The Magnus Smith Trap is a chess opening trap in the Sicilian Defence, named after three-time Canadian chess champion Magnus Smith (1869–1934). In an article titled "The 'Magnus Smith Trap'"[1] published in his Chess Notes column (hosted at the Chess History Center), chess historian Edward Winter wrote:
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Position after 8.e5!
We believe that 'Magnus Smith Trap' is a misnomer, although in the Sicilian Defence there is a 'Magnus Smith Variation' (a very rare instance of a player's forename and surname being used jointly in openings terminology).
The trap
edit1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4
- This is the Sozin Variation (or Fischer–Sozin Attack) of the Sicilian Defense. A common response is 6...e6, to make White's bishop on c4 "bite on granite".
6... g6?!
- Black falls into the trap.
7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5! (diagram)
- Black is in a bad way. After 8...Nh5?, Bobby Fischer gives 9.Qf3! e6 (9...d5 10.Nxd5!) 10.g4 Ng7 11.Ne4 Qa5+ (11...d5 12.Nf6+ Ke7 13.Qa3+) 12.Bd2 Qxe5 13.Bc3 and Black's queen is trapped.[2] Preferable alternatives are 8...Ng4 9.e6 f5, and Black eventually managed to draw in Schlechter–Lasker, World Championship (1910), rd. 7,[3] and 8...d5 9.exf6 dxc4 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Bg5 Be6 12.0-0-0+ Ke8, and Black ultimately even won in Rosen–Burn, Paris 1900.[4]
- The move Black actually chooses leads to instant disaster.
8... dxe5??
- "Correct is 8...Ng4." — Fischer. White was clearly better in Suetin–Makarichev, Moscow 1983, after [8...Ng4] 9.Bf4 Bh6 (Sosonko; if 9...Qb6 then 10.Qf3+/−[5]) 10.Bxh6 Nxh6 11.Qd2 Nf5 12.exd6 Nxd6 (if 12...Qxd6 then 13.0-0-0+/−; if 12...exd6 then 13.0-0-0 0-0 14.g4! Ne7 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6 Bxg4 17.Re1!+/− Makarichev[6]) 13.0-0-0 Qc7 (if 13...Bb7!? then 14.Qf4 intending Ne4; Makarichev[7]) 14.Qf4 0-0 15.Ne4 (Nunn).[8]
9. Bxf7+ +−
- White wins Black's queen after 9...Kxf7 10.Qxd8.
References
edit- ^ Winter, Edward. "The 'Magnus Smith Trap'". Chesshistory.com.
- ^ Fischer, Bobby (1969). "§13 Fischer–Gligoric, Candidates' Tournament 1959". My 60 Memorable Games. Simon and Schuster. p. 87. ISBN 0-671-21483-7.
- ^ "Carl Schlechter vs. Emanuel Lasker, World Championship (7), Berlin 1910". Chessgames.com.
- ^ "Leon Rosen vs. Amos Burn, Paris 1900". Chessgames.com.
- ^ Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 3
- ^ Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 4
- ^ Matanović (1984), p. 302, n. 5
- ^ Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1997). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. B (3rd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant. p. 322, n. 1. ISBN 86-7297-032-2.
Bibliography
- Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1984). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. B (2nd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant.