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Final position — Black is winning

Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez: Wins a Pawn (Wall–Flygare)

Black wins in 10 moves with a decisive material gain. (Wall - Flygare, Postal 1995)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Nf6 6.Nxe5 Nxe4 7.Re1 Qd4 8.d3 Qxf2+ 9.Kh1 Nf6 10.Ng4+
1.e4e5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.Bb5a6
4.Bxc6dxc6
5.O-ONf6
6.Nxe5Nxe4
7.Re1Qd4
8.d3Qxf2+
9.Kh1Nf6
10.Ng4+

How the Ruy Lopez: Wins a Pawn (Wall–Flygare) works

The Ruy Lopez: Wins a Pawn (Wall–Flygare) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Ruy Lopez. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 10, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Nf6 6.Nxe5 Nxe4 7.Re1 Qd4 8.d3 Qxf2+ 9.Kh1 Nf6 10.Ng4+. 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 (Wall - Flygare, Postal 1995). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Ruy Lopez: Wins a Pawn (Wall–Flygare) 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.

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