, it will yield the most benefit, as the game progresses, you will be
heading towards your area of strength etc etc 'Dont play traps, traps are bad!' It
struck me that nothing could be further from the truth, for a study of traps can yield
much good and what is more, they are fun! Learning chess should be fun, should it
not? Take for example this little beauty, from it we learn,

1. Ignoring development can be fatal
2. Pawn grabbing in the opening can be fatal
3. Ignoring the positional requirements can be fatal
4 Mating patterns
5. Strong and weak squares
6. Tactics (double attack)
7. Developing an initiative
8. Strong centre
9. Learning chess should be fun

EVENT ?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "14
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "14"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 {White develops and creates an initiative} Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 {A really dubious move! Black develops an already developed piece which can immediately be challenged. c3 is coming and the knight must move. d4 is coming and white is in good shape with a strong centre.} 4. Nxe5 {Gulp! an even more dubious move. White grabs a pawn and ignores the positional requirements. Please note whites position, he has an unprotected e and g pawn. His knight is also unprotected. The c pawn is weak being protected only by the queen, as is the f2 pawn, being protected only by the king.} Qg5 {a natural move, attacking the unprotected knight, attacking the unprotected g pawn. (double attack)} 5. Nxf7 {Ignoring the positional requirements!} Qxg2 6. Rf1 {Forced, otherwise Qxh1 is mate} Qxe4+ {picking up the unprotected e pawn with tempo.} 7. Be2 {Only move which avoids immediate mate} Nf3# {A beautiful smothered mating pattern to remember!} *

Thus in the space of seven simple moves, many excellent concepts can be gleaned.
Did i mention learning chess should be fun. . . . . . just saying 🙂
KnightStalker47
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17 Feb '11 16:47
Opening traps are fun at first, until you play the exact same game hundreds of times. I swear if someone falls for my Bxh7+ in the first 10 moves again Im going to lose it. Its like yeah, I won, but so what. I didnt even have to think.

I would much rather win a game with a struggle. Middlegames and endgames are where all the fun is at.
~~robbie carrobie~~
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17 Feb '11 16:59
Originally posted by KnightStalker47
Opening traps are fun at first, until you play the exact same game hundreds of times. I swear if someone falls for my Bxh7+ in the first 10 moves again Im going to lose it. Its like yeah, I won, but so what. I didnt even have to think.

I would much rather win a game with a struggle. Middlegames and endgames are where all the fun is at.
So your objecting to winning, interesting, but shhh, listen, ill tell you a secret, winning is fun, losing, no matter how 'deep and intellectual', our experience was, is not. Anything other than that is pretentious.
KnightStalker47
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17 Feb '11 17:13
Originally posted by robbie carrobie
So your objecting to winning, interesting, but shhh, listen, ill tell you a secret, winning is fun, losing, no matter how 'deep and intellectual', our experience was, is not. Anything other than that is pretentious.
Winning is fun, playing the exact same game dozens of times is not. You dont learn anything from it. As with most things in life the journey is more fulfilling than the goal you are trying to achieve. Or mabye Im just weird😕
tharkesh
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17 Feb '11 17:27
Originally posted by robbie carrobie
So your objecting to winning, interesting, but shhh, listen, ill tell you a secret, winning is fun, losing, no matter how 'deep and intellectual', our experience was, is not. Anything other than that is pretentious.
as much as i like the idea of the thread, the 'pretentious' part is going too far.

winning can be fun, but winning can feel really bad, too. loosing can be 'unfun', but it can also be a looooot of fun.

some weeks ago, i had a long discussion about the point, that chess is about winning. but it is actually not. not even the bare game. at least, as long, as you look at the rules of the game. there is no such rule as 'you must try to checkmate'. it is the question what you make out of the rules...

anyways, just in case you dont believe it, but people not always pretend, that chess is not about winning.
~~robbie carrobie~~
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17 Feb '11 18:22
Originally posted by KnightStalker47
Winning is fun, playing the exact same game dozens of times is not. You dont learn anything from it. As with most things in life the journey is more fulfilling than the goal you are trying to achieve. Or mabye Im just weird😕
Traps just dont happen, there are certain conditions that must be present for them to work, and we are interested in learning what those elements are. Why this should be lacking in any way, i cannot at present say. You play to win the game.
~~robbie carrobie~~
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17 Feb '11 18:31
Originally posted by tharkesh
as much as i like the idea of the thread, the 'pretentious' part is going too far.

winning can be fun, but winning can feel really bad, too. loosing can be 'unfun', but it can also be a looooot of fun.

some weeks ago, i had a long discussion about the point, that chess is about winning. but it is actually not. not even the bare game. at least, as long ...[text shortened]... case you dont believe it, but people not always pretend, that chess is not about winning.
I say its pretentious! Yes, there are many exciting games we play where we are on the edge, perhaps our opponent shall win, or perhaps we shall win and the result is in the balance, or perhaps there is a very instructive point to be gleaned, even though we lost, but i defy anyone to state that losing is fun, no way. It reminds me of a Nirvana song, smells like teen spirit, 'its fun to lose and to pretend'. The closest thing that one can state is that chess is a learning experience and that in sustaining many losses we learn, but to state that the process is fun, is akin to intellectual sadomasochism. You play to win the game.
~~robbie carrobie~~
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17 Feb '11 19:073 edits
time for another trap, a favourite. This one features the very instructive and
interesting element of containment of a trapped piece, weak squares, danger of a
premature attack, sealing entry points on a semi/open file, planning, development
of initiative,development with tempo.

EVENT ?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "23
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "23"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {Again we have certain elements present within the position, black has weak pawns on c7 (protected only by the queen), f7 (protected only be the king) and a pawn on g7 which is totally unprotected. In playing ...Bc5, black underestimates these positional weaknesses.} 4. Qg4 { Developing an initiative. If Qh5 then ...g6, if d3 then ...d6 with nothing special. Black has no good way to defend this position.} Qf6 {Again when we consider the elements of the position it is clear that black has serious dark squared weaknesses, the pawn on c7 and the queen on f6.} 5. Nd5 {attacking those weaknesses on c7 and f6} Qxf2+ {This looks really good, bit it must be noted the the white King is perfectly safe on d1} 6. Kd1 {After this move the white queen is actually trapped, there are no points of escape along the f file.} Kf8 {desperately trying to defend the weakness.} 7. Nh3 {a brilliant move, not only does it attack the queen with tempo, while developing a piece, it is heading for g5 where it will harmoniously work with the bishop on c4 and a rook on the f file in attacking the weakness on f7, defended only by the king.} Qd4 {attacking the undefended bishop on c4 and the weak pawn on e4 (weak because of the coming ...d6 and its defender must move)} 8. d3 {defends the bishop} d6 9. Qg3 {now white is threatening c3, but the queen can escape to f2, but whites next move prevents that.} Bxh3 10. Rf1 {A brilliant move, containing and entrapping the the dusky maiden.} Bb6 {black sees that c3 is coming and makes room for his queen.} 11. c3 Qc5 12. Be3 {with a huge plus for white} *

learning chess should be fun!
Porky1016
Tennessee
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17 Feb '11 21:06
I got caught in this trap but avoided mate although resigned a few moves later when all hope was lost. As white I couldn't make myself not grab that pawn then grab the other pawn and fork the rook and queen. What should white do because it seems a good plan for white initially? When black brings the queen out then trouble happens. Just asking and if it isn't sound for white then I will avoid it like the plague.
Thanks.
Porky1016
Tennessee
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17 Feb '11 21:10
Robbie, I am referring to the first trap you posted. Forgot that part.
greenpawn34
e4
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17 Feb '11 21:151 edit
One idea which is complex and interesting is to fall into the
Shilling Trap (that is the name of the first trap) and castle.

Invert Board PGN Comments

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 {I often sac on f7 now (4.Bxf7+) and play Nxe5+ in Blitz - it's very similiar to a Cochrane Gambit. See next game.} 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. O-O Qxe5 6. c3 {The fun begins. RHP stats show approx 50/50 here}

The Cochrane Gambit = 2 good pawns + uncastled King for a minor piece.

Invert Board PGN

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7
chesskid001
USA
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22 Dec '05
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17 Feb '11 21:57
I used the trap in the original post (Shilling's trap I think GP said it was) a few times in my younger days. Of course, I lost a game when white simply played Nxd4 and has a much better position.
greenpawn34
e4
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17 Feb '11 22:13
Yes of course 4.Nxd4 is fine for White.
It's a Birds Lopez without the Bishop out on a limb on b5.

The Birds Lopez.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Nxd4 exd4

The Shilling with 4.Nxd4

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxd4
greenpawn34
e4
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17 Feb '11 22:232 edits
The Second Trap
You started off well Robbie but here you strayed of course.

Opening Traps are the cartoons of the Chess world.
The pie in the face, the bucket of water over the head, the banana skin.

You cannot show a trap and leave it with "...with a huge plus for white."

Who wants to see a huge plus?
I can see a huge plus when I look at the Lucena position in a book on endings.

We want to see the man fall down a manhole with sac sac mate.

Also you failed to mention in this position after 7.Nh3

Black can play 7...h5!

Which is unclear. 8.Qg5 Qd4 and Be7.

If going for the trap is 4.Qg4 and Black falling into it is 4...Qf6 and 5...Qxf2
then Black has fallen into it and is wriggling big time.
It's not (IMO) a trap but very close to being a line of theory.

Traps and Zaps is a book by Pandolfini - I don't know if he has this in it.
Most likely yes. But I'd put it under Zaps and then show the following game.

Leave out the word 'trap'.
Here we can show a very instructive game feeding the reader
with ideas and at the same time amuse and entertain him.
(the fun bit about learning tactics from cartoons)

This is from a simul by Horowitz (White), USA 1940.

Invert Board PGN Comments

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Qg4 Qf6 5. Nd5 Qxf2+ 6. Kd1 Kf8 7. Nh3
Qd4 8. d3 Bb6 {White theatened c3 winning the Queen, this retreat gives her room.} 9. Rf1 Nf6 {This meets with a startling refutation. Now how many would play NxN. No boys. In the right circumstances a Knight on d5 is worth more than Rook, nay...worth more than a Queen.} 10. Rxf6 d6 {Taking the Rook allows Bh6+ and Qg7 mating} 11. Qxg7+ Kxg7 12. Bh6+ Kg8 13. Rg6+ hxg6 {It does not matter how Black recaptures...} 14. Nf6
~~robbie carrobie~~
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18 Feb '11 00:113 edits
Originally posted by Porky1016
Robbie, I am referring to the first trap you posted. Forgot that part.
In the first trap i would play an immediate c3 kicking the knight, if black takes the f3
knight i would simply take with the queen (development with tempo attacking f7) and
then play d4 (establishing a strong centre) with a good game. No materialistic pawn
grabbing! what's the point of dying with a belly full of pawns? See to the requirements
of the position and you will do well! Remember, Chess should be fun!

EVENT ?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "11
Invert Board PGN Headers Comments
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [PlyCount "11"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. c3 {every 1.e4 players dream, c3 with d4 to follow, with tempo, with a strong centre, dont get any better than that!} Nxf3+ 5. Qxf3 {Development with Tempo!} Nf6 6. d4 *

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Learning chess by Traps and Zaps