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Final position — Black is winning

Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice (Wall–Soltz)

Black wins in 8 moves with a decisive material gain. (Wall - Soltz, San Antonio 1994)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 b5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qd5+
1.e4e5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.Bb5Nd4
4.Bc4b5
5.Bxf7+Kxf7
6.Nxd4exd4
7.Qh5+g6
8.Qd5+

How the Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice (Wall–Soltz) works

The Ruy Lopez: Bxf7 Sacrifice (Wall–Soltz) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Ruy Lopez. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 8, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 b5 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qd5+. 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 - Soltz, San Antonio 1994). 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: Bxf7 Sacrifice (Wall–Soltz) 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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