Carlsen Used a Deadly Trap BUT… Forgot the Follow-up 😂

In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov shows you a game played between the world champion Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, where Carlsen used a deadly opening trap against ‘himself’. Well, he set a trap which Nepomniachtchi fell for, but later Carlsen forgot the continuation, blundered, and eventually lost the game.

It is an interesting opening trap in the Sicilian Defense, the Open Sicilian to be precise. After the opening moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6, Carlsen played 5.Bc4 inviting Nepo to take the pawn on e4, which he did 5…Nxe4. But he forgot the follow-up to the trap after 6.Qh5.

How did Carlsen miss it and blundered? What is the correct continuation to the trap? Watch the video and find out!

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► Chapters

00:00 Magnus Carlsen Used A Trap Against Himself
00:15 Magnus Carlsen vs Ian Nepomniachtchi
00:34 Carlsen sets a deadly opening trap
01:27 Carlsen blundered and lost
03:10 Correct continuation to the trap
05:37 What if Black doesn't play Nxe4?
08:05 Puzzle: Can you find the winning move?

#GMSmirnov #MagnusCarlsen #ChessBlunders

[GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters

00:00 Magnus Carlsen Used A Trap Against Himself
00:15 Magnus Carlsen vs Ian Nepomniachtchi
00:34 Carlsen sets a deadly opening trap
01:27 Carlsen blundered and lost
03:10 Correct continuation to the trap
05:37 What if Black doesn't play Nxe4?
08:05 Puzzle: Can you find the winning move?

[lyousmtl]

I think it’s bishop sacrife to F7 check, Queen to D5 check, then Queen takes knight E4. That remove Black right to Castle.

[Ineedagoodname]

Now i didn't look in to this much so bear with me here if i missed this but at (3:16) what if nf6? I mean it is pretty develped for white so i guess its playable but is there anyway to continue the trap?

[halfomillitia]

Answer: 1. Bxf7+ Kxf7 2. Qd6+ Ke1 4. Qxe4+ Qe2 5. Q a4 + Nc6 6. c4 b5 4. cxb5

[Drxcture]

Bxf7+ Kxf7 Qd5+ K goes somewhere and then Qxe4

[walterkhan]

Your website doesn’t have SSL certificate . I am not able to open it.

[danielweitsman]

Instead of black playing Qa5, why not Qb6? That safely protects against Rc7+, and also puts a double threat on the f2 pawn.

[TheAnshuman]

Puzzle: Bxf7+ Kxf7 Qd5+ forking the king and the knight. As this check can't be blocked, the king has to move and then we grab the knight. In the process, we got a pawn and took away the castling rights from black.

[nbi]

There's actually a continuation which you didn't mention: 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Kg8 8.Qd5+ e6 9.Qxe4. This idea surfaces in a different opening where it is actually stronger than here. For this particular scenario Stockfish 15 thinks black is slightly better perhaps due to the bishop pair and center pawns. However those center pawns are "hanging pawns" and black has forfeited the right to castle - that h8 rook can be awkward. Black should be ok, but this might actually be easier to play from the white side in blitz.

[ToriYamazaki]

It should also be noted that black can refute the whole shebang:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Nxe4 6. Qh5 e6 7. Bb5+ Nd7 (better than Bd7) 8. Nxe6 Nf6 9. Nxd8 Nxh5 10. Bxd7+ Bxd7 11. Nxb7 Bc6 12. Na5 Bxg2 =

[saneledoncabe]

After Nxe6 black doesn’t have to move the Queen but can play …Nf6 attacking white Queen.

[TheSpider-hsjo]

I wonder why Magnus didn't capture on F7 with the bishop as others are saying, trade queens and then black can't castle and Magnus could break out his other bishop.

I do this. Great opening but bung it up after awhile.

[DavidfromMichigan]

Kind of reminds me of the tenison gambit.

[karelian]

Hi, thanks for the video, this is indeed funny :) The continuation does not look obvious to me after 7.Bb5+ Bd7 (Nd7!?) Nxe6 Qe7 (the fork on c7 is not good due to the discovered check).