Opening traps › Caro-Kann Defense
Caro-Kann Smothered Mate
A trap for White in the Caro-Kann Defense. Black's natural-looking Ngf6 gives White mate.
The moves
How it works
With the queen on e2, the knight on d7 blocks the king's last square. Developing the other knight allows Nd6#.
What it wins
White gets mate.
How Black avoids it
The knight on d7 blocks the king's last square, and the queen on e2 pins the e-pawn: Nd6 is mate. The safe move is Ndf6.
Practise the Caro-Kann Defense as WhiteThe trainer plays the moves real players at your rating choose, and springs this trap when they do.