Opening Traps/know them from both sides/B01/You play White

Scandinavian: Timman's Knight

c5 kicks the knight to d5, Qb3 hits it and b7, and one careless pawn move later Ne5 wins a piece. It ended a game between masters in eight moves.

Coachedanswers the move you actually played

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Stockfish+0.36

Move 0 of 19 · White up

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Variations3 of 3

Timman's knightFoundation8 moves Sidestepping it: 6...N6d7as BlackFoundation9 moves Deep dive: taking the bishopStructureWhere the master game stopped, the engine plays on: Black gives up the bishop and takes a pawn back, and White is a piece up with the knight back in the centre.10 moves

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

StartBefore the first move

The starting position. White moves first, and that single tempo is the whole reason opening theory exists.

The moves in the text are buttons. Press one and the board beside it shows the position.

The idea in one paragraph

In the Modern Scandinavian, , the push asks the knight where it is going. Back to d7 is safe. Forward to d5 puts it in the path of , which attacks it and the b7-pawn. And by leaving d1, the queen unpins the f3-knight. If Black then saves the b7-pawn with , the c6-square loses its pawn guard, and attacks the g4-bishop: every retreat runs into Bb5+ with no ...c6 to block it. Timman–Bakkali, Nice Olympiad 1974, ended right there, 1-0 after eight moves.

The pawn structure

No pawn structure to study: two lines decide it. The b3–d5 diagonal and the b-file meet at the queen on b3, which attacks the d5-knight and the b7-pawn together. The a4–e8 diagonal is the other one: as long as a pawn can come to c6, a bishop check on b5 is harmless. ...b6 takes that pawn away.

The plans

♔ White’s plans

Against , kick the knight with . It has to choose between d7 and d5.
If it goes to d5, hits it and b7, and unpins the f3-knight at the same time.
After , attacks the g4-bishop, and Bb5+ waits behind every retreat.

♚ Black’s plans

Answer with The knight is out of the queen's path, and nothing is hanging.
If you are already on d5 when the queen comes to b3, guard b7 with , not with a pawn move: it is passive, and it is a game.
Then develop as normal: ...Bxf3 when the pin is about to be broken, ...Nc6 and ...e5 against White's centre.

Traps and things that lose games

Timman's knight

and the g4-bishop is lost. The cure: , or .

Its Scandinavian neighbour, from the other chair

the Portuguese e-file pin, where it is White who puts a piece on the wrong file.

1.e4 players who meet the Scandinavian, and Scandinavian players who like 2...Nf6 and ...Bg4. The trap is short enough to fall into in a blitz game and strong enough that a 2200 player lost to it at an Olympiad.

Your learning path: Scandinavian: Timman's Knight

Beginner → Intermediate

One trap from both chairs: spring Timman's knight against the Scandinavian, and send the knight to d7 when you are the one defending.

FoundationOne sitting
Goal. Spring it as White, and never fall for it as Black.
- The three White moves: c5, Qb3, Ne5. Each one only works because of the move Black just made.
- Why ...b6 is the blunder: it takes the pawn guard off c6, so Bb5+ cannot be blocked.
- From Black's chair: 6...N6d7, and 7...Bc8 if the knight is already on d5.
DrillDrill the trap as White, then the sidestep as Black. Then set up the position after 7.Qb3 and list what each of Black's pawn moves uncovers.
Common mistakePlaying 8.Ne5 when Black can still block a check with ...c6. The knight move wins a piece only after ...b6.
Move on whenYou can explain, without a board, why the g4-bishop has no safe square after 8.Ne5.
StructureAfter the Scandinavian chapter
Goal. Convert the extra piece as White, and play the 6...N6d7 middlegame as Black.
- The deep dive: 8...e6 9.Nxg4 bxc5 10.Ne5, and development before material.
- As Black: ...Bxf3, ...Nc6 and ...e5 against White's centre, and castling before the e-file opens.
DrillPlay the position after 10.Ne5 against an engine as White, and the position after 9...e5 as Black.
Common mistakeGrabbing the c5-pawn as Black and leaving the king in the centre. The engine's line wins it, and White still stands better.
Move on whenYou win the extra piece cleanly as White, and as Black you reach move ten of the sidestep without thinking.

Whose games to study

The game itself: Timman–Bakkali, Nice Olympiad 1974, 1-0 in eight moves. Every evaluation here comes from Stockfish at depth twenty.

What to learn after this

The Scandinavian Defence course, and the Portuguese e-file pin, the trap Black sets in the same opening.