Vienna Game, Würzburger Trap

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abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
d5 black pawn
e5 white pawn
e4 black knight
h4 black queen
c3 white knight
d3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
c1 white bishop
d1 white queen
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
5...Qh4+ "initiates 'Würzburger's Trap'." (Korn)

The Würzburger Trap is a chess opening trap in the Vienna Gambit. It was named around 1930 for German banker Max Würzburger.

The trap[edit]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4

White plays the Vienna Gambit.

3... d5

Thought to be the best reply.

4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3

White also has lines beginning 5.Qf3 (Steinitz) and 5.Nf3, but neither achieves an advantage.[1]

5... Qh4+?

Initiating the trap. Black has other choices 5...Bb4 and 5...Nxc3.[2]

6. g3 Nxg3 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nxd5 Bg4

8...Nxh1? 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 leads to advantage for White.[2]

9. Nf4

White can obtain the better game with 9.Bg2 Nxh1 (9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Qxe5+ 11.Kd1 Nxh1 12.Bf4 Qxb2 13.Qe4+ +− Hamann–Schvenkrantz, Germany 1965; 10...Qxf3 11.Bxf3 Nxa1 12.Nxc7+ Kd7 13.Nxa8 Bc5 14.Bxh1 Nc6 15.Bf4± Arhangel'skij–Popov, USSR 1958; Larsen)[3] 10.Nxc7+ Kd7 (10...Kd8 11.Nxa8 Nc6 12.d4 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Qxf3 14.Bxf3 Nxd4 15.Bg5+ Be7 16.Rd1+−; Larsen)[3] 11.Nxa8 Nc6.[2][4]

9... Bxf3 10. Nxh5 Bxd1 11. hxg3 Bxc2?

Black tries to win a pawn, but instead loses a piece.

12. b3

The black bishop on c2 is trapped; White will win it by playing Kd2 next turn.
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
e5 white pawn
h5 white knight
b3 white pawn
d3 white pawn
g3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
c2 black bishop
a1 white rook
c1 white bishop
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 12.b3. The bishop on c2 is lost.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Horowitz (1964), pp. 221–22
  2. ^ a b c Korn (1982), p. 105
  3. ^ a b Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1981). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. C (2nd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant. p. 145.
  4. ^ Horowitz (1964), p. 222

Bibliography

Further reading[edit]