Lasker Trap

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Position after 5...dxe3

The Lasker Trap is a chess opening trap in the Albin Countergambit, named after Emanuel Lasker, although it was first noted by Serafino Dubois Harv|Hooper|Whyld|1996|p=219. [Harvnb|Hooper|Whyld|1996 say that Dubois pointed out the trap in 1872 (p. 219). Although they don't specify where Dubois published the trap, it could refer to the three-volume work on the openings that Dubois published from 1868 to 1873 (p.116). Elsewhere they state that the Albin Counter-gambit was not introduced until 1881 (p. 6), which seems to be a contradiction. It isn't clear if the trap discovery date 1872 should perhaps instead be 1882, or if 1881 was the tournament introduction of an opening that had been published in 1872 or earlier.] It is unusual in that it features an underpromotion as early as the 7th move.

The Albin Countergambit begins with the moves

:1. d4 d5:2. c4 e5:3. dxe5 d4

The Black pawn on d4 is stronger than it appears.

:4. e3?

Careless. Usual and better is 4.Nf3.

:4. ... Bb4+:5. Bd2 dxe3!

(See diagram.) Now White's best option is to accept doubled pawns with 6.fxe3.

:6. Bxb4??

Blundering into the Lasker Trap. In an 1899 consultation game in Moscow, Blumenfeld, Boyarkow, and Falk playing White against Lasker tried 6.Qa4+?, but Black wins after this move also. The game continued 6...Nc6 7.Bxb4 Qh4 8.Ne2 Qxf2+ 9.Kd1 Bg4 10.Nbc3 0-0-0+ 11.Bd6 cxd6 12.e6 fxe6 13.Kc1 Nf6 14.b4 d5 15.b5 Ne5 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Qc2 Nb4 18.Nd1+ Nxc2 19.Nxf2 Rd2 White resigns.

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Position after 7...fxg1(N)+!

The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (volume D) gives 6.fxe3 as the relatively best move. Black gets a slight advantage, but White has avoided the worst and can defend.

:6. ... exf2+

Now 7.Kxf2 would lose the queen to 7...Qxd1, so White must play 7.Ke2.

:7. Ke2 fxg1=N+!

Underpromotion is the key to the trap. Instead 7...fxg1=Q 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Rxg1 is OK for White. Now 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ wins White's queen, so the king must move again.

:8. Ke1 Qh4+

If White tries 9.g3 then the fork 9...Qe4+ wins the rook on h1.

:9. Kd2 Nc6

White is hopelessly lost. After 10.Bc3 Bg4 followed by 11...0-0-0+ is crushing.

Notes

References

*citation | last=Burgess | first=Graham | title=The Mammoth Book of Chess | publisher=Carroll & Graf | year=2000 | isbn=0-7867-0725-9
*citation | last1=Hooper | first1=David |authorlink1=David Vincent Hooper| last2=Whyld | first2=Kenneth | authorlink2=Kenneth Whyld | title=The Oxford Companion to Chess | edition=2 | publisher=Oxford University | year=1996 | isbn=0-19-280049-3
*citation | url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1380336 | title=Blumenfeld/Boyarkow/Falk vs Emanuel Lasker, Moscow 1899 | access-date=2008-01-24 (game score at chessgames.com)