Italian Game, Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit Trap

White wins material on move 10

Expert C57 Wins a pawn Springs the trap: White

Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit (C57) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 9, Black played 9...Be7? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 10.Qxf7+. The result: White wins material on move 10.

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.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.

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

Why the trap works

The mistake 9...Be7 looks harmless, but it allows 10.Qxf7+. The trapper wins material and keeps the initiative. With this single move the engine evaluation swings by roughly 10.8 pawns in White’s favour.

How to avoid it

Instead of 9...Be7, safe options are Nb4, h6. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 10.Qxf7+.

How to set it

Playing White? Follow the moves above up to move 9, then wait for 9...Be7. If your opponent finds Nb4 instead, just keep playing sound chess and look for the next chance.

Trap facts

Opening
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit
ECO code
C57
Difficulty
Expert
Springs the trap
White
The mistake
9...Be7?
The punishment
10.Qxf7+
Safe moves
Nb4, h6
Game
Fedotov - Woschkat (1996)
Position before the mistake (FEN)
r1b1kb1r/ppq2ppp/8/3np1N1/8/5Q2/PPPP1PPP/RNB1K2R b KQkq - 1 9

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit trap?

Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit (C57) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 9, Black played 9...Be7? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 10.Qxf7+. The result: White wins material on move 10.

How do you avoid the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit trap?

Instead of 9...Be7, safe options are Nb4, h6. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 10.Qxf7+.

How fast does the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Kloss Gambit trap win?

White wins material on move 10, after Black falls for 9...Be7.


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