Set the trap. Understand the attack.

Attacking openings built around tempting mistakes. Explore the attack and the defence, one move at a time.

Ordered by estimated temptation for an unfamiliar player. This is an editorial ranking, not measured success rates.

1. Wayward Queen Attack: Fork the king and rook

   Take e5 with check, then follow the diagonal to the rook on h8.

2. Scholar’s Mate (Qh5): Mate on f7

   Aim the queen and bishop at f7. The bishop protects the queen's mating capture.

3. Scholar’s Mate (Qf3): Mate on f7

   Aim the queen and bishop at f7. The bishop protects the queen's mating capture.

4. Italian Game: Knight fork on f7

   Bring the knight to f7, attacking the queen on d8 and rook on h8 together.

5. Légal’s Mate: The queen is bait

   Leave the queen available and use the bishop and knight to attack the king.

6. Petrov’s Defence: A discovered check wins the queen

   Open the e-file with check while the knight attacks d8. The king must be saved first.

7. Caro–Kann Defence: A pinned pawn cannot save the king

   Use a knight check. The e-pawn is pinned and cannot capture the knight.

8. Budapest Gambit: A pinned pawn cannot save the king

   Use a knight check. The e-pawn is pinned and cannot capture the knight.

9. Damiano Defence: Fork the king and rook

   Take e5 with check, then follow the diagonal to the rook on h8.

10. Blackburne Shilling Gambit: Smothered mate after a pawn grab

    Use queen threats to pull the defenders away, then let the knight deliver mate.

11. Stafford Gambit: The queen is bait

    Leave the queen available and use the bishop and knight to attack the king.

12. Queen’s Gambit: Elephant Trap: Answer queen bait with check

    The knight can capture d5. A bishop check then wins back the queen and leaves extra material.

13. French Advance: A bishop check uncovers the queen

    Move the bishop from d3 with check, opening the queen's route to d4.

14. Englund Gambit: The back rank has no escape

    Use checks and a bishop capture to clear the queen's path to c1.

15. Englund Gambit: Pin the queen to the king

    Bring the bishop to b4. The queen cannot leave the diagonal while its king is behind it.

16. Fishing Pole Trap: Open the h-file against the king

    Offer the knight, open the h-file, and bring the queen toward h2.

17. Tennison Gambit: Clear the path to the queen

    Use a knight offer and a bishop check to clear the d-file, then capture the queen.

18. Danish Gambit: The queen is bait

    Leave the queen available and use the bishop and knight to attack the king.

19. Ponziani Opening: A checking bishop reaches the rook

    Use Bb5+ and central exchanges to open the diagonal toward the rook on a8.

20. Fried Liver Attack: The king retreats into danger

    Keep checking the exposed king. The bishop can capture d5 and keep attacking.

21. Fried Liver Attack: Recover the piece with check

    Capture the knight on d5 with check, recovering the sacrificed piece.

22. Albin Countergambit: Promote to a knight with check

    Push the pawn through with checks. A knight promotion keeps the attack going.

23. Smith–Morra: Siberian Trap: Pull away the mating-square defender

    Play Nd4 to attack the queen and tempt the f3 knight away from h2.

24. Fajarowicz Gambit: Clear the path to the queen

    Use a knight offer and a bishop check to clear the d-file, then capture the queen.

25. Ruy Lopez: Noah’s Ark Trap: Trap the bishop with pawns

    Push c5 and c4 to close the bishop's escape squares on the queenside.

26. Queen’s Gambit: The pawn chain exposes a rook

    Undermine b5 with a4, then bring the queen to f3 to attack the loose rook on a8.

27. Damiano Defence: Hunt the exposed king

    Use queen and bishop checks to pull the king away from its defenders.

28. Vienna Gambit: Chase the knight, claim the centre

    Push e5 with an attack on f6, then build a broad centre with d4.

29. Scotch Gambit: Fork the king and bishop

    Sacrifice on f7, then check from d5 to attack the king and bishop on c5 together.

30. Evans Gambit: Fork the king and bishop

    Sacrifice on f7, then check from d5 to attack the king and bishop on c5 together.