10 Most Effective Traps in Englund Gambit

Learning these traps in the Englund Gambit, you will be able to win a bishop, a queen or even checkmate in less than 10 moves.

The Englund Gambit begins with 1…e5 (after 1.d4), a move that could catch many opponents off guard. By sacrifices a pawn early, Black aims to disrupt White’s plans and set the stage for an unconventional game. White can accept the gambit with 2. dxe5, grabbing the pawn offered by Black. This move seems advantageous for White, but it opens up possibilities for Black to counter-attack and create imbalances on the board.

Englund Gambit Complex: Trap One

This particular variation stands out as one of the most renowned traps in chess, with over 165,000 players succumbing to it on Lichess alone.

Englund Gambit Complex: Trap Two

There were more than 143,000 chess players walking right into this trap.

Englund Gambit Complex: Trap Three

Englund Gambit Complex: Trap Four

Won the Queen in this Gambit

A staggering 468,466 players have fallen into this trap. It’s easy to set up and convert.

Other variation to Won the Queen

Another Queen Capture in this Gambit

Checkmate in 7 moves in Englund Gambit

7% of the time White fell into this trap. If the trap doesn’t work, Black has some counterplay on the E file, due to White’s double pawn.

Won a Bishop

You will see how poorly White played in this variation. However, more than 56,000 players have made moves like this and lost the bishop.

Other variation to Win a Bishop

You might not believe it, but more than 310,000 players lost their bishop like this. It came from the Englund Gambit Complex mentioned earlier in this article.

Grandmaster Falls for the Englund Gambit!

You read that right! Check out this incredible game where GothamChess, aka IM Levy Rozman, takes down GM Zdenko Kozul with the exact sequence of moves you just learned. Sure, it might have been a mouseslip, or maybe Kozul misremembered the sequence, but the result speaks for itself.

Regardless, the Englund Gambit remains one of the most exciting openings to try, with thousands of players falling for it every single day.

Openings like these are not just traps, as they’re lessons in staying sharp. If you’re loving this, why not check out the Alien Gambit, a wild new trend in chess, or the Legal Trap, where clever tactics turn the tables on unsuspecting opponents. Dive into these and add more fun surprises to your games.