My Coach fell for this Sneaky Opening Trap

You might say, well hold on Chess Gaffer, what about IM Eric Rosen, the King of “Oh no my Queen”. His openings seem to work.

When I say opening trap, I’m referring to gambit lines, or other questionable openings. Think scholars’ mate, the Grob, Fried Liver, or even the Albin counter-gambit. And, I’m not saying you shouldn’t play them at all.

They’re worth exploring and learning from so you don’t fall for the trap later, and they are a good way to test your ability to keep the initiative.

But there is one opening trap that stays close to my heart...

I used to have a coach at 1500 FIDE. He taught me system openings (boring) to ensure I made it to the middlegame to learn how to make a plan, and how to spot tactics motifs during a game.

Essentially, ensuring I survived the opening phase so I could learn and have the chance to be exposed to more middlegame concepts.

The problem with system openings is that they often lack traps. My coach had me playing the Torre Attack—a solid opening with plans to play for either the centre or queenside.

I could never seem to beat him in the middlegame. I would make a positional mistake or tactical oversight. It was frustrating. I felt like I was not improving but was constantly getting crushed in different ways. Then one day, I came across this trick.

I decided to try it. Worst-case scenario, he laughs at my face for attempting the trap. But it worked! He fell for it. I was ecstatic. I finally got a rook up in a middlegame.

As the good sport he was, he kept playing on. His mentality – I would eventually blunder again.

During the game, he was called to leave and tried to make an excuse that the game wouldn’t count. “That’s not fair.” I pleaded, and he returned to his seat, but with a clock in his hands and a new grin.

“5 minutes is all you got” as he thudded the mechanical clock beside the board.

This was a unique experience for me. I never played with a clock before, but I got the hang of it quickly. Make a move, press the button. Just be quick. 3 minutes later, checkmate. No mercy.

This was the first time I had beaten my chess coach. After reviewing the game, he confessed he didn’t know the opening trap and thanked me for teaching him something. A memory I will always keep.

I gave it some time before trying the same trap again, but this time I was not as lucky. A few moves later, I was swiftly put back in place. This time, he did chuckle at my mischievous 2nd attempt. It goes to show that it will not work every time.

Thank you for reading. I’m curious what’s your favourite opening trap, and who did you get with it?

Let me know in the comments below.

See you next time.

Chess Gaffer