abcdefgh

Final position — White is winning

King's pawn opening

King's Pawn Opening: Opening Trap (Wall–Dangermouse)

White wins in 5 moves with a decisive material gain. (Wall - Dangermouse, Internet 1996)

The moves

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Ne4 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.f3
1.e4b6
2.d4Nf6
3.e5Ne4
4.Bd3Bb7
5.f3

How the King's Pawn Opening: Opening Trap (Wall–Dangermouse) works

The King's Pawn Opening: Opening Trap (Wall–Dangermouse) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the King's pawn opening. In this line White wins decisive material by move 5, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Ne4 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.f3. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — Black walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (Wall - Dangermouse, Internet 1996). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as White or sidestep it as Black.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the King's Pawn Opening: Opening Trap (Wall–Dangermouse) 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 King's pawn opening traps

← Browse all chess traps