Page 3 700 Opening Traps

 Page 59

          

Page 58

700 Opening Traps

Bill Wall

Nimzo-Indian Defense 

(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4)

This is one of Black’s most active and soundest defenses against the Queen 

Pawn.  

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 [3…b6 4.e4 Bb4 5.Bd3 d6?? 6.Qa4+ wins the 

bishop, Buchanan - Rojas, Boulder 1982] 4.Qb3 c5 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nf3 Ne4 

7.Bd2 Nxd2 8.Nxd2 Qa5 9.O-O-O?? [better is 9.e3] 9…Nd4 10.Qa4 Bxc3 

wins the Knight (Hansen - Jensen, Denmark 1945)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qb3 Qe7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 d5 

8.b3 c5 9.dxc5?? [time to play 9.Bb2] 9…Qf6 threatening 10…Qxa1 and 

10…Qxf2 mate (Foley - Wall, Dayton 1982)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bg5 e5 7.d5 Ne7?? [best 

is 7…Bxc3+] 8.Qa4+ wins the Bishop (Reggi - Ciric, Reggio Emilia 1975)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Ne2 Ba6 6.Ng3 d5?? [6…O-O is 

good] 7.Qa4+ wins the Bishop (Timman - Cosulich, Venice 1974)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.g3 c5 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Ne4 7.Qc2 Qa5 

8.Nb3?? [White should play 8.Nb5] 8…Qf5 threatening 9…Qxf2+ (Van_

Mil - Witt, Amsterdam)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 c5 5.e3 Qa5 6.Rc1? [6.Bxf6 should now 

be played] 6…Ne4 7.Nf3 Nxg5 8.Nxg5 cxd4 threatening 9…Qxg5 (Layne 

- Zwaig, Reykjavik 1975)