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Final position — Black delivers mate

Two Knights Defence

Two Knights Defence: Back-Rank Mate (Yam–Wall) #2

Black wins in 8 moves by checkmate. (Yam - Wall, Internet 1996)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 Qh4 8.Nxh8 Qxf2#
1.e4e5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.Bc4Nf6
4.Ng5Bc5
5.Nxf7Bxf2+
6.Kxf2Nxe4+
7.Kg1Qh4
8.Nxh8Qf2#

How the Two Knights Defence: Back-Rank Mate (Yam–Wall) #2 works

The Two Knights Defence: Back-Rank Mate (Yam–Wall) #2 is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Two Knights Defence. In this line Black delivers checkmate on move 8, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 Qh4 8.Nxh8 Qxf2#. 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 (Yam - Wall, Internet 1996). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Two Knights Defence: Back-Rank Mate (Yam–Wall) #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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