Do NOT Make This Chess Opening Mistake!

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🔹 Punish Bg5/Bg4 Pin –
🔹 More about this mistake –

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In the world of chess, openings can be a critical battleground. One common opening mistake that many players make can lead to quick and unexpected defeats. In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov shares with you a common chess opening mistake and show you how to capitalize on it as both Black and White.

It happens in one of the most common chess opening positions after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4, White intending to develop their pieces naturally. This is where the fun begins! Black can take advantage of White’s setup with a simple yet powerful tactic: 4…Nxe4! This move temporarily sacrifices a knight but sets up a sneaky trap.

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► Chapters

00:00 Most common chess opening mistake
00:25 Millions of chess players have made this mistake
01:26 1) If White plays 6.Nxe5
02:05 2) If White plays 5.Bxf7+ before Nxe4
05:23 3) If White plays 6.Bxd5
07:28 4) White’s correct response
09:36 Using the same opening trap as White
10:23 5) If Black plays 3…Nf6 instead of 3…Bc5

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20 Comments

  1. can you do a video explaining the traxler counterattack and what to do if white captures on f7 with the bishop instead of the knight?

  2. Hello igor, a great video from a great "grand master" like you. I do really enjoy every "tactic" you explain sonce "life is so good" as you say. Techincally speaking, the last 3 minutes of the video, your tactic seemed to be the famous "ruy-lopez" method… is it right?? Best regards & have a pleasant day.

  3. stop your half-moves and show complete options instead of your unique fit

  4. I often find myself in these positions but I always seem to attack with the wrong pieces. I need to get it drilled into my head that it's okay to sacrifice the queen if doing so puts me at an even stronger advantage like at 4:40

  5. Guilty as charged, Igor. I've walked into it more than once.

  6. this video is great, thank you!

  7. There is a nice/ugly trap in the Bxf7 line: I quote from one of my books (teaching material for coaches, hence the Q&A and sidelines):
    Lushcott,V. – Fletcher,Alan Linnell
    New Zealand Champs (59th) (5) 29.12.1951
    [Assorted Blunders]
    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6
    This Opening has transposed from a
    Petroff after move 2 to a Four Knights.
    What would you play with White here?
    4.Bc4? looks very logical, but is a
    mistake. Do you know which tactic
    leads to Black advantage?
    [ 4.Bb5 is the Spanish Four Knights,
    one of the main lines. ]
    [ 4.d4 leads to the Scottish Four
    Knights, which is also a main line. ]
    4…Nxe4 5.Bxf7+
    [ 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4
    Bd6 is better, but still gives Black
    some advantage in Development. ]
    5…Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 7.Neg5+ Kg8
    [ 7…Ke8 is not as good, as the King
    should not stay in the middle of the
    board. ]
    8.c3 e4 9.Nxe4 has White just lost a
    Knight? Yes, but Black can't win it by
    playing 9…dxe4??
    [ Black had to pin the Knight first with
    9…Qe7 (Qe8 also works) and after e.
    g. 10.0−0 dxe4 11.Qb3+ Qe6 ]
    as 10.Qb3+ is a Mate in 2.

  8. I actually learned something in this vid and have made those mistakes without people noticing :O

  9. I play the Evans gambit a lot and fall back to the Giuoco Piano, among others, if they don't go for it. The opening is frequently devastating and wicked aggressive. It also breaks a lot of the "rules". However that gives a strong reason for white to play Bc4 starting the Italian. Learning this does require avoiding the fork you're talking about if they twist things around enough. It would be an interesting video on alternative responses for black to avoid that kind of onslaught as most low level players lose to it.

  10. Fantastic tip!!! Played this opening many times but never realized this trap.

  11. Black can also pull off a very similar tactic against a Vienna Game with e4 e5 Nc3 Nf6 Bc4, the Stanley Variation. Black can play Nxe4, with the idea of Nxe4 d5, gaining the piece back.
    However, unlike all of the variations mentioned in this video, White can seriously complicate things with Qh5, and this is what is played at the top level, going into some of the craziest, most complicated variations in all of chess.

  12. Thank you Igor for this great video again!

  13. Wow! Do you have that in PGN?

  14. Can you cover a very tricky opening: 1.e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3 [For example after Nxc3 dxc3 the first and third most popular moves are blunders!]

  15. Thanks Igor it's very helpful I often encounter opponents playing like that

  16. As usual, a great job GM Igor ! Many thanks for all your hard work in making these videos for us which helps improve our chess skills.

  17. If you focus on tevhing how to be better at thinking than winning thinker might pass the winner

  18. this is the best chess youtube channel i've ever seen

  19. Heh, I always play Nxe5 as white, so this will never happen.

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