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Final position — Black is winning

Vienna Game

Vienna Game: Opening Trap

Black wins in 11 moves with a decisive material gain. (Bluemich - Svenson, 1910.??.??)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Bxf4 f5 8.Kd3 Qe7 9.Qd2 fxe4+ 10.Nxe4 Bf5 11.Re1 Nf6
1.e4e5
2.Nc3Nc6
3.f4exf4
4.d4Qh4+
5.Ke2d6
6.Nf3Bg4
7.Bxf4f5
8.Kd3Qe7
9.Qd2fxe4+
10.Nxe4Bf5
11.Re1Nf6

How the Vienna Game: Opening Trap works

The Vienna Game: Opening Trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Vienna Game. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 11, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Bxf4 f5 8.Kd3 Qe7 9.Qd2 fxe4+ 10.Nxe4 Bf5 11.Re1 Nf6. 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 (Bluemich - Svenson, 1910.??.??). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Vienna Game: Opening 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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