French Defense, King's Indian Attack Trap

Black wins material on move 7

Expert C00 Wins a pawn Springs the trap: Black

French Defense: King's Indian Attack (C00) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 6, White played 6.Ngf3? — a natural-looking move — and Black replied 6...Ng4. The result: Black wins material on move 7.

Watch the trap, then test yourself

The moves, one by one

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.

Tap a move to jump to it. The red move is the mistake.

Why the trap works

The mistake 6.Ngf3 looks harmless, but it allows 6...Ng4. The trapper wins material and keeps the initiative. With this single move the engine evaluation swings by roughly 10.6 pawns in Black’s favour.

How to avoid it

Instead of 6.Ngf3, safe options are e5. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6...Ng4.

How to set it

Playing Black? Follow the moves above up to move 6, then wait for 6.Ngf3. If your opponent finds e5 instead, just keep playing sound chess and look for the next chance.

Trap facts

Opening
French Defense: King's Indian Attack
ECO code
C00
Difficulty
Expert
Springs the trap
Black
The mistake
6.Ngf3?
The punishment
6...Ng4
Safe moves
e5
Game
Haubrich - Orlov (1991)
Position before the mistake (FEN)
rnbqk2r/ppp2ppp/4pn2/2b5/4P3/6P1/PPPN1P1P/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 1 6

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Frequently asked questions

What is the French Defense: King's Indian Attack trap?

French Defense: King's Indian Attack (C00) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 6, White played 6.Ngf3? — a natural-looking move — and Black replied 6...Ng4. The result: Black wins material on move 7.

How do you avoid the French Defense: King's Indian Attack trap?

Instead of 6.Ngf3, safe options are e5. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6...Ng4.

How fast does the French Defense: King's Indian Attack trap win?

Black wins material on move 7, after White falls for 6.Ngf3.


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