Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Pirc Defense

 (1.e4 d6 or 1.e4 g6) 

The Pirc Defense was played in the late 19th century, but was revived by  

Yugoslav Grandmaster Vasja Pirc in the 1940s.  There are several traps. 

1.e4 d6 2.Bc4 Nd7 3.Nf3 g6 4.Ng5 (threatening 5.Bxf7 mate) 4...Nh6 

5.Bxf7+ Nxf7 6.Ne6, winning the Queen (Dadian - Doubrava, Kiev 1896 

and repeated in Cukierman - Unknown, Paris 1934)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Bc4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kf6  (6...Kf8 

7.Ne6+ wins the Queen) 7.Qf3 mate (Hamlisch - Unknown, Vienna 1992 

and repeated in Tal - Streicher, Riga 1950)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Nf3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7? [4…c6 or 4…Nf6] 5.dxe5 dxe5?? 

6.Qd5 threatening 7.Qxf7 mate.  6…Nh6 fails to 7.Bxh6 (BELLE - Van der 

Giessen, Netherlands 1978)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Be6?! 3.c3 Qd7 4.Bd3 Bg4 5.f3 Be6?? 6.d5 wins the Bishop  

(Wall - Erndog, Internet 1996)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nd7 5.Bc4 e5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Ke8 

8.Ne6 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ wins the Rook (Gross - Geiger, Germany 1990)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 c5 5.dxc5 Qa5 6.cxd6 Nxe4 7.Qd5 Nc5 

8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Qxc5 wins a piece (Callow - Powell, Internet 1995)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 Qe7 6.O-O g6 7.Bg5 e5 8.Nd5 

wins a piece (Wall - Stonewolf, Internet 1996)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bc4 c6 5.Nf3 b5 6.Nxb5 cxb5?? [Black should 

try 6…d5] 7.Bd5 wins the Rook (Wall - J. Reyes, San Antonio 1993)

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