DAY 257 Boomerang Trap

A faulty trap may boomerang. But only if the would-be victim is awake.

Sergey Tegai White
Dmitry Hegai Black
Krasnoyarsk 2011
Center Counter Defense B01

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 xd5 3 c3 d6 4 d4 f6 5 d3

This sets the first of many traps (5...xd4?? 6 b5+ costs the queen).

5...c6! 6 ge2 e5

Good for Black is 7 dxe5 xe5, intending 8...xd3+.

7 0-0! xd4

White gets his pawn back after 7...exd4 8 b5 d8 9 exd4 (9...xd4 10 xd4 xd4?? 11 b5+). But 9 f4 may be even better.

8 xd4 xd4! 9 b5 d8 10 e1 c6 11 xe5+ e6?

illustration

Black would equalize after 11...e7 but prefers to set a trap.

12 d4?? xd4!

White probably expected 12...d6 12 f4. For example, 12...0-0-0 13 xe6 and he is better.

13 xe6+ fxe6! 14 g6+ hxg6 15 xd4 d8! White resigns.

White missed 16 c3 d1+ mates.

But the trap should have boomeranged after 12 f4!, which threatens 13 c7+ xc7 14 xe6+ and 15 xc7.

White would be clearly superior after 12…e7 13 xe6 fxe6 14 c7+.

Question 287: What would happen after 12...cxb5 13 xb5+ d7 ?

Igor Vakhlamov White
Pavel Ponkratov Black
Moscow 2016

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 xd5 3 c3 d6 4 d4 f6 5 d3 c6 6 ge2 g4!? 7 f3 h5 8 f4 d7 9 d2 b4 10 c4 g6 11 b3 e6 12 g4 0-0-0 13 0-0-0 c6 14 a3 bd5 15 g5 xc3 16 xc3 b5 17 e3 d5 18 d2? d6! 19 a2 c6 20 c3 a5 21 h4 xa3! 22 xd5 xd5 23 bxa3 b6 White resigns.