Alekhine Defense Trap
White wins material on move 8
Alekhine Defense (B03) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 5, Black played 5...gxf6? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 6.c4. The result: White wins material on move 8.
Watch the trap, then test yourself
The moves, one by one
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
Tap a move to jump to it. The red move is the mistake.
Why the trap works
The mistake 5...gxf6 looks harmless, but it allows 6.c4. The trapper wins material and keeps the initiative. With this single move the engine evaluation swings by roughly 2.1 pawns in White’s favour.
How to avoid it
Instead of 5...gxf6, safe options are Nxf6, exf6, e6, d6. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6.c4.
How to set it
Playing White? Follow the moves above up to move 5, then wait for 5...gxf6. If your opponent finds Nxf6 instead, just keep playing sound chess and look for the next chance.
Trap facts
- Opening
- Alekhine Defense
- ECO code
- B03
- Difficulty
- Master
- Springs the trap
- White
- The mistake
- 5...gxf6?
- The punishment
- 6.c4
- Safe moves
- Nxf6, exf6, e6, d6
- Game
- Wawryk - Martel (1996)
- Position before the mistake (FEN)
r1bqkb1r/ppppp1pp/2n2P2/3n4/3P4/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 5
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Alekhine Defense trap?
Alekhine Defense (B03) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 5, Black played 5...gxf6? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 6.c4. The result: White wins material on move 8.
How do you avoid the Alekhine Defense trap?
Instead of 5...gxf6, safe options are Nxf6, exf6, e6, d6. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6.c4.
How fast does the Alekhine Defense trap win?
White wins material on move 8, after Black falls for 5...gxf6.
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