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Final position — Black is winning

Pirc Defence

Pirc Defence: Opening Trap #2

Black wins in 15 moves with a decisive material gain. (50 Opening Traps,Part 1 - The Brother of the Sicilian unpin - B00 - https://lichess.org/@/CHESSLUCAFD)

The moves

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.h3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Be6 9.Nd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 O-O 11.Be2 Re8 12.O-O Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Bxg5 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa6 Rxb2
1.e4d6
2.d4Nf6
3.Nc3e5
4.Nf3exd4
5.Qxd4a6
6.Bg5Be7
7.h3Nc6
8.Qd2Be6
9.Nd4Nxd4
10.Qxd4O-O
11.Be2Re8
12.O-ONxe4
13.Qxe4Bxg5
14.Qxb7Rb8
15.Qxa6Rxb2

How the Pirc Defence: Opening Trap #2 works

The Pirc Defence: Opening Trap #2 is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Pirc Defence. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 15, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.h3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Be6 9.Nd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 O-O 11.Be2 Re8 12.O-O Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Bxg5 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa6 Rxb2. 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 (50 Opening Traps,Part 1 - The Brother of the Sicilian unpin - B00 - https://lichess.org/@/CHESSLUCAFD). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Pirc Defence: Opening Trap #2 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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