The Shilling Trap

The game, move by move

Italian Game

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… e5 The same claim
3. 2. Nf3 Out, hitting e5
4. 2… Nc6 And defended
5. 3. Bc4 The Italian bishop Pointing at f7, which is the square this opening is about — and the square White’s knight reaches on move five, for nothing.
6. 3… Nd4 The knight jumps to d4 Black abandons the pawn on e5 and puts a knight on d4, where trading it off with Nxd4 is simply good for White. The offer is the whole game: everything after this is White taking the pawn instead.

The pawn taken

1. 4. Nxe5 Taken The natural move, and the losing one. The knight on e5 no longer guards g2 or f3, and both of those squares decide the game.
2. 4… Qg5 The queen out to g5 Two threats at once: the knight on e5 and the pawn on g2 behind it. There is no move that saves both.
3. 5. Nxf7 The knight takes f7 White answers with threats of his own — the rook in the corner and the queen on g5, both attacked by the knight on f7. Black ignores both.
4. 5… Qxg2 The queen takes g2 A pawn, and the rook behind it. Black is playing for the king rather than the material, and from here White has nothing.

Mated at home

1. 6. Rf1 The rook steps to f1 Out of the way of the queen, onto the square White’s king would like for himself. It is one of the five pieces that mate him.
2. 6… Qxe4+ Taking e4, with check The queen collects a second pawn and checks down the file. Only one move answers it.
3. 7. Be2 Blocked with the bishop And the bishop is pinned the moment it lands: it stands between the queen on e4 and the king on e1, so it cannot take anything.
4. 7… Nf3# Checkmate The knight that has stood on d4 since move three lands on f3. The bishop that could take it is pinned, and every square around the king is filled by White’s own men — rook, queen, bishop and two pawns. Seven moves.