A Grand Prix trap

Since I started using the Grand Prix against the Sicilian this is something that comes up from time to time as white.

I can't recite squares from memory, but the gist is the Queen moves up to form a battery in front of my rook. I then offer a pawn exchange that leads to their knight being attacked and pinned due to a mating threat. It's not much of a trap for higher rated players but it works on occasion and sometimes leads to strong threats.

Question for the skilled players, is it sound or is it actually weak? How about the rest of my choices in this game? I'm white.

I doubt Qf3 is such a great move,I'd play Be3.But if black plays on autopilot (Be7),and I can see myself doing just that,it works ok.

Depending on the opposition I reckon it's worth a shot.Good trap 🙂

toet.

Grand Prix is general is weak. It's playable, but isn't really a great opening.

Originally posted by range blasts
Grand Prix is general is weak. It's playable, but isn't really a great opening.

Who cares whether the opening is any good or not? Can't you just hear those engines revving? (Btw, how did it get that name? )

Originally posted by Mad Rook
Who cares whether the opening is any good or not? Can't you just hear those engines revving? (Btw, how did it get that name? )

"The sequence where White counters the Sicilian with an early f4 received the name Grand Prix Attack when it was used with great success by players on the British weekend circuit in the 1970s. Though the line can be treated positionally in some variations with Bxc6 and play against Black's weakened pawn structure, it is usually thought of as an attacking line with f4-f5 the characteristic thrust."

-jeremysilman.com

Originally posted by cmsMaster
"The sequence where White counters the Sicilian with an early f4 received the name Grand Prix Attack when it was used with great success by players on the British weekend circuit in the 1970s. Though the line can be treated positionally in some variations with Bxc6 and play against Black's weakened pawn structure, it is usually thought of as an attacking line with f4-f5 the characteristic thrust."

-jeremysilman.com

Thanks!

Isn't their a line where white sacs the queen? or black? lol

This is less a trap and more just Black not appreciating the danger of tempo in the Sicilian.

The GPA is very effective vs a certain level of opposition and pretty harmless against a well prepared player - largely because White does nothing to camouflage their intentions and therefore Black gets enough information to stymie the attack. Sort of like systems where White plays an early Bc4-


The GPA is more effective when mixed into a repertoire with either the Closed Sicilian or Nc3 style open Sicilians. The use of transpositions get White a lot better play.