Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Alapin’s Opening 

(1.e4 e5 2.Ne2)

Alapin’s Opening is an irregular opening, first analyzed by Carl Mayerhofer 

(1828-1913) in Schachzeitung, 1849.  It was later adopted by Semyon Alapin 

in the late 19

th

 century.  

1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Bc5 3.f4 Qf6 4.c3 Nc6 5.g3 Nh6 6.Bg2 Ng4 [threatening 7…

Bf2 mate] 7.Rf1? [White must play 8.d4] 7…Nxh2 8.fxe5?? [White must 

return the Rook to h1] 8…Qxf1+! 9.Bxf1 Nf3 mate (Manko - Jankowitz, 

Postal 1900)

1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.N1c3 Qa5 [4…Qc6?! 5.Ng3 g6?? 6.Bb5  

Wall - Nimoy, Internet 1997] 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Nb4 7.Bd2? [better is 7.Ng3] 

7…Bf5 8.Rc1 Bxc2 9.Rxc2 Nd3 mate (Unknown - Canal, Simultaneous 

Exhibition 1935)

1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nxf4 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 [another idea is 5…

Qh4+ 6.g3 Qe7] 6.Nd5 Qe5 7.N1c3 c6 8.d4 Qf5 9.Nxe4 [or 9.Nc7+] wins a 

piece since 9…cxd5 10.Nd6+ wins the Queen (Seibot - Luetz, St. Petersburg 

1902)

1.e4 e5 2.Ne2 Nf6 3.f4 exf4 4.d3 Nc5 5.fxe5 Nc6 6.d4? [perhaps 6.Bf4] 

6…Qh4+ 7.g3 Qe4 8.Rg1 Nxd4! 9.Qxd4 Qxc2 [threatening 9…Nd3+ and 

9…Qxc1] 10.Nf4 Qxc1+ 11.Ke2 Nb3! 12.axb3 Bc5, winning the Rook 

(Mouillaux - Matisson, French Postal 1985)

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