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Final position — Black is winning

Centre Game

Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1

Black wins in 52 moves with a decisive material gain. (Traps - Chess Traps - Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1 - C22 - https://lichess.org/@/gambits2pieces)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Ne5 6.Bb3 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bc5 8.Qxc5 Nd3+ 9.Ke2 Nxc5 10.e5 Ng4 11.Nf3 Nxb3 12.axb3 O-O 13.c4 d6 14.e6 Bxe6 15.Rd1 Re8 16.Kf1 a6 17.Nc3 Qc8 18.Bf4 Nf6 19.Nd4 Kh8 20.Re1 Qd7 21.Nxe6 Rxe6 22.Rxe6 Qxe6 23.Re1 Qf5 24.Be3 Qc2 25.Nd1 Qxb3 26.Kg1 Qxc4 27.Bd2 Qc2 28.Ba5 b6 29.Bc3 Ne4 30.g4 Nxc3 31.Nxc3 Qxb2 32.Nd1 Qd2 33.Rf1 a5 34.Ne3 a4 35.h4 a3 36.Kg2 a2 37.Kf3 a1=Q 38.Rxa1 Rxa1 39.g5 Ra3 40.Kg3 Ra2 41.Ng4 Qd3+ 42.Ne3 Qe4 43.g6 fxg6 44.Nd1 Ra4 45.Ne3 Qxh4+ 46.Kf3 Rf4+ 47.Ke2 Qxf2+ 48.Kd3 c5 49.Nc2 b5 50.Kc3 Rc4+ 51.Kd3 Qxc2+ 52.Ke3
1.e4e5
2.d4exd4
3.Qxd4Nc6
4.Qe3Nf6
5.Bc4Ne5
6.Bb3Bb4+
7.c3Bc5
8.Qxc5Nd3+
9.Ke2Nxc5
10.e5Ng4
11.Nf3Nxb3
12.axb3O-O
13.c4d6
14.e6Bxe6
15.Rd1Re8
16.Kf1a6
17.Nc3Qc8
18.Bf4Nf6
19.Nd4Kh8
20.Re1Qd7
21.Nxe6Rxe6
22.Rxe6Qxe6
23.Re1Qf5
24.Be3Qc2
25.Nd1Qxb3
26.Kg1Qxc4
27.Bd2Qc2
28.Ba5b6
29.Bc3Ne4
30.g4Nxc3
31.Nxc3Qxb2
32.Nd1Qd2
33.Rf1a5
34.Ne3a4
35.h4a3
36.Kg2a2
37.Kf3a1=Q
38.Rxa1Rxa1
39.g5Ra3
40.Kg3Ra2
41.Ng4Qd3+
42.Ne3Qe4
43.g6fxg6
44.Nd1Ra4
45.Ne3Qxh4+
46.Kf3Rf4+
47.Ke2Qxf2+
48.Kd3c5
49.Nc2b5
50.Kc3Rc4+
51.Kd3Qxc2+
52.Ke3

How the Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1 works

The Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1 is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Centre Game. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 52, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Ne5 6.Bb3 Bb4+ 7.c3 Bc5 8.Qxc5 Nd3+ 9.Ke2 Nxc5 10.e5 Ng4 11.Nf3 Nxb3 12.axb3 O-O 13.c4 d6 14.e6 Bxe6 15.Rd1 Re8 16.Kf1 a6 17.Nc3 Qc8 18.Bf4 Nf6 19.Nd4 Kh8 20.Re1 Qd7 21.Nxe6 Rxe6 22.Rxe6 Qxe6 23.Re1 Qf5 24.Be3 Qc2 25.Nd1 Qxb3 26.Kg1 Qxc4 27.Bd2 Qc2 28.Ba5 b6 29.Bc3 Ne4 30.g4 Nxc3 31.Nxc3 Qxb2 32.Nd1 Qd2 33.Rf1 a5 34.Ne3 a4 35.h4 a3 36.Kg2 a2 37.Kf3 a1=Q 38.Rxa1 Rxa1 39.g5 Ra3 40.Kg3 Ra2 41.Ng4 Qd3+ 42.Ne3 Qe4 43.g6 fxg6 44.Nd1 Ra4 45.Ne3 Qxh4+ 46.Kf3 Rf4+ 47.Ke2 Qxf2+ 48.Kd3 c5 49.Nc2 b5 50.Kc3 Rc4+ 51.Kd3 Qxc2+ 52.Ke3. 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 (Traps - Chess Traps - Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1 - C22 - https://lichess.org/@/gambits2pieces). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Danish Gambit Queen Trap 1 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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