Siberian trap
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The Siberian trap is an opening trap and variant in the Morra Gambit , an opening in chess. It arises after the trains
1. e2 – e4 c7 – c5 The Sicilian Defense
2. d2 – d4 c5xd4
3. c2 – c3 d4xc3 The Morra Gambit
4. Nb1xc3 Nb8 – c6
5. Ng1 – f3 e7 – e6
6. Bf1 – c4 .
The trap is based on the fact that many players in the Morra Gambit with White dogmatically follow their standard setup (Nf3, Bc4, 0–0, De2, Rd1) without reacting flexibly to Black's moves.
Mostly 6.… Qd8 – c7 7. 0–0 Ng8 – f6 8. Qd1 – e2 ?! (White follows the standard setup, but the queen no longer defends the weak d4-square. 8. Nc3 – b5 is better than what the queen c7 attacks.) 8.… Nf6 – g4! (brings the threat Qc7xh2 # into play. At the moment the knight on f3 is still protecting the pawn on h2.) 9. h2 – h3 ?? (Tries to drive off the knight g4) 9.… Nc6 – d4! Attacks both the queen on e2 and the knight f3. After 10. h3xg4 Nd4xe2 + White has lost his queen and after 10. Qe2 – e3 Nd4xf3 + 11. Qe3xf3 mate follows:… Qc7 – h2 #.
Black can also play 6.… Ng8 – f6 and delay the queen move to c7. After 7. 0–0 Nf6xe4! 8. Nc3xe4 d7 – d5 the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4 are attacked. After the figure has been recovered, a position arises that is more favorable for Black. So White should play 7. Qd1 – e2 7.… Qd8 – c7 8. e4 – e5! .
variants
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After 6.… Qd8 – c7 7. 0–0 Ng8 – f6 , instead of 8. Qd1 – e2 ?! with 8. Nc3 – b5! continue what the black queen attacks on c7. After 8.… Qc7 – d8 the usual procedure for White follows with Qd1 – e2 followed by Rf1 – d1. The black queen is now in an unfavorable position. Hence 8… Qc7 – b8 9. e4 – e5! .
- After 9.… a7 – a6 White can win back his pawn and retains the initiative: 10. exf6 axb5 11. fxg7! Bf8xg7 12. Bc4xb5
- 9.… Nc6xe5? Now 10. Bf4 can ?! d6 11. Follow Rc1. After 11.… Bd7 Black can still defend himself. Hence 10. Nf3xe5 follows! And now
- 10.… a7 – a6 !? 11. Bc1 – f4! axb5 12. Bc4xb5 (threatens Ne5xd7) 12.… Qb8 – a7
- 13. Ne5 – c4 !? aims at the weak point d6
- 13. Ta1 – c1 !? Bc5 14. b4! Bxb4 15. Bg5!
- 10.… Qb8xe5 11. Rf1 – e1 The queen is now attacked, but has to guard the c7 square because the knight fork Nb5 – d7 + threatens. This is possible from b8 or c5:
- 11.… Qe5 – b8 12. Qd1 – d4! threatens to win the queen with Bc1 – f4.
- The natural 12… d7 – d6 loses after 13. Bc1 – f4 e6 – e5 The e5 pawn attacks the queen and bishop but cannot capture because he is tied to the king by the e1 rook. 14. Re1xe5 +! and no black defense is convincing:
- 14.… Bf8 – e7 15. Re1xe7 +!
- 14.… dxe5 15. Bf4xe5!
- 14.… Bc8 – e6 15. Bc4xe6! Be7 16. Bxf7 + Kxf7 17. Rxe7 + or 15.… dxe5 16. Bxe5 Qd8 17. Nc7 + with queen loss (17.… Ke7 and mate in two moves)
- Therefore Black has to make the creative move 12.… Nf6 – h5! Find. The simple 13th Qe5! wins material because Black cannot save his knight h5 and fend off the threatening fork Nc7 at the same time. Stronger is 13. Qd4 – h4 a7 – a6 14. Qh4xh5 axb5 15. Bc4xb5. Aim at point e6. Since the black d-pawn is tied to the king by the b5-bishop and the f-pawn by the queen, Re1xe6 + is threatened.
- The natural 12… d7 – d6 loses after 13. Bc1 – f4 e6 – e5 The e5 pawn attacks the queen and bishop but cannot capture because he is tied to the king by the e1 rook. 14. Re1xe5 +! and no black defense is convincing:
- 11.… Qe5 – c5 Now the c4 bishop is attacked. 12. Bc4 – f1!
- 12.… a7 – a6 Plans to sacrifice the queen. After 13. Bc1 – e3 Qc5 – c6 To “conquer” the queen is now favorable for Black: 14. Rc1? axb5! 15. Rxc6 bxc6 and Black has two pawns, a knight and a rook for the queen, which is sufficient compensation. So White should continue with 14. Nb5 – a7! Qc6 – c7 (14.… Rxa7 15. Bxa7 b5 16. a4 and White has a material and development advantage) 15. Ra1 – c1 Qc7 – d8 16. Qd1 – c2! Attacks the c8 bishop. 16.… Bb4 17. Nxc8 Bxe1 18. Bxb6! wins the lady. Alternatively, 18.Nd6 + is also possible, which is planning Rxe1.
- 12.… Nf6 – d5. After 13. Qxd5 Qxd5 14. Nc7 + Kd8 15. Nxd5 exd5 only pieces would be exchanged without any advantage for White. Hence 13. Bc1 – g5! (Now White threatens 14. Qxd4 Qxd5 15. Nc7 #. In addition, there is a threat of Ra1 – c1.)
- 13.… f7 – f6 14. Ra1 – c1 Qc5 – e7 The black queen now protects the king against the rook on e1 but blocks the entire kingside: neither of the two black bishops can move. White is now planning to conquer the queen with Bg5 – f4 – d6. 15. Bg5 – f4 Nd5xf4 16. Nb5 – c7 + Ke8 – f7 17. Nc7xa8 Rook win for the sacrificed bishop. 17.… Qe7 – d8 clears the way for bishop c8 again. 18. Qd1 – d4! Nf4 – d5 19. Bf1 – c4! attacks the knight. 19.… Bc8 – b4 20. Re1 – d1! Nd5 – b6 21. Bxe6! Kxe6 22. Nc7 + Kf7 23. Qxb4 d5 24. a4 After a4 – a5 Black's defense collapses completely.
- 13.… a7 – a6 14. Rc1 Qb6 15. Qxd5 axb5 16. Bxb5 White is now threatening Rxc8 +. The only two possibilities for Black are now:
- 16.… Bxd6 17. Rxe6! fxe6 18. Qxe6 + Kf8 19. Qf5 +! (19. Be7 + the queen wins) 19.… Ke8 (Kg8 20. Bc4 #) 20. Re1 + (20. Rxc8 + Bxd7 #) 20.… Be7 21. Rxe7 + Kd8 22. Rxd7 + Ke8 23. Rd8 #
- 16.… Qd6 17. Qc4! threatens Qxc8 + and Rxe6 +.
- 11.… Qe5 – b8 12. Qd1 – d4! threatens to win the queen with Bc1 – f4.
- 10.… a7 – a6 !? 11. Bc1 – f4! axb5 12. Bc4xb5 (threatens Ne5xd7) 12.… Qb8 – a7
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9.… Nf6 – g4 holds a draw after 10. Bc1 – f4! a7 – a6 (10.… Ng4xe5? 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Bc4xe6! dxe6 13. Ra1 – c1!) 11. Ne5 – d6 + Bf8xd6 12. exd6 . And now
- 12.… b7 – b5 13. Bc4 – d5 !! exd5 14. Re1 + Kf8 15.Ng5! Nh6 16. Re7 Qb6
- 12.… 0–0 13. h3! Nf6 14.Ne5! Sa5
Black can also play 6.… Ng8 – f6 and delay the queen move to c7. After 7. 0–0 Nf6xe4! 8. Nc3xe4 d7 – d5 the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4 are attacked. After the figure has been recovered, a position arises that is more favorable for Black. So White should play 7. Qd1 – e2 7.… Qd8 – c7 8. e4 – e5! .
- 8.… d5 !? 9. exf6 dxc4 10. Bg5! Nb4 (10.… e5? 11. 0–0–0!) 11. 0–0 Nd5 12. Rfd1! Bd7 13. b3!
- 8.… Ng4 9. Bf4
- 9.… d5 !? 10. Bb3!
- 10.… Sa5 ?! 11. 0–0 Nxb3 12. axb3 Bc5 13. b4!
- 10.… f6 ?? 11. Nxd5! exd5 12. exf6 +
- 10.… Be7 11. 0-0
- 11.… f6? 12. Nb5 Qb8 13. exf6! Qxf4 14. fxe7 Nce5 15. Nbd4 Kxe7 16. Rfe1 with an advantage for White
- 11.… 0–0 12. Tac1
- 10.… Bc5 11. 0–0 0–0 12. h3 Nf6!
- 9.… f6 10. Nd5 !? Qa5
- 9.… d5 !? 10. Bb3!
literature
Marc Esserman: Mayhem in the Morra , Quality Chess, 2012, ISBN 978-1-907982-20-0