Opening Traps

The 10 Training Questions

GM Susan Polgar

Question 1.

White to play.

Can you find the winning

combination for White?

Question 2.

White to play.

How can White win from here?

1
Question 3.

White to play.

How should White continue in

this typical Sicilian position?

Question 4.

White to play.

White has a very nice tactical

shot.

Can you find it?

2
Question 5.

White to play.

Can you see how to win

material?

Question 6.

White to play.

A piece down, how does

White win from this position?

3
Question 7.

White to play.

Black is 2 pawns up and

threatening the Rook on a1.

What should White do?

Question 8.

Black to play.

White just played Nxf7 forking

Queen and Rook.

What should Black do about it?

4
Question 9.

Black to play.

How does Black finish the game?

Question 10.

White to play.

How can White win material?

5
 The Solutions

1 1.axb4! Qxa1+ 2.Kd2 Qxh1 3.Qxc6+!! bxc6 4.Ba6 mate.

2 With the sacrifice 1.Nxe5! Bxd1 2.Bxf7+ Ke7 3.Bxg8!! and now if 3…dxe5 4.Bg5+
Ke8 5.Bxd8 Kxd8 6.Rxd1 Rxg8 7.Ke2 with an endgame advantage, or 3…h6
4.Nf7 Qe8 5.Nxh8 and White is better.

3 1.Bxe6! fxe6 2.Nxe6 Qd7 3.Nxg7+ Kf7 4.Nf5 gives White 3 pawns for a piece
plus a promising attack.

4 "1.Bxf7+! Kxf7 2.Nxe5+ and all King moves are bad. 2…Ke8 3.Qh5+ Ke7 4.Qf7+
Kd6 5.Nc4+ leads to mate. 2…Ke7 3.Ng6+ wins the Rook. 2…Kf6 3.Nc3! Kxe5
4.Qd5+ Kf6 5.Qf5+ Ke7 6.Nd5+ Kd6 7.Bf4 Kc6 8.Qe6 Bd6 9.Nb4 Kb5 10.a4 Ka5
(…Kxb4 11.Qb3+ Kc5 12.Qb5+ Kd4 13.Qd5 mate) 11.Bd2! and the attack is
decisive. Black will be mated or suffer heavy material losses."

5 1.Nxe5 dxe5 2.Bxf7+! Kxf7 3.Qxd8 Bb4+ 4.Qd2 Bxd2+ 5.Nxd2 wins a pawn.

6 1.Qxd4!! Nxd4 2.Nf6+ Kf8 3.Bh6 mate,

7 The best move is 1.Qb3! attacking the Bishop and f7 pawn. 1…Bxa1 2.Bxf7+
Kf8 3.Bg5 Ne7 4.Ne5 Bxd4 5.Bg6! and White is winning.

8 The amazing sacrifice 1…hxg3!! 2.Nxd8 Bg4! 3.Qd2 Nd4 with the mating idea
4…Nf3+ 5.gxf3 Bxf3 and White can’t stop the mate on h1.

9 Mate in 2 with 1…Rxh3+! 2.gxh3 Bf3 mate.

10 With 1.Bxe7+ Nxe7 2.Nb6!! and Black can’t save the Rook because of mate
after 2…Qxd1+ 3.Rxd1 Rb8 4.Rd8 mate. Best is 2…Be6 3.Nxb8 Qxb8 and White
is clearly better.