Misplaced Pages

Sicilian Defence, Magnus Smith Trap

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Magnus Smith Trap)
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishoph8 black rooka7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawnh7 black pawnc6 black pawnd6 black pawnf6 black knightg6 black pawne5 white pawnc4 white bishopc3 white knighta2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white rookc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingh1 white rook8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 8.e5!

The Magnus Smith Trap is a chess opening trap in the Sicilian Defence, named after three-time Canadian chess champion Magnus Smith (1869–1934). In an article titled "The 'Magnus Smith Trap'" published in his Chess Notes column (hosted at the Chess History Center), chess historian Edward Winter wrote:

We believe that 'Magnus Smith Trap' is a misnomer, although in the Sicilian Defence there is a 'Magnus Smith Variation' (a very rare instance of a player's forename and surname being used jointly in openings terminology).

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The trap

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4

This is the Sozin Variation (or Fischer–Sozin Attack) of the Sicilian Defense. A common response is 6...e6, to make White's bishop on c4 "bite on granite".

6... g6?!

Black falls into the trap.

7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5! (diagram)

Black is in a bad way. After 8...Nh5?, Bobby Fischer gives 9.Qf3! e6 (9...d5 10.Nxd5!) 10.g4 Ng7 11.Ne4 Qa5+ (11...d5 12.Nf6+ Ke7 13.Qa3+) 12.Bd2 Qxe5 13.Bc3 and Black's queen is trapped. Preferable alternatives are 8...Ng4 9.e6 f5, and Black eventually managed to draw in Schlechter–Lasker, World Championship (1910), rd. 7, and 8...d5 9.exf6 dxc4 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Bg5 Be6 12.0-0-0+ Ke8, and Black ultimately even won in Rosen–Burn, Paris 1900.
The move Black actually chooses leads to instant disaster.

8... dxe5??

"Correct is 8...Ng4." — Fischer. White was clearly better in Suetin–Makarichev, Moscow 1983, after 9.Bf4 Bh6 (Sosonko; if 9...Qb6 then 10.Qf3+/−) 10.Bxh6 Nxh6 11.Qd2 Nf5 12.exd6 Nxd6 (if 12...Qxd6 then 13.0-0-0+/−; if 12...exd6 then 13.0-0-0 0-0 14.g4! Ne7 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6 Bxg4 17.Re1!+/− Makarichev) 13.0-0-0 Qc7 (if 13...Bb7!? then 14.Qf4 intending Ne4; Makarichev) 14.Qf4 0-0 15.Ne4 (Nunn).

9. Bxf7+ +−

White wins Black's queen after 9...Kxf7 10.Qxd8.

References

  1. Winter, Edward. "The 'Magnus Smith Trap'". Chesshistory.com.
  2. Fischer, Bobby (1969). "§13 Fischer–Gligoric, Candidates' Tournament 1959". My 60 Memorable Games. Simon and Schuster. p. 87. ISBN 0-671-21483-7.
  3. "Carl Schlechter vs. Emanuel Lasker, World Championship (7), Berlin 1910". Chessgames.com.
  4. "Leon Rosen vs. Amos Burn, Paris 1900". Chessgames.com.
  5. Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 3
  6. Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 4
  7. Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 5
  8. Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1997). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. B (3rd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant. p. 322, n. 1. ISBN 86-7297-032-2.

Bibliography

Category: