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Final position — White is winning

King's gambit

Kings Gambit - Queen Trap

White wins in 26 moves with a decisive material gain. (Traps - Chess Traps - Kings Gambit - Queen Trap - C33 - https://lichess.org/@/gambits2pieces)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 Bc5 5.d4 Bb6 6.Nf3 Qh6 7.g3 Qh3+ 8.Kf2 fxg3+ 9.hxg3 Qg4 10.Bxf7+ Kxf7 11.Ne5+ Kf8 12.Nxg4 d6 13.Ne3 Nf6 14.Rf1 Bg4 15.Nxg4 Nc6 16.Kg2 h5 17.Nxf6 gxf6 18.Rxf6+ Ke7 19.Bg5 Rag8 20.Rg6+ Kd7 21.Rxg8 Rxg8 22.Qxh5 Kc8 23.Qf7 Rh8 24.Na3 Nd8 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Rh1
1.e4e5
2.f4exf4
3.Bc4Qh4+
4.Kf1Bc5
5.d4Bb6
6.Nf3Qh6
7.g3Qh3+
8.Kf2fxg3+
9.hxg3Qg4
10.Bxf7+Kxf7
11.Ne5+Kf8
12.Nxg4d6
13.Ne3Nf6
14.Rf1Bg4
15.Nxg4Nc6
16.Kg2h5
17.Nxf6gxf6
18.Rxf6+Ke7
19.Bg5Rag8
20.Rg6+Kd7
21.Rxg8Rxg8
22.Qxh5Kc8
23.Qf7Rh8
24.Na3Nd8
25.Bxd8Rxd8
26.Rh1

How the Kings Gambit - Queen Trap works

The Kings Gambit - Queen Trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the King's gambit. In this line White wins decisive material by move 26, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 Bc5 5.d4 Bb6 6.Nf3 Qh6 7.g3 Qh3+ 8.Kf2 fxg3+ 9.hxg3 Qg4 10.Bxf7+ Kxf7 11.Ne5+ Kf8 12.Nxg4 d6 13.Ne3 Nf6 14.Rf1 Bg4 15.Nxg4 Nc6 16.Kg2 h5 17.Nxf6 gxf6 18.Rxf6+ Ke7 19.Bg5 Rag8 20.Rg6+ Kd7 21.Rxg8 Rxg8 22.Qxh5 Kc8 23.Qf7 Rh8 24.Na3 Nd8 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Rh1. 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 (Traps - Chess Traps - Kings Gambit - Queen Trap - C33 - https://lichess.org/@/gambits2pieces). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as White or sidestep it as Black.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Kings Gambit - 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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