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Final position — White is winning

Vienna Game

Vienna Game: White Queen Trap

White wins in 9 moves with a decisive material gain. (Reichel - Knorr)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Kd8 7.Nh3 d6 8.Nxf2 Bxg4+ 9.Nxg4
1.e4e5
2.Nc3Nc6
3.Bc4Bc5
4.Qg4Qf6
5.Nd5Qxf2+
6.Kd1Kd8
7.Nh3d6
8.Nxf2Bxg4+
9.Nxg4

How the Vienna Game: White Queen Trap works

The Vienna Game: White Queen Trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Vienna Game. In this line White wins decisive material by move 9, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6 5.Nd5 Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Kd8 7.Nh3 d6 8.Nxf2 Bxg4+ 9.Nxg4. 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 (Reichel - Knorr). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as White or sidestep it as Black.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Vienna Game: White 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.

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