Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Benko Gambit 

(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5)

 

This opening has been around since the 1920s, but it took the analysis and 

play of grandmaster Pal Benko to make it an acceptable gambit.  In 1946 the 

Russians called it the Volga gambit.  Black sacrifices a pawn to get a slight lead 

in development and better pawn structure.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Na3 b4 5.Nc2 d6 6.e3 e6 7.Bd3 exd5 8.Qf3 Bg4 

9.Qf4 dxc4 10.Bxc4 d5 11.Qe5+ Be6 12.Bb5+ Nbd7 13.Bc6 Rc8 14.Bxd7+ 

Qxd7 15.Nf3 h6 16.O-O?? [16.b3 to allow the Queen to escape] 16…Bd6 

traps the Queen (J Reyes - Wall, San Antonio 1992)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.b3 bxc4 5.bxc4 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg6 8.Nf3?? 

[8.Rb1 should be played] 8…Nxe4 9.Nxe4 Bxa1 win the exchange (Puffy - 

Wall, Internet 1996)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nd2 Qa5 5.e4 Nxe4 6.b4 Qxb4 7.Rb1 Qc3 

8.Rxb5 Qd4 9.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 g6 11.Nf3 Bg7 [perhaps 11…d6 to 

provide an escape route for the Queen] 12.Bd3 Qg4 13.h3 Qxg2 14.Rh2, 

trapping the Queen (Dobosz - Massing, Goch 1991)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 bxc4 5.Nc3 g6 6.e4 d6 7.Bxc4 Bg7 8.e5 

dxe5 9.Nxe5 O-O 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Nc6 and White wins the e-pawn after 

11…Qe8 12.Re1 (Gokhale - Cadillon, Linares 1997)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 g6 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 d6 7.cxb5 a6 8.bxa6 

Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Ne4 10.Qc2? [10.Bd2] 10…Nxc3 11.Bd2 Qa4!  If 12.b3 Qe4 

and Black wins a piece. (Spassov - Adorjan, Sochi 1977)

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