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Trapped Piece Tactic-- OTB Examples
Compiled by ChessCoachClark
--*--

Here is a compilation of games available in this website's database that show the Trapped Piece tactic, which is limited to games where a chess piece cannot move or has no safe squares available to itself. Setting a trap for material advantage or checkmate is a different topic, not covered in this compilation.

You should also read the article "Trapping Pieces," at Chess.com by WGM Natalia Pogonina (dated June 7, 2011) and work through the three games she has cited there. Her own game with Ikonomopoulou is not available at ChessGames.com, but an interactive version of that game is within the article.

The article is interesting, but the Gelfand-Kamsky game she cites first does have a conclusion with a trap, rather than a trapped piece. (The White Queen is taken after a Discovered Attack-- the Bishop captures a Knight and at the same time the Bishop unmasks an attack from a Rook on that Queen.)

This game collection only includes trapped pieces, that is, those which have no safe place to move.

However, the Pogonina - Ikonomopoulou 2011 game does feature a trapped Knight being attacked by a Pawn and then captured by a different Pawn, so it would be included here if made available.

LTN = Learn Chess Tactics (2004), by John Nunn

Nunn has "Trapped Piece" as Chapter 6, from pages 56-61, with both examples (5 games) and exercises (16 games). Most of them are not included in the ChessGames.com database, though-- none of the games he used to show Trapped Bishops or Trapped Knights are here.

ChessCoachClark (CCC) originated this game collection and he updates it on occasion. This project is a work in progress, culling games from various sources, including several chess training books and personal research. The games are ordered by date (oldest first), not by importance.

Be well.
Be safe.

Trapped Bishop at end of game, but it could capture a Knight
E MacDonald vs Burn, 1910 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 49 moves, 0-1

Queen trapped, attacked with same move to end this game
Alekhine vs M Schroeder, 1924 
(B01) Scandinavian, 15 moves, 1-0

Trapped Queen in center is attacked at end of this game
Reti vs Capablanca, 1924 
(A15) English, 31 moves, 1-0

7.c3 makes a Queen Trap.
P Blechschmidt vs G Weissgerber, 1927 
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 9 moves, 1-0

Knight is trapped by 16. g5
Kashdan vs Koltanowski, 1932 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 20 moves, 1-0

Knight trapped by 36. g5
Reshevsky vs G N Treysman, 1938 
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 42 moves, 1-0

Bishop seals off the attacked Rook, ends this game!
Smyslov vs Tolush, 1961 
(E10) Queen's Pawn Game, 17 moves, 1-0

If 34. g4 Bxh4 35. g5, then the Black Bishop is trapped
Geller vs Mecking, 1970 
(C98) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 48 moves, 1-0

Knight is lost by Pawn capture to trap the Black Rook
V Peresipkin vs V Chekhov, 1976 
(B30) Sicilian, 24 moves, 1-0

Trapped Rook is attacked with 22. Be7
Adorjan vs G Sigurjonsson, 1982
(A33) English, Symmetrical, 38 moves, 1-0

Black Queen has been trapped by the end of this game
Nunn vs Chandler, 1985 
(B96) Sicilian, Najdorf, 22 moves, 1-0

Bishop is trapped by 19. g4 (if Be4, then g3 is final)
Karpov vs V Kveinys, 1988 
(B50) Sicilian, 20 moves, 1-0

Trapped Knight is under attack at the end of this game
Bronstein vs D A Sands, 1989 
(E90) King's Indian, 23 moves, 1-0

Queen is trapped by 26. ... Nf4
P Zarnicki vs G Milos, 1993 
(B44) Sicilian, 29 moves, 0-1

Trapped Bishop at 35. Rc2 forces resignation
Dreev vs J Piket, 1996 
(D38) Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation, 35 moves, 1-0

Trapped Queen; LTN, 59, Exercise #4
Kholmov vs V Shinkevich, 1997 
(B01) Scandinavian, 29 moves, 1-0

Trapped Rook; LTN, 59, Exercise #5
B Kurajica vs Z Sturua, 1997 
(D78) Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6, 41 moves, 1-0

Trapped Queen; LTN, 58, Exercise #1
T Shaked vs Kasparov, 1997 
(D85) Grunfeld, 20 moves, 0-1

Trapped Queen, LTN, 59, Exercise #7
D Pavasovic vs B Rogulj, 1998 
(C45) Scotch Game, 17 moves, 1-0

Trapped Rook; LTN, 61, Exercise #15
D Pavasovic vs A Beliavsky, 1999 
(C45) Scotch Game, 35 moves, 0-1

Trapped Queen; LTN, 57, Example #3
de Firmian vs A Ivanov, 2000 
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 54 moves, 0-1

Attacked Bishop advances to trap the Rook to end this game!
Y Zilberman vs A Kogan, 2000 
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 39 moves, 1-0

Trapped Rook; LTN, 61, Exercise #16
J Ye vs Bacrot, 2001 
(B06) Robatsch, 59 moves, 0-1

Bishop-Pawn Link traps Black Queen at 18. h4
F Sanchez Aller vs A Gonzalez de la Nava, 2001 
(C42) Petrov Defense, 21 moves, 1-0

Knight is trapped, attacked with one Queen move at end
Mamedyarov vs Topalov, 2013 
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 24 moves, 1-0

Trapped Knight; LTN, 56, Diagram #2
Dreev vs H Saldano Dayer, 2002 
(B07) Pirc, 31 moves, 1-0

Trapped Knight attacked by Pawn at 17. ... f6
A Nasybullina vs E Ubiennykh, 2013 
(A03) Bird's Opening, 19 moves, 0-1

Trapped Queen; LTN, 57, Example #4
H A Gretarsson vs H Stefansson, 2002 
(E12) Queen's Indian, 28 moves, 1-0

Trapped Bishop is attacked with 12. ... e5
B Khotenashvili vs Lagno, 2014 
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 27 moves, 0-1

Trapped Queen; LTN, 60, Exercise #13
N Khurtsidze vs S Vokarev, 2002 
(D72) Neo-Grunfeld, 5.cd, Main line, 26 moves, 0-1

24. Kc1 traps Rook; Steinitz said the King is a fighting piece!
Caruana vs A Wojtkiewicz, 2002 
(B27) Sicilian, 45 moves, 1-0

Rook at h5 is trapped in a subtle way
Kasparov vs Shirov, 2004 
(C80) Ruy Lopez, Open, 40 moves, 1-0

17. a3 attacks (En Garde) and traps the Queen!
A Golovkina vs A Vasilyev, 2017 
(B48) Sicilian, Taimanov Variation, 29 moves, 1-0

Trapped Bishop at end of this game to be lost soon
Anand vs Kamsky, 2007 
(B42) Sicilian, Kan, 59 moves, 0-1

Black Rook at d5 is trapped by 21. b4
Radjabov vs Shirov, 2008 
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 29 moves, 1-0

One move traps, attacks Queen in the Center at game's end
Sutovsky vs E Inarkiev, 2009 
(C42) Petrov Defense, 22 moves, 1-0

EOG Traps the White Queen behind enemy lines w/o safety
Jobava vs Grischuk, 2009 
(C43) Petrov, Modern Attack, 16 moves, 0-1

Rook is trapped at the end of this game
D Kokarev vs E Alekseev, 2011 
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 36 moves, 1-0

38 games

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