Quick mates and traps

Last night while half asleep, I thought about posting a running forum of opening tricks and traps that group members have encountered. It is my hope that the group member who are beginners and intermediate players will gain a lot from such a forum, particularly opening fundamentals. I believe that a forum like this will improve everybody's play, and that will make us dangerous in team matches.

Ideally, your post should be from a game that you have played where either you used a cool trick, or you were the victim of a wicked trap in the opening. For the sake of time (we are all busy people), post the link to the game if possible.  Those of us who play a lot of speed chess should have a LOT to contribute here.  If you don't have a game like that, then post an interesting trap you know that's 15 moves or less. 

I'm looking forward to seeing 100% participation in this forum. This will be lots of fun! Let's see how it goes.

I will start.  I think this mates has an actual name.  I have played it in blitz plenty of time.  Anytime someone gives up a queen be skeptical.  You can see the alternate moves by hitting the "move list"

I am surprised at how many decent players that have fallen victim to this mate. http://www.chess.com/livechess/game.html?id=21437081

Yes, Pete, it does have a name. Legal's Trap. It is so old that I find it hard to believe chess players still fall for it. But not THIS group.

Very nice.  I like these traps....

This is one where I was a victim. Unfortunately, I played this on another chess website. Although I lost, this game inspired me to check out the Budapest Gambit (for Black) and the Tennison Gambit (for White). 

Quote of the year "I was, like most beginners, materialistic."  LOL  Chess imitates life!

I am enjoying and learning from this forum...keep it going

thanks

Good I am not the only addict here lol

Aphro we are gonna get you in on a team match!  Be ready soon!  :-)

This is a game I played at a local club in my area.  I was white, and I think it shows the importance of developing pieces early in the game.  ( The game is a little over 15 moves.  I hope that is not a problem)

Ha!  He (or she) must have been crazy lol... that was like Muzio Gambit with white already having control of f6!  lol.  I'm a King's Gambit player so I appreciated this baby a lot lol.

nice moves

Head Hunter I thought it would be helpful to post some opening principles. While I understand the need to recognize traps, I think if we study the endgame it would be better for our overall game.

”The most common error that chess teachers and players make is to spend the beginning of their chess lives memorizing opening variations with which they think they can win lots of quick games. There is nothing more tempting than learning to win fast; but this is a terrible mistake. If you memorize variations, you may do well in the short run, but over time you'll falter because you're not learning the heart of chess.”-Josh Waitzkin

In this group, I believe we should focus on taking our first steps to thinking about chess like a master. We are not learning how to trick a beginner.

1. Control the Center

The first principle is to control as much of the center of the chess board as possible. The key squares are d4, d5, e4 and e5. This will occur naturally for white with most openings, the two most common opening moves being the Queens pawn move to d4 or the Kings pawn move to e4.

2. Develop your Pieces

Moving your Queens or Kings pawn first then controls either d5 or e5, it also allows room for movement for the more major pieces. Bringing in to play the second principle of developing your major pieces, starting with your Knights followed by the Bishops. You may need to move another pawn to develop your Bishops fully.

Moving your Knights to either c3 or f3 will help protect your advanced pawn and also control more of the center of the board.

3. Castle Early

You should then Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the Kings side. This helps protect your King from attack and release the Rook into the center.

4. Connect your Rooks

Once you have Castled you should then move the Queen to allow your Rooks to connect and have free movement on the back rank. Move your Queen with caution though, as another principle in the opening is not to over expose your Queen.

5. Build a Solid Structure

Do not be tempted to attack until your pieces have been developed. Your aim in the chess opening is to build a solid structure from which you can then attack your opponent. By following these principles your chess pieces will have more freedom of movement and be less vulnerable to attack.

Lastly, whenever you have a principle that you want to use, you also want to think about how to prevent your opponent from using those ideas. So you want to develop while preventing your opponent from developing. You want to bring your king to safety while preventing your opponent from castling his king to safety. You want to control the center, while preventing your opponent from controlling the center. You want to move each piece of yours once, while trying to incite your opponent into moving as many pieces of his as many times as possible. This is how it works in chess

Leonard, you have great points. I think that 'trick' and 'tricky' are not correct words to use in this situation. In retrospect, maybe 'tactical' is the better word to use. Pardon my lack of Chessese...lol

Most, if not all of the current top level grand masters played a lot of gambits in their early careers. Fischer loved the Evans Gambit. Kasparov played Cochrane Gambit against Topolov! Nakamura and Morozevich both like the Albin Countergambit. Gambits are not only fun, but they also tend to help beginners learn in a practical way the principles of development, timing, and initiative. It is often said that "Chess is 99% tactics", and this applies to all phases of a given chess match.  Look at this quote from IM Jeremy Silman as he discusses training beginners:

TACTICAL TRAINING:

1) Expose the student to basic tactical motifs such as the weakness of f2/f7, backrank mates, pins, forks, etc.
2) Make him play gambits that highlight these patterns. For example, as White I endorse 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 when the student gains an appreciation for flash attacks against f7, the dangers of not castling quickly, and the usefulness of rapid development.

 

 

Head Hunter,looking @ your ranking I am almost embarrassed to debate the point with you...So let me start by bowing to your superior game...however, the problem of studying opening gambits vs the end game, it seems to me is...as the game progresses you move from a position of strength to weakness...now, if you know the opening principles & study the end game you come to position of strength... By studying each chess piece in isolation, you learn the power of empty space. The chess board possesses fascinating subtleties which only emerge over time.You learn the essence of the chess pieces because you study them in positions of reduced complexity. What is important is that you  learn the principles which govern all chess positions.

We might get in a little trouble (losing a pawn or two), but as the game progresses we become stronger and they become weaker because we are moving towards our area of comfort, the endgame, and they are leaving their memorized openings.

Well group, Leonard just volunteered to post running endgame forums ! Or maybe positional study forums.

Hey Leonard. There are a lot of big $$$ chess tournaments in Philly. A lot of my friends here in NJ travel down to them. Do you ever enter any of them?

Head_Hunter,

I just sent you an email (feel free to post it) I was a beat too slow. Imagine my surprise to read your quote after I sent it...lol

As far as gambling my religion forbids it.

Good threat guys But speaking of schoalrs mate lol avoid this trap!  lol  See the move list for other "bad move" examples.

 The title, "Cheap Trick Chad vs. Defensiveless Dan", had me chuckling well before I witnessed the example. Each post is great - I'm thoroughly enjoying studying well past my bedtime.  Thank you for ensuring that I don't become Defensiveless Diane! ^_^

OH MY GOD!!!