5 Best Chess Opening Traps in the Queen’s Gambit

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In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov presents to you the 5 best chess opening traps in the Queen’s Gambit, which follows the move order 1.d4 d5 2.c4. The gambit (pawn sacrifice by White) when declined by Black with 2…e6, we arrive at the variation Queen’s Gambit Declined. In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov covers the traps for both continuations 2…dxc4, when Black accepts the gambit, and 2…e6, when Black declines the gambit.

Also, he shows the traps for both White’s and Black’s sides. Some of these traps are classical, which you may have seen already if you are a more advanced player and have used them to surprise your opponents.

And what is special about all these traps is that you can play them ‘freely’ – meaning that even if your opponent is smart enough not to fall into these traps, it won’t affect your position in any way. You can just continue playing normal moves, and the position would be balanced.

Spoiler alert: The fourth world chess champion, Alexander Alekhine, actually missed to see one of these traps.

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120 Comments

  1. If he can't capture on f7 with king then

  2. 2:00 you know black won't lose his rook but he has to sacrifice his knight…

  3. In the first trap, black can lose the knight instead of the rook by taking the knight to c6. Then the queen takes the knight and check the king, black's bishop defend, and now black's queen is defending the rook.

  4. I would say that some have more aptitude for chess, and learn from playing and trying out different moves

  5. I'm better at trapping myself than I am at trapping others

  6. At minute 5:24. Can you not save the queen (or at least do a queen's exchange) by sacrificing your knight with a move from D7 to C4?

  7. At 4:31, black does not need to take the bishop. What happens if …Kd8 or …Kf8?

  8. Wow. Awesome! I can't wait to use these tips. THANK YOU!

  9. At 4:07, what he makes the castle on the right side, i would've done the same if i was there ..

  10. Iv seen so many traps on YouTube. I have had people fallen for them……and I still LOSE!!!!!! But checkers isn't as mind stimulating

  11. This video really helped me. I just wanted to mention that for the first trap, I think there’s a way out of losing the rook as black. After Qf3, black can sacrifice the knight to save the rook. After Qxc6+, black plays Bd7.

  12. At the first example you don't loose the rook… you can simply block with the knight.

  13. whenever you show queens gambit lines, white plays e3 instead of e4. Why wouldnt white want to control the center as I thought that was the whole point of the gambit?

  14. Amazing traps. 😃👍

  15. I gotta watch this one a couple of more times

  16. after watching this video, I am winning 9/10 matches with Queens Gambit. Thanx Sir! You have my salute

  17. 1:55 hmm… what about Nc6, Qxc6+ Bd7. It blocks the check and opens up the queen at the same time. White got knight but it wasnt obvious to get the rook huh?

  18. Knight sac to save rook in first continuation

  19. 9:23 ‘Standard Queen’s Gambit Moves’ White normally won’t play Bd3 when playing the queen’s gambit, it just wastes a turn when the pawn takes, bishop takes.

  20. 12:13 instead of white bishop takes black bishop, white should take the pawns by pawns. In that case black bishop will have to retreat on next move

  21. What if black goes bishop e6 to defend the pawn on the first trap?

  22. At 6:20 I would just play pawn e6 to block the white bishop coming to F7 and follow up my attack with pawn B5

  23. 3:22 let's say black goes b6, so white Bf7+, then what, it seems nothing further white can do..

  24. At 58 years old I'm just starting my journey with chess. So much to learn. I already knew the basics, the names of the pieces, how they moved etc… But from there I was/am lost. It's addictive though, and every time I win a game it makes me want to play more. Even when I lose, I learn. Thanks for making these videos so I can continue to learn how to play better chess.

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