abcdefgh

Final position — White delivers mate

Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice & Mate (Moura–Mansa)

White wins in 8 moves by checkmate. (Moura - Mansa, Portugal 1993)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Na5 7.Nxe5 d6 8.Bxf7#
1.e4e5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.Bb5a6
4.Ba4Nge7
5.O-Ob5
6.Bb3Na5
7.Nxe5d6
8.Bxf7#

How the Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice & Mate (Moura–Mansa) works

The Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice & Mate (Moura–Mansa) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Ruy Lopez. In this line White delivers checkmate on move 8, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Na5 7.Nxe5 d6 8.Bxf7#. 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 (Moura - Mansa, Portugal 1993). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as White or sidestep it as Black.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice & Mate (Moura–Mansa) 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 Ruy Lopez traps

← Browse all chess traps