It's definitely not advisable to play for traps in this game, so this is just for fun. I'm mentioning this one since I discovered/developed it myself (although the move has been played before) with a bit of creativity and I find it quite aesthetically appealing. It's also kind of a poetic opening trick in that it mostly targets book monkeys, if not only because it's in the gruenfeld. I think a strong creative player would see it's quite a dangerous idea for white, yet the 3 opponents I've played it against have all just fallen right into it without thinking for more than a second or two. Probably with a thought process along the lines of: "Hmm. This isn't theory. Oh he hung a pawn. Chomp!"

So here is the starting position:



You can arrive at this position via a ton of different transpositions. If your opponent wants to play the gruenfeld and you fianchetto kingside - you'll get this position. One possible line is: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nc3 Nb6

So the idea?

9. a4

At this point it would be a good idea to wait for a second or two and ask for a takeback which will inevitably be refused, or in the case of live play shuffle about and start making distorted looking faces or blurt out whatever expletive seems proper to you. It'll get em for sure!

9. .. Nxd4??



And now believe it or not, black is in serious trouble.

10. Nxd4 Qxd4?

10. .. Bxd4! is much stronger, but still gives white a great game after: 11. Bh6 Re8 12. a5 Nc4 13. Bd5 Bxc3 14. bxc3 with way more than enough for the pawn

11. Qxd4 Bxd4 12. a5 Nc4 13. Nd5! +-



Black is toast. White has ideas of a6 along with a hoard of threats such as Nxc7, Nxe7+ and even Ra4.

One line with the computer defending is:

13. .. Bf6 14. Bh6 Rd8 15. Rfc1 Be6 16. Nxf6+ exf6 17. a6 b6

Where black can already resign with a clear conscience.

A super naive 'defensive' try with just 13. .. Bxb2 would be refuted as: 14. Nxe7+ Kg7 15. Bxb2+ Nxb2 16. a6 Rb8 17. Nxc8 Rfxc8 18. axb7 when white will soon use his b7 pawn to win big material.

A fun little trick.

Black can decline the gambit with 9. .. a5 and a good position. White's position isn't hopeless, but it's certainly not the sort of position you'd look to play as white.

this is cool

I was curious to see what would happen if I played it twice against an opponent who I know is quite heavy into opening preparation.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nb6 8.
Nc3 Nc6 9. a4 a5 10. e3 Nb4 11. b3 c6 12. Ba3 N6d5 13. Rc1 Bg4 14. Nxd5 Nxd5
15. Qd2 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Re8 17. Rfd1 e6 18. e4 Nc7 19. Bc5 f5 20. Bb6 fxe4 21.
Bxe4 Qd7 22. Bxa5 Nd5 23. Bc3 Rad8 24. Bb2 Qf7 25. Bg2 Bf8 26. Qe2 Bb4 27. Rc4
Bd6 28. Bc1 Qf6 29. Qg4 Qf5 30. Qxf5 exf5 31. Bxd5+ cxd5 32. Rc2 Rd7 33. Bg5
Kg7 34. Rdc1 h6 35. Bd2 g5 36. Kf1 g4 37. Rc8 Ree7 38. a5 Re4 39. Be3 f4 40.
gxf4 Bxf4 41. Bxf4 Rxf4 42. R1c7 Rff7 43. Rxd7 Rxd7 44. b4 Kf6 45. b5 Kf5 46.
b6 Ke4 47. Rc7 Rd8 48. Rxb7 Kxd4 49. a6 1-0

The first time he took the pawn and lost quickly. This time he played Rybka's way of defending against it move for move, until I deviated. At which point he lost the thread and the game quite rapidly. Now he's been idle on the chess server for a half hour. Can't wait to see what he's got cooked up next.

A fun point is that when black declines this gambit the game takes on a much more slow maneuvering type struggle with a position somewhat similar to the mainline Nd5/Ne7 slav stuff. This is a very different sort of struggle than the razor sharp super theoretical gruenfelds that can typically result from this variation. It's also unclear what black's proper plan is in these positions since the thematic e5 and c5 breaks are much harder to force through.

Fun fun fun.

Hahaha, I like this.

Now I guess I have to play 1. d4 :-0

nh Dire

But okay in general in the g3 fianchetto Grunfeld, a4 is met very strongly by a5! to grab the b4 square.

Definitely, I mentioned a5 as the best way for black to continue. But I'm also having certain difficulties seeing why this is so bad. It seems like it should be quite good for black, but analyzing the position more I continue having problems giving a solid reason why. Hopefully I'll get to play this against a very strong player who can demonstrate in a game.

After a5 the position has many analogs to a number of main line slavs. Main difference being black's bishop is immediately fianchettoed and the position of black's kingside knight. But again, in these positions that makes it more difficult for black to make his logical breaks. He can play for light square control on the queenside (as rybka does) but it seems very superficial. White has a pretty simple plan to improve his position (as in the game where my opponent declined the gambit) but it's unclear what then. White can slowly improve his position.

Just caught a 2400 5-min guy with this. This thing is just too tempting to throw out since people fall into like 100% of the time, and even when they decline the gambit your game is okay.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Nc3 Nb6 9. a4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Qxd4 Bxd4 12. a5 Nc4 13. Nd5 c5 14. Nxe7+
Kg7 15. a6 Nd6 16. Nxc8 Raxc8 17. axb7 Rb8 18. Bf4 Rfd8 19. Rxa7 g5 20. Bxg5 f6
21. Bf4 Be5 22. Bxe5 fxe5 23. Ra8 e4 24. Rd1 Nxb7 25. Rxd8 Rxd8 1-0

After 10.e3 we also need something against the natural move 10..e5. Now 11.dxe5 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.e4 Be6 is nothing for White, but after 11.d5 Nb4 12.e4 c6 13.dxc6 (13.d6 Nc4) 13...Nxc6 equalizes easily and there's the ambitious 13...bxc6!? too.

(These lines are not engine testet.)

I'm definitely not trying to prove any advantage for white in the lines where black declines Heron. I think there's just no way white should have any real chance of a theoretic edge after a4. Just saying white's position is 'playable'.

This is a trap opening in the worst sense of the word. It's just fun to play every now and then in casual games since it seems I developed it so nobody knows about it and everybody falls for it as it's extremely difficult to see (or maybe more accurate would be extremely easy to miss) without much analysis how deadly 13. Nd5 will be on move 9.

That a pawn becomes a monster so fast - i think thats the beauty in the trap. It's just difficult to register how that pawn on a2 can become so lethal so forcingly.

Chess is about practicality, might as well throw it out against every opponent until the word gets out .

Zing!

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Nc3 O-O 9. a4 a5 10. e3 e5 11. d5 Nb4 12. e4 Bd7 13. b3 c6 14. Ba3 cxd5 15.
Bxb4 axb4 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Qxd5 Bc6 18. Qc4 Qb6 19. Rfd1 Rac8 20. Rac1 Bd7 21.
Qd3 Be6 22. Ng5 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Bh6 24. Nxe6 Bxc1 25. Nxf8 Kxf8 26. Bf1 Bb2 27.
Qf3 Bd4 28. Bc4 f6 29. h4 h5 30. Kg2 Kg7 31. g4 hxg4 32. Qxg4 Bxf2 33. h5 f5
34. Qxg6+ Qxg6+ 35. hxg6 Bd4 36. exf5 e4 37. Kg3 b6 38. Kf4 e3 39. Ke4 Bc5 40.
Ke5 Be7 41. Ke6 Bh4 42. Be2 Bf6 43. Kd7 Bd4 44. Ke6 Bc3 1/2-1/2

Opponent was a 2500 5-min IM. He is the first person to decline the gambit. Actually, some 1900 also did but I think he just didn't even notice the pawn was hanging. It led to an incredibly easy draw. Okay, maybe drawing with white is not a desirable result, but having an incredibly strong player decline the gambit and then drawing trivially can't be a bad result.

I think "??" for Nxd4 is a bit strong, Black's still in good shape in the ..Nxd4; Nxd4 Bxd4 variation

Your computer's evaluation does not mean much in that position. If black is in good shape, try to play the black side of that position for just 10-20 moves against either your computer or a good player. Black's position is very broken.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nb6 8.
Nc3 Nc6 9. a4 e5 10. d5 Ne7 11. e4 Nc4 12. b3 Nd6 13. Ba3 h6 14. Rc1 f5 15.
exf5 gxf5 16. Re1 Ng6 17. Nb5 Rf7 18. Rxc7 Nxb5 19. Rxf7 Nxa3 20. Rxg7+ Kxg7
21. Nxe5 Nxe5 22. Rxe5 Qf6 23. Re1 Bd7 24. d6 Rd8 25. Re7+ Kh8 26. Qc1 Bc6 27.
Bxc6 bxc6 28. Qxa3 Rxd6 29. Re8+ Kh7 30. Qc5 Rd7 31. Qe5 Qxe5 32. Rxe5 f4 33.
Rf5 Rd3 34. b4 f3 35. h3 Kg6 36. Rf4 h5 37. h4 Ra3 38. a5 Rb3 39. Kh2 a6 40.
Kh3 Kg7 41. g4 hxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Kg6 43. h5+ Kh7 44. Rf6 Rxb4+ 45. Kxf3 Rb5 46.
Rxc6 Rf5+ 47. Kg4 Rxa5 48. f4 Rb5 49. f5 Rb1 50. Kg5 Rg1+ 51. Kf6 Kh6 0-1

Vs a strong GM.

Fun to be able to play such a sexy and crushing piece sac against a GM. It's also kind of funny how poorly he played after declining the gambit. Alas, he flagged me so he gets the final laugh I guess.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nb6 8.
Nc3 Nc6 9. a4 a5 10. e3 e5 11. d5 Nb4 12. e4 Bd7 13. b3 c6 14. dxc6 Bxc6 15.
Ba3 Qe7 16. Nd5 N6xd5 17. exd5 Rfd8 18. dxc6 Rxd1 19. Raxd1 bxc6 20. Rfe1 Rd8
21. Bxb4 axb4 22. Rxd8+ Qxd8 23. Bf1 Qd5 24. Re3 e4 25. Bc4 Qd1+ 26. Ne1 Bc3
27. Kf1 Qd4 28. Nc2 Qd2 29. Ne1 Qd4 30. Nc2 Qe5 31. f3 Qh5 32. Kg2 exf3+ 33.
Rxf3 Kg7 34. Rxf7+ Kh6 35. Ne3 Qg5 36. Kf3 Qh5+ 37. Ng4+ Kg5 38. h4+ 1-0

Andddd I think that about does it with this gambit for me. Nice to go out on a crushing queen 'sac' but now most of my good opponents decline it and even if I'm having good results in the resulting positions, they should not be good for white.