[Event "Opening Traps in the Queen's Gambit: #2 The Elephant Trap"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kMuNnsJV/uZs3Z5Sn"]
[Date "2016"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silva, David Miguel Da"]
[Black "Aguiar, Cristiano"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Jonnyx"]
[BlackElo "2205"]
[ECO "D51"]
[Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense"]
[UTCDate "2020.06.12"]
[UTCTime "13:11:47"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2256"]

{ You can watch the analyse of the game as a video aswell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qylHZy96RkY In this game I will show you the famous Elephant Trap. This simple trap has snared thousands of players over the time. The earliest recorded occurrence of the trap seems to be Karl Mayet vs. Daniel Harrwitz, Berlin 1848. But for the study I decided to chose a newer game because I just wanted to show you, that even today strong chess players can fall for the trap. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 { The starting position of the Queen's Gambit. } 2... e6 { and black goes into the Queen's Gambit declined. [%csl Gf8] } 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 { Pinning the knight on f6 to increase the pressure on the d5 pawn. [%cal Rg5d8] } 4... Nbd7 { With this move black sets a trap. } ( 4... h6 $6 { is a common move by beginners, but after the moves } 5. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 5... Qxf6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nxd5 { even looses a pawn } ) 6. cxd5 exd5 { black remains with a horrible pawnstructure. [%csl Rh6,Rf6,Rf7] } ) ( 4... Be7 { is another good option } ) ( 4... dxc4 { is another good option } ) 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Nxd5 $4 { and white falls for the trap! } ( 6. e3 { would have been the much better moved and was played by Garry Kasparov himself twice. Whites plan is pretty simple: Putting the bishop to d3, then the knight to e2, casteling short, bringing the queen to c2, play f3, bring the rooks to the center and then attack it with e4 or if possible even start a kingside attack. Checkout Kasparov vs Sanches or Kasparov vs Brellmann if you want to know more about this variation. [%cal Gf1d3,Gg1e2,Ge1g1,Gd1c2,Gf2f3,Ga1e1] } ) 6... Nxd5 $1 { The knight moves anyway, sacrificing temporarily a queen! [%csl Gd8] } 7. Bxd8 { Other moves doesen't help. } 7... Bb4+ 8. Qd2 { The only move. } 8... Kxd8 { [%csl Rd2][%cal Gb4e1] } ( 8... Bxd2+ 9. Kxd2 Kxd8 { Is totaly ok for black as well and we easily could stop here, but with } 10. e4 { to follow I don't like this variation as much as the mainline. Anyway black is still a piece up and will most likely going to win the game. } ) 9. Qxb4 ( 9. Nf3 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 ( 10. Kxd2 { was played in the game, but after } 10... N7f6 { black was clearly winning. [%cal Ge2e4] } ) 10... Nb4 { threatening Nc2+ winning a rook. [%cal Gb4c2,Gc2e1,Gc2a1] } 11. Kd1 Nf6 12. e4 ( 12. e3 Ng4 { [%cal Gg4f2,Gf2h1,Gf2d1] } 13. Ke2 Re8 { and black is winning. } ) 12... Ng4 { [%cal Gg4f2,Gf2d1,Gf2h1] } 13. Ke2 Nc2 { and black is winning. [%cal Gc2a1,Gc2d4] } ) ( 9. e4 { doesn't help because of } 9... Re8 10. f3 f5 { and black is totaly winning. } ) 9... Nxb4 { threatening Nc2+, winning a rook. [%cal Gb4c2] } 10. Kd1 Nf6 { Protecting black against whites e4 push. Beeing up a piece without any counterplay for white this position is just hopeless for white. [%cal Gf6e4] } 0-1