Sicilian Defense Trap
White checkmates on move 6
Sicilian Defense (B27) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 5, Black played 5...Ne7? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 6.Nd6#. The result: White checkmates on move 6.
Watch the trap, then test yourself
The moves, one by one
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
Tap a move to jump to it. The red move is the mistake.
Why the trap works
The mistake 5...Ne7 looks harmless, but it allows 6.Nd6#. The king is left without enough defenders and the game ends in checkmate. With this single move the engine evaluation swings by roughly 9.3 pawns in White’s favour.
How to avoid it
Instead of 5...Ne7, safe options are d5. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6.Nd6#.
How to set it
Playing White? Follow the moves above up to move 5, then wait for 5...Ne7. If your opponent finds d5 instead, just keep playing sound chess and look for the next chance.
Trap facts
- Opening
- Sicilian Defense
- ECO code
- B27
- Difficulty
- Rookie
- Springs the trap
- White
- The mistake
- 5...Ne7?
- The punishment
- 6.Nd6#
- Safe moves
- d5
- Game
- Larsen - NN (1982)
- Position before the mistake (FEN)
rnbqkbnr/pp1p2pp/5p2/4pN2/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 1 5
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Sicilian Defense trap?
Sicilian Defense (B27) is a real game that ended in a trap. On move 5, Black played 5...Ne7? — a natural-looking move — and White replied 6.Nd6#. The result: White checkmates on move 6.
How do you avoid the Sicilian Defense trap?
Instead of 5...Ne7, safe options are d5. The habit that saves you: before every natural-looking move, ask what your opponent’s best reply is — here it is 6.Nd6#.
How fast does the Sicilian Defense trap win?
White checkmates on move 6, after Black falls for 5...Ne7.
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