Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Reti Opening 

(1.Nf3)

The actual Reti opening is 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4, popularized by Richard Reti  

(1889-1929).  Here are some traps starting with 1.Nf3

1.Nf3 Nc6 (usual is 1...Nf6 or 1...d5) 2.g3 e5 3.Bg2 e4 4.Nh4 d5 5.c4 g5, 

trapping the Knight (Shameson - Wall, Mt View, CA 1987)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 Bg4 5.Ne5 Bh5?? [Black should play 5…

Be6] 6.Qxh5!, winning the Bishop since 6…Nxh5 7.Bxf7 is mate (Deutsch 

- Konikowski, Vienna 1925)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 Bf5 4.cxd5 Nxd5? 5.e4 and if 5…Bxe4 6.Qa4+ wins 

the Bishop after 7.Qxe4 (Zaitsik - Zichulidze, Tiflis 1976)

1.Nf3 d5 2.d3 d4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 f5 5.e3 g6 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bc4 Nh6 8.Qb3 

e6 9.Bxe6 Bxe6 10.Qxe6+ Qe7 11.Qc8+ Kf7 12.Qxb7 Nd7 13.Qd5+ wins 

a Rook since 13…Kf6 14.Qxa8 Rxa8 15.Nd5+ forks Queen and King (Wall 

- X1000, Internet 1997)

1.Nf3 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Ng5 [not 3.Bb5+?? c6 and two pieces are hanging, 

Jecates - Wall, Internet 1996] 3…Bf5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Nc6 6.Ngxe4  

7.Nxf6+?? [perhaps 7.Qd3] 7…gxf6 8.Qd1 Nxc2+ and if 9.Ke2 Qd3 mate 

(Chamness - Almgren, Santa Barbara 1956)

1.Nf3 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Ng5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.Qe2 c6 6.Ngxe4 Nbd7?? 

[6.Nxe4 is correct] 7.Nd6 mate (Schroder - Blake, Brooklyn 1912)

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.c4 dxc4 5.Na3 e5 6.Nxe5 Bxa3 7.bxa3 Qd4  

8.Rb1 Qxe5, winning the knight (Ferrell - Wall, Dayton 1983)

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 e5 7.d3 Nh5 8.b4 

e4, winning a piece (Kapischka - Kupreichik, Germany 1992)

---