OPENING TRAP
Elephant Trap: White grabs a pawn and loses a piece for it
The Elephant Trap is a trap in the Queen's Gambit Declined. White grabs a pawn and loses a piece for it. Black is a piece for a pawn up after all the trades.
The moves
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Nxd5? Nxd5 7. Bxd8 Bb4+ 8. Qd2 Bxd2+ 9. Kxd2 Kxd8
- 1. d4 White starts with the queen’s pawn.
- 1... d5 You answer in the centre.
- 2. c4 The Queen’s Gambit.
- 2... e6 You decline it. Solid and sound.
- 3. Nc3 White develops.
- 3... Nf6 You develop too.
- 4. Bg5 White pins your knight to the queen. Or so it seems.
- 4... Nbd7 A quiet developing move. It also hides a trick.
- 5. cxd5 White takes the pawn.
- 5... exd5 You recapture. The pawn on d5 is bait.
- 6. Nxd5? White grabs the pawn. It thinks the knight on f6 is pinned and cannot recapture.
- 6... Nxd5 The knight takes anyway. The pin is not real, because White has no way to win the queen safely.
- 7. Bxd8 White takes the queen.
- 7... Bb4+ Check! Now White has to deal with the king before saving the bishop.
- 8. Qd2 White blocks with the queen.
- 8... Bxd2+ You take the queen with check.
- 9. Kxd2 White recaptures.
- 9... Kxd8 Your king takes the stranded bishop. You have won a piece for a pawn.
How to avoid it
As White, do not take on d5 with the knight. Play 6.e3 and keep developing.
Practise it
In Trap Academy you watch this lesson, then play the Black side yourself against the replies of the trap. This lesson is part of Skillwik Pro.
Add to Chrome — freeFrequently asked questions
What is the Elephant Trap?
- White grabs a pawn and loses a piece for it. It arises in the Queen's Gambit Declined. Black is a piece for a pawn up after all the trades.
How do you avoid the Elephant Trap?
- As White, do not take on d5 with the knight. Play 6.e3 and keep developing.