Kieninger Trap
White's pawn takes a bishop that looks free. Your knight jumps to d3 and it is checkmate.
60%of players rated around 800 take the bishop here
Your opponent's Chess.com rating
Playing White against it? Defend against it
Good to know
- Opening
- Budapest Gambit
- You play
- Black
- The trap is set on
- Move 7
- What you win
- Checkmate in one move
- If they do not bite
- A level game, nothing lost
- Games counted
- 119,506 on Lichess
How to defend against the Kieninger Trap
Trade knights first. 32% of players rated around 800 trade first. The bishop is still attacked, and it still cannot be taken.
A level game.
The way out, move by move, as WhiteKieninger Trap moves
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.a3 Ngxe5 8.axb4 Nd3#
- 1.d4White pushes the queen's pawn
The other common first move.
- 1…Nf6Bring your knight out
A flexible reply.
- 2.c4White pushes the c pawn
White takes space in the centre.
- 2…e5Push your king's pawn two squares
This is the Budapest Gambit. You give up a pawn for a few moves.
- 3.dxe5White takes the pawn
Your knight is attacked and has to move.
- 3…Ng4Jump your knight to g4
The knight attacks the pawn on e5. You will win it back.
- 4.Bf4White's bishop guards the pawn
White holds on to the pawn for now.
- 4…Nc6Bring your other knight out
A second attacker on e5.
- 5.Nf3White's knight guards the pawn
A second defender.
- 5…Bb4+Check with your bishop
White has to block.
- 6.Nbd2The knight blocks
This knight now shuts in its own king. Remember that.
- 6…Qe7Slide your queen to e7
A third attacker on e5. The queen also looks down the line at the king.
- 7.a3A pawn attacks your bishop
Do not move the bishop.
- 7…Ngxe5Take the pawn with your knight
You leave the bishop to be taken. You want White's a pawn to take it.
- 8.axb4The pawn takes your bishop
60% of players rated around 800 take it. It is checkmate in one.
- 8…Nd3#Jump your knight to d3
Checkmate. The pawn that could take the knight is pinned by your queen.
Checkmate.
See it one move at a timeKieninger Trap questions
What if they do not fall for the Kieninger Trap?
40% of players rated around 800 play something else. Then a level game, nothing lost.
How do you defend against the Kieninger Trap?
As White, trade knights first. 32% of players rated around 800 trade first. The bishop is still attacked, and it still cannot be taken. A level game.
What do you win with the Kieninger Trap?
Checkmate in one move. In the main line, checkmate.
At what rating does the Kieninger Trap work?
It works best against players around 1100, where 62% take the bishop. Against players at 2100 and up, 5% do.
More traps
All opening trapsCounted from the rated blitz, rapid and classical games on Lichess that reached this position. Ratings are shown as Chess.com ratings: the games are grouped by Lichess rating, which runs higher, and each group is named by the Chess.com rating it comes to in ChessGoals' comparison of players with an account on both. A rating with fewer than 300 such games shows no number.