The Lasker Trap is a chess opening trap in the Albin Countergambit, named after Emanuel Lasker, although it was first noted by Serafino Dubois (Hooper & Whyld 1996, p. 219).[1] It is unusual in that it features an underpromotion as early as the seventh move.
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| This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | 8 | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
The Albin Countergambit begins with the moves:
The black pawn on d4 is stronger than it appears.
Careless. Usual and better is 4.Nf3.
(See diagram.) Now White's best option is to accept doubled pawns with 6.fxe3.
Blundering into the Lasker Trap. In an 1899 consultation game in Moscow, Blumenfeld, Boyarkow, and Falk playing White against Lasker tried 6.Qa4+?, but Black wins after this move also. The game continued 6...Nc6 7.Bxb4 Qh4 8.Ne2 Qxf2+ 9.Kd1 Bg4 10.Nc3 0-0-0+ 11.Bd6 cxd6 12.e6 fxe6 13.Kc1 Nf6 14.b4 d5 15.b5 Ne5 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Qc2 Nb4 18.Nd1+ Nxc2 19.Nxf2 Rd2 White resigns.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | 8 | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (volume D) gives 6.fxe3 as the relatively best move. Black gets a slight advantage, but White has avoided the worst and can defend.
Now 7.Kxf2 would lose the queen to 7...Qxd1, so White must play 7.Ke2.
Underpromotion is the key to the trap. (If instead 7...fxg1=Q, then 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Rxg1 is okay for White.) Now 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ skewers White's queen, so the king must move again.
If White tries 9.g3 then the fork 9...Qe4+ wins the rook on h1.
White is hopelessly lost. After 10.Bc3 Bg4 followed by 11...0-0-0+ is crushing.