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Final position — White is winning

Benko Gambit

Benko Gambit: Opening Trap (Buggler–Guarisco)

White wins in 10 moves with a decisive material gain. (Buggler - Guarisco, 1987)

The moves

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 d6 6.e4 axb5 7.Bf4 b4 8.Nb5 Nxe4 9.Qe2 Nf6 10.Nxd6+
1.d4Nf6
2.c4c5
3.d5b5
4.cxb5a6
5.Nc3d6
6.e4axb5
7.Bf4b4
8.Nb5Nxe4
9.Qe2Nf6
10.Nxd6+

How the Benko Gambit: Opening Trap (Buggler–Guarisco) works

The Benko Gambit: Opening Trap (Buggler–Guarisco) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Benko Gambit. In this line White wins decisive material by move 10, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from Black.

The full sequence runs 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 d6 6.e4 axb5 7.Bf4 b4 8.Nb5 Nxe4 9.Qe2 Nf6 10.Nxd6+. 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 (Buggler - Guarisco, 1987). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as White or sidestep it as Black.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Benko Gambit: Opening Trap (Buggler–Guarisco) 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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