Noah's Ark Trap
White's queen takes a free pawn on d4. Your pawns then roll forward and trap the bishop on b3.
87%of players rated around 800 take the pawn here
Your opponent's Chess.com rating
Playing White against it? Defend against it
Good to know
- Opening
- Ruy Lopez
- You play
- Black
- The trap is set on
- Move 7
- What you win
- A bishop for two pawns
- If they do not bite
- A level game, nothing lost
- Games counted
- 100,064 on Lichess
How to defend against the Noah's Ark Trap
Step the bishop to d5 first. 5% of players rated around 800 find it. The bishop leaves b3 before it can be shut in, and attacks the rook.
A level game, nothing lost.
The way out, move by move, as WhiteNoah's Ark Trap moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.d4 b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4 c5 9.Qd5 Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qd5 c4
- 1.e4White pushes the king's pawn
Most games at every level start this way.
- 1…e5Push your king's pawn too
Meet White in the centre.
- 2.Nf3White's knight comes out
The knight attacks your pawn on e5.
- 2…Nc6Bring your knight out
Your knight defends the pawn.
- 3.Bb5White plays the Ruy Lopez
The bishop comes out to b5 and eyes your knight. This is one of the oldest and most played openings in chess.
- 3…a6Push your a pawn
The pawn attacks the bishop, so the bishop has to pick a square.
- 4.Ba4The bishop steps back
The bishop stays on the same diagonal, still eyeing your knight.
- 4…d6Push your d pawn one square
The pawn defends your pawn on e5.
- 5.d4White pushes the d pawn
White attacks your centre. This is the move the trap needs.
- 5…b5Push your b pawn
The bishop is attacked again, and b3 is the only safe square left.
- 6.Bb3The bishop drops to b3
Remember this bishop. The whole trap is about it.
- 6…Nxd4Take the pawn with your knight
You offer a trade of knights on d4.
- 7.Nxd4White takes your knight
Now you take back with your pawn.
- 7…exd4Take back with your pawn
The trap is set. You want the queen to take the pawn on d4.
- 8.Qxd4The queen takes the pawn
87% of players rated around 800 take it. This is the mistake.
- 8…c5Push your c pawn
The pawn attacks the queen, so she has to move.
- 9.Qd5The queen attacks your rook
86% of them go here. One move from you stops her.
- 9…Be6Block with your bishop
The bishop cuts the queen off and attacks her.
- 10.Qc6+The queen gives check
She has nothing better.
- 10…Bd7Block with the bishop again
The queen is attacked once more and has to go back.
- 11.Qd5The queen goes back
She attacks the rook again. Leave her there.
- 11…c4Push the c pawn again
The bishop on b3 has no square left. You win it for two pawns.
You win the bishop.
See it one move at a timeNoah's Ark Trap questions
What if they do not fall for the Noah's Ark Trap?
13% of players rated around 800 play something else. Then a level game, nothing lost.
How do you defend against the Noah's Ark Trap?
As White, step the bishop to d5 first. 5% of players rated around 800 find it. The bishop leaves b3 before it can be shut in, and attacks the rook. A level game, nothing lost.
What do you win with the Noah's Ark Trap?
A bishop for two pawns. In the main line, you win the bishop.
At what rating does the Noah's Ark Trap work?
It works best against players under 400, where 89% take the pawn. Against players at 2100 and up, 28% 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.