Lasker Trap
The Lasker Trap in the Albin Countergambit: 4.e3? Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4?? and Black promotes to a knight with check on move seven.
The Albin Countergambit answers the Queen's Gambit with 2...e5 and plants a pawn on d4. Trying to push that pawn away with 4.e3 is the mistake that makes the trap possible. It ends with one of the few underpromotions you will ever see in an opening.
How the Lasker 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.
| Rating | Reached the position | Played 6.Bxb4? | Fall rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900–2100 | 69 games | 21 | 30% |
Sample: up to 1,000,000 rated Lichess games per rating band (May 2024), same move order only.
Among players rated 1800 and higher, 6.Bxb4? was played in 2,786 of the games our puzzles are drawn from. Strong players fall for it too.
How to avoid the Lasker 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.
Lasker Trap
Getting there…6.Bxb4 takes a bishop and ignores the pawn on e3. After 6...exf2+ 7.Ke2 (7.Kxf2 loses the queen on d1) Black plays 7...fxg1=N+! Promoting to a queen would allow 8.Qxd8+, but the knight comes with check. After 8.Ke1 Qh4+ 9.Kd2 Nc6 the white king is in the open and Black is winning.