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Final position — Black is winning

Queen's Gambit

Lasker trap

Black wins in 9 moves with a decisive material gain. (Traps 99% win - Lasker trap - D08 - https://lichess.org/@/MaxMalkov)

The moves

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.e3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4 exf2+ 7.Ke2 fxg1=N+ 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ 9.Kf2 Qxd1
1.d4d5
2.c4e5
3.dxe5d4
4.e3Bb4+
5.Bd2dxe3
6.Bxb4exf2+
7.Ke2fxg1=N+
8.Rxg1Bg4+
9.Kf2Qxd1

How the Lasker trap works

The Lasker trap is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Queen's Gambit. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 9, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.e3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4 exf2+ 7.Ke2 fxg1=N+ 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ 9.Kf2 Qxd1. 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 99% win - Lasker trap - D08 - https://lichess.org/@/MaxMalkov). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Lasker 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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