60. The Noah's Ark Trap: How to Avoid It and Win

The Noah's Ark Trap springs if White recaptures 8.Qxd4?: after 8...c5 9.Qd5 Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qd5 c4 the b3-bishop is trapped. With 8.c3 White avoids the trap and gets development and open lines in exchange for a pawn.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.d4 b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.c3 dxc3 9.Qd5 Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qxc3

Move by move

1.e4 – White takes the centre and opens the diagonals for the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Ruy Lopez this pawn will often be at the heart of the fight: Black will attack it with ...Nf6 and, in the Open Variation, will even capture it with ...Nxe4.
1...e5 – Black answers symmetrically: it contests d4 and f4, prevents e4-e5 and frees the f8-bishop. From here White will build the whole Ruy Lopez on pressure against this pawn.
2.Nf3 – Develops the knight with a direct attack on the e5 pawn, which now has to be defended. The knight also prepares kingside castling and supports a future d2-d4 push.
2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing a piece and controlling d4. This very knight, the only defender of e5, will be the target of White's next move.
3.Bb5 – The Ruy Lopez: the bishop attacks the c6-knight, the defender of e5. There is no immediate threat yet (Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Qd4 regains the pawn), but the pressure on c6 will last throughout the opening.
3...a6 – Morphy's move: it asks the bishop to decide right away. After 4.Ba4 Black can break the pin with ...b5 whenever it likes; after 4.Bxc6 it gets the bishop pair.
4.Ba4 – The bishop retreats but keeps the pressure on c6: the threat of Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 will come back once White has castled. Black can break the diagonal with ...b5 whenever it wants.
4...d6 – The Modern Steinitz: with ...a6 already inserted, Black can break the pin with ...b5 whenever it wants. The d6 pawn supports e5.
5.d4 – White attacks e5: the c6-knight is pinned by the a4-bishop, so the defence of e5 is awkward.
5...b5 – Black breaks the pin by driving the bishop back.
6.Bb3 – The bishop retreats to b3, on the diagonal towards f7. But on b3 it can be trapped by the black pawns.
6...Nxd4 – Black takes on d4 and prepares the Noah's Ark Trap: if White retakes with the queen, ...c5 and ...c4 will trap the b3-bishop.
7.Nxd4 – The knight exchanges on d4: after ...exd4 White must not retake with the queen.
7...exd4 – Black recaptures with the pawn: now the natural move 8.Qxd4 would fall into the trap.
8.c3 – White avoids 8.Qxd4? c5 9.Qd5 Be6 10.Qc6+ Bd7 11.Qd5 c4, which traps the b3-bishop. Instead it offers a pawn for development.
8...dxc3 – Black accepts the c3 pawn: now the long diagonal is open and the white queen can enter on d5.
9.Qd5 – The queen attacks the a8-rook along the long diagonal, now free.
9...Be6 – The bishop attacks the d5-queen to gain a tempo, but does not defend the a8-rook.
10.Qc6+ – A check that keeps up the attack on the a8-rook.
10...Bd7 – Black parries the check by attacking the queen again.
11.Qxc3 – The queen retreats, taking the c3 pawn. White is a pawn down, but has more development and open lines.

How to exploit the position

White is a pawn down but has a good lead in development; Black has weak c7 and d6 pawns on the open files. The trap works because the b3-bishop has no retreats after ...c5 and ...c4: as White you avoid it by not retaking on d4 with the queen.

The c7 pawn on the open c-file is a target: keep the queen on c3 against it.
Bd5 hits the a8-rook along the long diagonal.
Castle, develop Nc3 or Nd2 and bring a rook to d1 against the d6 pawn.
Be3 controls the dark squares and completes development.

Master tips

Don't retake on d4 with the queen

If Black plays ...Nxd4 and ...exd4, 8.Qxd4? allows ...c5 and ...c4, which trap the b3-bishop.