A trap in the Scotch Game

The Scotch Game is a great opening which any beginner could learn in order to avoid the complicated theory of the Ruy Lopez. It is not popular among master chess players but it should definitely be analyzed well through if one would like to get some tactful and interesting play.

Personally, the Scotch is one of my favorite openings because of its simplicity and the interesting middlegame and endgame positions which can arise. The main line of the Scotch Game goes as follows:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 Ne5 8. Be2 Qg6 9. O-O

In the main line after 7. Bc4 Black equalizes the position with ...Ne5. Instead of playing 7. Bc4 there is an interesting minor variation which has not yet been discussed in great depth, which is to play 7. Nd2?

This is an indirect trap that White wants to set for Black which is to win a pawn. By playing this move White takes away one defender of his d4-Knight leaving it open for Black to snatch. Although, if Black ignorantly captures the under-protected Knight with 7...Nxd4, White simply plays 8. e5!

Black has overlooked that 9. cxd4 Bxd4 10. Nc4 attacks Black’s Queen while also adding a second predator to Black’s d4-Bishop. The Knight’s placement from d2 to c4 has unveiled the file-power of White’s Queen. Black loses his dark-square Bishop.

With correct play, White should lose a pawn in this variation, since moving his Knight from b1 to d2 weakens White’s control over d4. After 8. e5, Black should give up the idea of 8...Qxe5? in favor of 8...Nc2+ . White takes the intruding Knight, 9. Qxc2, which allows Black to capture the King-pawn, 9...Qf6xe5. With careful play, Black should hold on to his additional pawn and get the advantage, but Black fell asleep at the board. Black cordially captures the e5-pawn, possibly never considering White’s reason for the sacrifice. If he had, he might have realized that White’s e4-e5 advance was not a sacrifice but a trap.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nd2 Nxd4 8. e5 { If Black captures with 8...Qxe5? then White plays 9. cxd4 winning a bishop. Blacks safest move instead of capturing the e5-pawn is to play 8...Nc2+. White is forced to capture with 9. Qxc2. } 8... Nc2+ 9. Qxc2 Qxe5 10. Nc4 Qe6 11. Be2 Bxe3 12. Nxe3

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