abcdefgh

Final position — Black is winning

Old Indian Defence

Old Indian Defence: White Queen Trap

Black wins in 11 moves with a decisive material gain. (Koukolik - Sykora, 1994)

The moves

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.Nf3 c6 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.Bxd8 Bb4+ 9.Nd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Nxd2 11.Kxd2 Kxd8
1.d4Nf6
2.c4d6
3.Nc3e5
4.dxe5dxe5
5.Bg5Nbd7
6.Nf3c6
7.Ne4Nxe4
8.Bxd8Bb4+
9.Nd2Bxd2+
10.Qxd2Nxd2
11.Kxd2Kxd8

How the Old Indian Defence: White Queen Trap works

The Old Indian Defence: White Queen Trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Old Indian Defence. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 11, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.Nf3 c6 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.Bxd8 Bb4+ 9.Nd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Nxd2 11.Kxd2 Kxd8. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — White walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (Koukolik - Sykora, 1994). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Old Indian Defence: White Queen Trap in the Trapsterapp to play it out on a live board, drill it in practice mode, and learn how to avoid it when it's set for you — along with the full library of chess traps and gambits, fully offline.

More Old Indian Defence traps

← Browse all chess traps