D51 · Opening trap · Queen's Gambit Declined
Elephant Trap
The Elephant Trap: in the Queen's Gambit Declined White takes on d5 because the f6 knight is pinned, and loses a piece to ...Nxd5 and ...Bb4+.
Set byBlack
Losing move6.Nxd5? → 6...Nxd5!
Black's knight on f6 is pinned to the queen, so the d5 pawn looks free. It is not. This is one of the first traps every 1.d4 player meets.
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How the Elephant Trap works
Click a card to see it on the board, then play the punishment yourself.
How often does it work?
Counted in real rated Lichess games, not estimated.
Among players rated 1800 and higher, 6.Nxd5? was played in 2,900 of the games our puzzles are drawn from. Strong players fall for it too.
How to avoid the Elephant Trap
What White should play instead.
Now spot it in a real game
Knowing a trap by name is not the same as seeing it at the board. Solve positions from real games until the pattern fires by itself.
Elephant Trap
Getting there…6.Nxd5 relies on the pin, but Black can break it: 6...Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+. The only way to block the check is 8.Qd2, and after 8...Bxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Kxd8 Black has a knight for a pawn.