Chess Opening: Lasker's Trap

A discussion of Lasker's Trap, which shows up in the Albin Countergambit to the Queen's Gambit. I had to use WinBoard for this lecture because PGNMentor does not allow me to promote my pawn to a knight. :-(

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• chess
• opening
• lecture
• pullin
• lasker
• trap
• albin
• countergambit

[OnlineChessLessons]

at 3:05 , the position seems very complicated if white simply let's black take the rook - ex. Bxb4 Qxh1 Nf3 Bg4 Nbd2 with Qe2 and Bg2 to follow to try to trap black's queen. Maybe black can get out of it by playing Bh3 instead of Bg4, but it still seems like white is going to get some solid compensation as black tries to get the queen out of the corner. Seems very unclear to me, How would you assess that variation?

[GreenCastleBlock]

@OnlineChessLessons That is an interesting idea, but White needs to unpin the Bishop to play Bg2, so it will take at least 3 moves to trap the Q. After 9...Nc6 White can't ignore the threat of ..Nxb4 since a following ..Nc2+ would force White's Q to leave f3. So 10.Bc3 Bg4 11.Nbd2 O-O-O 12.Kf2 (seems forced to guard f3) Nh6 and I can't see anything better than Bg2 trading queens, other moves seem to lose material.

I actually looked at 9.Bf8!? a la Marshall but 9...Qxh2! shuts that idea down.

[Jonathanheritage]

I would like to hear this other story for pawn e4 which you mention at the end of your video. Because of the en passant d4xe3 is it not just the same?

[GreenCastleBlock]

@Jonathanheritage Not at all! The immediate ..dxe3 is met by Qxd8+ and Bxe3 with a large White advantage. ...Bb4+ doesn't have much point, as after Bd2 a capture on e3 is not possible.

[GreenCastleBlock]

@jull23 Had you watched the video for 10 more seconds your question would have been answered.

[maxamix1]

nop, white pawn take (g7xNf6)

[mario10311]

At 7:13 with white to move, black looks good of course but what would be the response to white playing Qe4? just start trading pieces to continue black's advantage? or is there a more forcing move? I can't see it.

Thanks.

[GreenCastleBlock]

@zjdak11 Oh. Well Black just grabs the pawn on e3 then. Clearly with White's isolated e pawn and lack of activity Black should be OK.

[zjdak11]

@GreenCastleBlock how bout the other knight?

[GreenCastleBlock]

@zjdak11 it's pinned

[zjdak11]

at 1:32, can't you just move the other knight to f3 so you don't disturb the king?

[GreenCastleBlock]

@youshouldknowmee Watch the whole video plz. Coverage of Bd2 starts at 2:12.