Blog

Opening traps and tactical ideas, explained with boards you can step through move by move.

• Opening traps · 6 November 2026

  Modern Defence: the 4...Nd7 trap

  A natural-looking knight move in the Modern Defence loses at once to 5.Bxf7+ and 6.Ng5+. See all three of Black’s king moves — two lose the queen, one is mate.