Elephant Trap
Club · set by Black
The Elephant Trap is a classic of the Queen's Gambit Declined. White thinks the pinned knight on f6 lets them win a pawn on d5, but Black gives up the queen and wins a piece back with a check.
It has caught players for more than a century because the pin on f6 looks so strong.
How the trap works
18 / 18
Black is a piece up (engine: about −3.9).
1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
- ▸The pin Bg5 only pins the knight to the queen, not to the king.
- ▸After …Nxd5 Bxd8, the check …Bb4+ forces White to give the queen back.
- ▸Black ends up a full piece ahead.
How to stop it
11 / 11
e3! develops normally and keeps a small edge (engine: about +0.4).
1.2.3.4.5.6.
Do not grab on d5 while Black’s queen and the …Bb4+ check are available. Develop with e3, Bd3 and Nf3.
Before winning a "pinned" piece, check what it is pinned to. A pin to the queen is not a pin to the king.
This trap comes from the Queen's Gambit. Study its main line and the best answers to it.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is it called the Elephant Trap?
- The origin of the name is unclear; it has been used for this trap since at least the early 1900s.
- Which opening is the Elephant Trap in?
- The Queen's Gambit Declined, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7.
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