300 Winning Chess Traps by Irving Chernev . . . . Plus 700 by Wall . . .

I came back from San Diego and found my bedroom straightened out by my son. On my nightstand were a stack of books. One happened to be a red hardback chess book in excellent condition.

I took it and went to breakfast. I did a quick look at it and found it had many openings in alphabetical order. I read some and found they were 6 to 18 moves only. They were in descriptive chess notation. 

Wow. The title on the cover was,  "Winning Chess Traps, CHERNEV".

On the title page it said, "300 WAYS TO WIN IN THE OPENNING" by Irving Chernev.

Today I took it again to read at breakfast starting from the "forward" page.

I took the mailing sticker with my name on it off and peeked to see what I paid, $ 8.00 published by Chess Review copyright, 1946.

I thought I had given all my books away, but my son found this one and put it on my nightstand.

It has 95, 1. e4 e5,

               2. nf3 nc6 openings. 

               52 Ruy Lopez.

               3 Knights,

               4 knights,

               Scotch Gambits,

               Scotch Games,

               Guicco Pianos,

               Evans Gambits,

              Max Lange Attacks,

              Philidor Defense

              2 Knights defense,

               Ponziani Openings

and so many more.

Then it goes into 60 other e4 openings

and other than standard replies. 

It covers 80 traps for Queen openings mostly declined.

The D4 without a D5 reply.

At the end, one Reti and one English opening.

I scanned the back of the book at the alphabetical I found two entries in my hand writing, which I recognize but I don't remember doing.

I have never studied all these opening but now I will. Even though theses are not standard new used openings. Some come back into fashion. Even though players I will be playing won't know these, I will.

So watch out when you play me. I might just try one of these 300 short traps on you.

Ms Jenned: Yes . . 300 Traps just in the opennings.

Thanks for reading and comment.

300 traps. Ok? 

I love to study traps.  300 in one book just in openings  shows how dangerous chess can be right out of the starting gate!

Irving Chernev, along with Horowitz and Renfeild, was a chess gem.

Thanks.

For Blitz or Rapid? Here for online games members use Opening Explorer Database so the traps cannot work.

This whole book is 308 pages. Page one is trap # one. Page 300 has trap # 300.

In the "forward" it list the Master that beat other masters who were taken in by these traps. Even the World Champion have fallen for these traps.

Master that were walking Encyclopedia on opennings fell for the same traps that they sprung on other Master. Now, that is funny.

Here is the list that Chernev listed.

Capablanca Trap # 260. Reuben Fine fell for trap # 227. Burochow Sprung trap # 145 on Reuben Fine.

Akiba Rubenstein fell for trap #  222 sprung by Euwe.

Tartakover an authority on opening play was taken in by Reti with trap # 154 He also lost to trap # 170,

Speilman lost to Botvinnik to trap # 157. Sieberg Tarrasch was taken in by trap # 267. Euwe lost twice to Reti who used # 88 and #291. Marshall lost to trap # 18 to Steiner.

Grunfeld the walking encyclopedia on opennings lost to trap # 217 to Bogolyubov.

This is just a partial list of Master play traps. If all these can fall for them, how hard would it be for the mere mortal chess players that you all face all the time?

These traps average 14 moves at the most.

In OTB and Live Chess traps can be especially dangerous.   But traps aren't just to use hoping someone will stumble into them. They make good tactical weapons that one must consider before chosing or not chosing a move or a line of play.  They also highlight some not-so-apparent weakenesses in positions or repsonses.  So, even in cc games, a trap, or really the threat of a trap, can be an important element.

Like to know if it is a trap is better than fall into it. I understand. Thanks.

Pretty much.

I think that falling or not knowing is the same thing. I just tried setting an opening trap on a 1800 players and he didn't take the pawn. Now we are just playing a normal opening.

I set the same trap for a 1550 rated player and he took it. Now I have to see how he responds to save himself and not lose a piece or have his king side is broken up.

So, it's better to know traps and recognize them, than to fall into them for lack of knowlege.

Which game? Can you post the game.

I've got two books that I got for 50 cents apiece at Goodwill. Chess for Beginners, by I.A. Horowitz, and Chess Problems, by Lipton-Mathews-Rice. Both in descriptive.

Hi Ms Jenned

I would post the link to it, but the game is in progress and it in a tournament. Moves aren't allowed to be made or discussed about it. It seems like it takes two to three days for each move to be made.

I have made my fourth move and he has to make his fifth move. So it is waiting time. I will post the link after the seventh move is completed and show where the trap went. I will include the right sequence of move.

You can go to my profile and see which games I am playing and figure out which game it is. Please no comment about it though.

Sokolov fell into a trap vs Nunn at the Olympiad that 2 major GMs had already fallen into decades previously.

Hello BEWARE:

That is a nice set of rules. I will try to remember those. Besides knowing any traps and if the opponent doesn't fall into the hole, you must also know how to play the middle and endgame.

Hi Najdor:

Even those that are not mortal fall into the traps even thought they know them and some teach them. Sokolov joined many others, so he is in good company.

Thanks for the read and comment.

Hi Conflagration

I always look at beginners book. I find that is a great review and sometimes there is something I had forgotten in them.  I found descriptive notation made me have to think about the King and the Queen side and if I was on the black or white side. The Bishop files were harder to remember. 

Thanks for the comment.

Hello Batgirl.

This 300 traps. Each on a single page. It displays a diagram at the top of each page when the blunder is made. It could be the 5, 7 or 9th move. It shows at least half a dozes more moves, unless it a mate. 

Usually it might be a loss of a Queen, piece, a mate or a totally destroyed position.

Amongst the moves there are reference number 1, 2, 3 etc. It explains a quick reason for the move. In some it finishes the whole game, maybe 20 move.

There is so much clarity in Chernev style. It's one of the easiest books to read even though it is descriptive notation.

Thanks for adding responses and comments.

I have been to Batgirl's Blog writing site here on Chess.com. You have many traps in blocks  #1 through #8.

Here is the link all the members can click on.

http://blog.chess.com/batgirl/traps---pt-1

I went through some of them and I left a comment.

Bye for now

I just noticed the Chess Problems book sells online for up to $42.00.

Batgirl writes well and thank you for the link Mr Denverhigh.