Chess traps
The Blackburne Shilling Trap: Moves and Refutation
The Blackburne Shilling trap is an Italian Game trap after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4. If White takes 4.Nxe5 and then 5.Nxf7, Black's queen and knight win the rook and give a smothered mate on f3.
Examples
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Nxf7 Qxg2 6. Rf1 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Nf3#
After 4.Nxe5 Qg5, 5.Nxf7 is the greedy mistake. 5...Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3 is a smothered mate, since White's own pieces surround the king on e1.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. O-O
The refutation. 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O, and White is ahead in development with a better position. Black has spent two moves with a knight that has been traded off.
How the trap works
3...Nd4 leaves the e5 pawn undefended. If White takes with 4.Nxe5, Black plays 4...Qg5, attacking both the knight on e5 and the pawn on g2. If White continues greedily with 5.Nxf7, forking the queen and rook, Black takes 5...Qxg2, and after 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 the knight jumps to f3 for a smothered mate.
The name links the trap to the English master Joseph Henry Blackburne, and to the shilling stakes of casual games.
3...Nd4 is a dubious move
The trap only works if White plays badly. 3...Nd4 breaks a basic opening rule by moving the same piece twice and leaves e5 hanging. The simple 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O, or 4.O-O, gives White a clear advantage: the engine rates it at about a pawn for White.
Even 4.Nxe5 is a mistake against best play. After 4...Qg5, White should play 5.O-O or 5.Bxf7+, which avoids disaster, but Black then has good play. The real error is 5.Nxf7, which loses.
Why the natural move fails
5.Nxf7 forks the queen and rook, which looks winning. But it ignores Black's threats: the queen takes on g2 with a threat to the rook on h1, and after 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2, White's own queen, rook, bishop, and pawns block every escape square. Before forking, check what the opponent's queen is attacking.
Common questions
Should Black play 3...Nd4?
Not against a prepared opponent. It is a dubious move that gives White an easy advantage after 4.Nxd4 or 4.O-O. It wins only if White takes on e5 and then f7.
What is the best reply to 3...Nd4?
4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O is simple and strong. 4.O-O and 4.c3 are also good. The main thing is not to grab the e5 pawn and then the f7 pawn.
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