Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Larsen’s Opening 

(1.b3) 

This opening was analyzed and played by Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen 

in the 1960s and has become a respectable opening with a few traps. 

1.b3 b6 2.Bb2 Bb7 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.c4 Bd6 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.Bxe5 Ng4 

8.Bb2?? [perhaps 8.h4 is best to prevent the Queen from checking] 8…Bxg2! 

And if 9.Bxg2 Qh4+ 10.Kf1 Qf2 mate (Deiber - Delarge, Postal)

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.e3 O-O 6.Be2 c6 7.O-O b6 8.Qc2 

Bb7 9.Ng5 h6?? 10.Bxf6!, threatening the Queen and 11.Qh7 mate  (Wall - 

Johnson, North Carolina 1975)

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.f4 g6 5.g4 Bg7 6.Be2?? [6.g5 Nh5 7.Bxg7 is 

better] 6…Nxg4! Threatening 7…Qh4+ 8.Kf1 Qf2 mate; if 6…Bxg4 7.Bxb2 

wins the Rook (Johansen - Budde, Wuppertal 1986)

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.Nf3 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Be2 e6 6.c4 Bd6 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd5 

Qa5+ 9.Qd2?? Bb4 wins the Queen (Girard - Bruneau, France 1989)

1.b3 c5 2.Bb2 f6?! 3.e4 e5 4.Bxe5 fxe5 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qxe5+ Qe7 7.Qxh8 

Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Qxg2 9.Bf3 wins for White (Wall - Jennings, San Antonio 

1996)

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 d6 3.f4 e5 4.fxe5 dxe5 5.Bxe5 Ng4 6.Bg3 h5 7.h3?? [better 

is 7.Nf3] 7…Bd6!, threatening 8...Bxg3 mate.  If 8.Bxd6 Qh4+ 9.Bg3 Qxg3 

mate  (Shibut - Pugh, Philadelphia 1983)

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 d5 3.e3 e6 4.f4 g6 5.g4 Bg7 6.Be2 Nxg4 and if 7.Bxg7 Qh4+ 

8.Kf1 Qf2 mate  (Johansen - Budde, Germany 1986)

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