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Final position — Black is winning

Sicilian Defence

Sicilian Defence: Opening Trap (Salomonsen–Pallesen)

Black wins in 9 moves with a decisive material gain. (Salomonsen - Pallesen, 2003.??.??)

The moves

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 Qc7 7.O-O Nf6 8.f4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5
1.e4c5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.d4cxd4
4.Nxd4e6
5.Nc3a6
6.Be2Qc7
7.O-ONf6
8.f4Nxd4
9.Qxd4Bc5

How the Sicilian Defence: Opening Trap (Salomonsen–Pallesen) works

The Sicilian Defence: Opening Trap (Salomonsen–Pallesen) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Sicilian Defence. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 9, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 Qc7 7.O-O Nf6 8.f4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5. 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 (Salomonsen - Pallesen, 2003.??.??). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Sicilian Defence: Opening Trap (Salomonsen–Pallesen) 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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