45. Modern Steinitz: Punishing the Blunder 6...Nxe4?

One of the most famous traps of the Steinitz: if Black plays 5.c3 Nf6 6.d4 Nxe4?, White replies 7.d5! b5 8.Bc2! attacking both black knights at once and winning a clean piece.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.c3 Nf6 6.d4 Nxe4 7.d5 b5 8.Bc2

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.c3 – Prepares d4 and gives the bishop the retreat to c2.
5...Nf6 – Develops the knight and attacks e4. The c6-knight is, however, still pinned by the a4-bishop.
6.d4 – White occupies the centre and leaves e4 apparently undefended.
6...Nxe4 – Mistake: Black takes e4, but the c6-knight is pinned and the d5 push attacks it.
7.d5 – The pawn attacks the pinned c6-knight, which cannot move.
7...b5 – Black breaks the pin by attacking the a4-bishop, so that the c6-knight can move.
8.Bc2 – The bishop saves itself and attacks the e4-knight: now both black knights are en prise and Black loses one of them.

How to exploit the position

Two black knights are attacked, one by d5 and one by Bc2: White wins a piece. The trap works because after 5...Nf6 the c6-knight is still pinned; as Black you avoid it by playing ...Bd7 or ...b5 first.

Take the knight that remains en prise: dxc6 or Bxe4.
Watch out for shots like ...Nxc3 or ...Nxf2: recapture and count the material.
After winning the piece, castle and develop: the material advantage decides.

Master tips

The theme of two knights under attack

After 7.d5! the c6-knight must move, but if Black plays 7...b5 to counterattack the a4-bishop, the saving move 8.Bc2! attacks the e4-knight!