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I played black in the game below and I am curious of the origin of this trap for the white Queen: move 12 Qxg7 - Rg8. That trap started at move 9 Qg3 - Nd4.

[FEN ""]
[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2018.04.10"]
[White "setyoaji"]
[Black "D3mniz"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C00"]

1.e4 {[%clk 0:05:03]} e6 {[%clk 0:05:02]} 2.e5 {[%clk 0:05:04]} c5 {[%clk 0:05:06]} 3.Nf3 {[%clk 0:05:01]} f6 {[%clk 0:05:09]} 4.exf6 {[%clk 0:04:59]} Nxf6 {[%clk 0:05:12]} 5.Ne5 {[%clk 0:04:59]} Bd6 {[%clk 0:05:00]} 6.d4 {[%clk 0:04:44]} cxd4 {[%clk 0:05:03]} 7.Qxd4 {[%clk 0:04:48]} Bxe5 {[%clk 0:05:07]} 8.Qxe5 {[%clk 0:04:51]} Nc6 {[%clk 0:05:08]} 9.Qg3 {[%clk 0:04:45]} Nd4 {[%clk 0:04:47]} 10.Bd3 {[%clk 0:04:41]} b6 {[%clk 0:04:26]} 11.O-O {[%clk 0:04:25]} Bb7 {[%clk 0:04:27]} 12.Qxg7 {[%clk 0:04:22]} Rg8 {[%clk 0:04:26]} 13.Qh6 {[%clk 0:04:15]} Rxg2+ {[%clk 0:04:27]} 14.Kh1 {[%clk 0:04:13]} Rg6+ {[%clk 0:04:30]}  0-1

My question is: is there a name for that game? Like the original game featured Légal playing against Saint Brie in Paris 1750.

https://www.chess.com/live/game/2737553041

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  • Are you asking whether this particular game (i.e. all the moves) has been played before (which is unlikely)?
    – user1583209
    Apr 11, 2018 at 8:13
  • Considering that the Legal TRAP was first introduced in 1750, it is quite likely that the illustrated game was played before. But my question relates to Move 12. Qxg7 - Rg8 where obviously having g7 exposed to white queen is a TRAP for BLACK to hit white King with the support of Bb7. In the same manner there are named chess openings. thespruce.com/most-common-chess-openings-611517
    – D3mniz
    Apr 11, 2018 at 8:31

2 Answers 2

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Let's face it (and this is not being mean), both players are beginner chess players and are naturally making lots of mistakes. For instance 7....Qa5+ would win the knight on e5. Also black had a forced mate starting with 14. ... Rxf2+ (with the idea to remove the pawn first which could intercept bishop checks) but chose to win the queen instead.

Of course 12. Qxg7 was a losing mistake because after 12 ... Rg8 you will lose the queen (or the game if you let black take on g2). You could call this a mini-trap, but more typically you would call the pawn on g7 poisoned pawn, because it kind of obviously should not be captured because of the resulting attack on g2.

It is well worth memorizing the pattern of Nf6, Qg7, Rg8 as you will encounter it in many games, in all four corners of the board (i.e. also with queens on b7, b2, g2). Also note, that in this setup the square/pawn h7 is protected, leaving the queen only one square to escape. So, if you memorize this pattern you should memorize it together with two ideas: i) the rook might attack something along the g-file (or b-file if in other corners) and ii) the queen has little space (and in other situations that one escape square might not be available; e.g. occupied or under attack).

I don't think this pattern/"trap" has any specific name. After 13. Qh6 Rxg2+ 14. Kh1, white runs into a discovered check which is very often deadly.

Apart from the forced check mate after 14...Rxf2+, you could also consider this as a mini windmill, i.e. you could win an extra pawn (on f2) in addition to the queen. But note that black cannot continue with the windmill (winning pawns on c2, b2, a2) because white can cover the bishop check with Rf3 and escape with the king to f1.

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  • Thank you for your elaborated (valuable) comment. I have not moved beyond 15/10 chess format 388/346/29 and only giving a shot at 5/5 chess format 10/13/0 in relation to time. Out of my comfort zone for the challenge of thinking faster! I am happy in the beginner zone and look forward to keep on learning.
    – D3mniz
    Apr 11, 2018 at 13:51
  • @D3mniz generally “thinking faster” is the wrong way to approach it. You want to think accurately — no matter how long that takes (within reason) — before trying to speed up your play.
    – Dennis
    Apr 13, 2018 at 5:00
  • The need for 14 ... Rxf2+ is more subtle than removing wPf2 because it can interpose (after all, so can wBd3, and, after wPf2 is gone, wRf1). The point is that after 14 ... R~? 15 f3, wRf1 defends wPf3. After 14 ... Rxf2+ 15 Kg1 Rg2+ 16 Kh1 R~+, white has 2 ways to interpose but each is ineffective because the interposer is undefended.
    – Rosie F
    Apr 17, 2018 at 8:01
  • @RosieF: Yes sure, I just decided to shorten it a bit, because it was not really relevant to the question.
    – user1583209
    Apr 17, 2018 at 8:03
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Congratulations on your win! I don't think this has a special name, besides the tactic you are using being called 'discovered check'.

One can hardly call the pawn on g7 a poisoned pawn; it's just plain stupid (pardon my words) to grab a pawn like that in front of your castled king. A poisoned pawn variation ending in the loss of a queen does happen, but it's usually because the queen has no squares anymore, not because of a discovered check.

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  • Thank you for the comment. "Discovery check" is a classic. My curiosity arose from the Légal TRAP illustrated below. How to take a strong position from start. "Poisoned Pawn" is a new term I am learning. chess.com/article/view/legal-trap
    – D3mniz
    Apr 11, 2018 at 8:48
  • Also, 12. ... Rg8 is effectively a pin, as moving the queen leaves the rook and bishop attacking the king.
    – Acccumulation
    Apr 13, 2018 at 21:21

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