Final position — White is winning
Ruy Lopez: Black Queen Trap
White wins in 12 moves with a decisive material gain. (Hort - Zheliandinaov, Havana 1967)
The moves
| 1. | e4 | e5 |
| 2. | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3. | Bb5 | a6 |
| 4. | Bxc6 | dxc6 |
| 5. | O-O | f6 |
| 6. | d4 | exd4 |
| 7. | Nxd4 | c5 |
| 8. | Nb3 | Qxd1 |
| 9. | Rxd1 | Bd6 |
| 10. | Na5 | Bg4 |
| 11. | f3 | O-O-O |
| 12. | e5 |
How the Ruy Lopez: Black Queen Trap works
The Ruy Lopez: Black Queen Trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Ruy Lopez. In this line White wins decisive material by move 12, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.
The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd6 10.Na5 Bg4 11.f3 O-O-O 12.e5. 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 (Hort - Zheliandinaov, Havana 1967). 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: Black 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.