10 articles
Setting opening traps is a skill. The best traps disguise themselves as natural moves. Here's how to use traps effectively in your own games.
The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is one of the most aggressive ways for White to meet 1...d5 — and one of the most entertaining openings in club chess.
The Legal Trap is over two centuries old and still works today. Here's the mechanism, the refutation, and why understanding it teaches you something important about chess tactics.
The Poisoned Pawn Variation of the Najdorf Sicilian is the sharpest theoretical battle in chess. White gives a pawn for long-term initiative; Black takes it and tries to survive the attack.
The Elephant Trap has been catching grandmasters for over a hundred years. Here's the position, the trap, and why it still works at every level.
The King's Gambit was the dominant opening for two centuries before modern theory tamed it. Is it still a viable weapon today?
The Budapest Gambit has been a reliable shock weapon against 1.d4 players for a century. Here's how it works, what White needs to know, and whether it's really sound.
The Stafford Gambit — 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6?! — has become one of the most-played gambits online. We look at what it is, why it works, and how White should really respond.
The Scholar's Mate is the oldest trick in the book. Here's how to recognise it, how to refute it, and why understanding it teaches you something important about chess.
The Smith-Morra Gambit offers White rapid development and a lead in initiative against the Sicilian. Here's everything you need to know to play it effectively.