The Ruy Lopez, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, is one of the oldest and most played openings in chess. It also has some of the oldest traps. Two traps in this article are for Black: the famous Noah's Ark Trap and the Mortimer Trap. Two are for White: both carry the name of Siegbert Tarrasch. Each trap is on its own board with the side lines, a Stockfish evaluation and a short "how to avoid it". For the plans and main lines, see our Ruy Lopez opening guide.
8 min readPublished November 2026By Surajit Paul4 traps · 4 boards
In this video from our channel, Stockfish shows opening traps in the Ruy Lopez and the Sicilian Defence. Watch it, then replay each trap on the boards below at your own speed.
Stockfish Shows Ocean of Opening Traps After Ruy Lopez and Sicilian Defence | Chess Traps and tricks
How to use the boards: press ▶ Play or tap a move. The buttons above each board switch to the side lines (what if the other player plays something else). Arrows show the threats; draw your own with a right-click drag. The numbers are Stockfish 18 evaluations: + means White is better, - means Black is better.
Ruy Lopez traps for Black
Both Black traps use the same idea: Black gives a pawn, and a white piece that takes it ends up with no squares. They are the best known Ruy Lopez traps for Black.
BLACK TRAPTrap 1: The Noah's Ark Trap
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.d4 b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4White falls for it with 8.Qxd4??11...c4 - the b3 bishop is trapped
The most famous Ruy Lopez trap. Black gives the e5 pawn, and when the white queen takes it back on d4, the pawns march ...c5 and ...c4 and the bishop on b3 is shut in. Press Play, then try the side lines.
How to avoid it: as White, after 7...exd4 do not take with the queen. Play 8.c3 or 8.Bd5. Even earlier, 5.c3 or 5.O-O keeps the bishop a retreat square on c2.
BLACK TRAPTrap 2: The Mortimer Trap (Berlin Defence)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Ne7White falls for it with 5.Nxe5?6...Qa5+ - Black wins a knight
A trap for Black in the Berlin. The knight goes back to e7 and leaves e5 without a guard. If White takes the pawn, ...c6 hits the bishop, and ...Qa5+ picks up the knight on e5. One side line even ends in mate. Press Play.
How to avoid it: as White, do not take on e5 after 4...Ne7. Play 5.c3 or 5.Nc3. If you already took, 6.Nxf7 limits the loss to a piece for two pawns.
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Ruy Lopez traps for White
Both White traps punish one natural move in a main line: 11...Qd7 in the Open Ruy Lopez and 7...O-O in the Steinitz Defence. Siegbert Tarrasch studied both, so both carry his name.
WHITE TRAPTrap 3: The Tarrasch Trap (Open Ruy Lopez)
Open Ruy Lopez: 5...Nxe4 ... 10.Re1 O-O 11.Nd4Black falls for it with 11...Qd7??13.Rxe4! - White wins a piece
A trap for White in the Open Ruy Lopez. Black plays the normal main line, then puts the queen on d7. White swaps on e6 and takes the e4 knight with the rook: the d5 pawn cannot take back. Press Play.
How to avoid it: as Black, after 11.Nd4 play 11...Nxe5. Keep the queen off the d-file while the knight on e4 depends on the d5 pawn.
WHITE TRAPTrap 4: The Dresden Trap (Steinitz Defence)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1Black falls for it with 7...O-O?18.c4 - White wins the exchange
The second trap with Tarrasch's name, from his own game against Marco at Dresden 1892. In the old Steinitz Defence, castling on move 7 loses the e5 pawn, and natural moves after that lose the exchange. Press Play.
How to avoid it: as Black, play 7...exd4 before you castle. Do not hold the e5 pawn with ...d6 and ...Bd7 when White has pieces on b5, c3, d4 and e1.
Where the names come from
The Noah's Ark Trap has an unclear name. Some say the black pawns on a6, b5 and c4 look like an ark; others say the trap is as old as Noah's Ark. Strong players have fallen for it too: Endre Steiner lost to Jose Raul Capablanca with it at Budapest 1929. Alexander Alekhine even recommended 8.Qxd4 in his book of the New York 1924 tournament.
The Mortimer Trap is named after James Mortimer, who played 4...Ne7 at the London tournament of 1883. He lost all three games with it there. The winner of that tournament, Johannes Zukertort, also tried it.
The Tarrasch Trap in the Open Ruy Lopez caught Zukertort (Frankfurt 1887) and Isidor Gunsberg (Manchester 1890). The second Tarrasch trap is also called the Dresden Trap: Tarrasch published the analysis in 1891, and Georg Marco walked into it against him at Dresden 1892.
How to play the Ruy Lopez without falling into traps
The four traps above share three simple lessons:
As White, give the b3 bishop a way home. In the Noah's Ark Trap the bishop is lost because c2 is blocked and a4 is covered. A pawn on c3 opens c2 for it.
Count the guards of a loose piece. In the Tarrasch Trap the e4 knight has one guard, the d5 pawn, and that pawn cannot move while the d-file is open.
A free pawn is often bait. In the Mortimer Trap the e5 pawn costs White a piece, and in the Dresden Trap the "safe" castling move costs Black a pawn.
It is a trap for Black: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.d4 b5 6.Bb3 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4?? c5 and ...c4 traps the white bishop on b3. White gets only two pawns for it.
Is there a Ruy Lopez trap for White?
Yes. In the Open Ruy Lopez, 11...Qd7?? loses a piece to 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Rxe4! (the Tarrasch Trap). In the Steinitz Defence, 7...O-O? loses a pawn, and more if Black plays on naturally (the Dresden Trap).
What are the best Ruy Lopez traps for Black?
The Noah's Ark Trap (8.Qxd4?? c5) and the Mortimer Trap (3...Nf6 4.d3 Ne7 5.Nxe5? c6! with ...Qa5+). Both catch a white piece that grabs a pawn.
What is the Mortimer Trap?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Ne7, the e5 pawn looks free. If 5.Nxe5? c6! and the bishop has to move, 6...Qa5+ wins the knight on e5. If 6.Nc4 cxb5?? White mates with 7.Nd6#, so Black plays 6...Ng6 first.
What is the Tarrasch Trap?
Two traps carry the name. In the Open Ruy Lopez: 9.c3 Be7 10.Re1 O-O 11.Nd4 Qd7?? 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Rxe4 wins a piece. In the Steinitz Defence (the Dresden Trap), 7...O-O? lost to Tarrasch against Marco in 1892.
Is the Ruy Lopez good for beginners?
Yes. The ideas are simple: develop, castle, and press on e5. The traps here show the two things to watch: the b3 bishop needs a retreat square, and loose pieces need guards.
Set these traps in your own games
Play the Ruy Lopez against a bot and see who walks into the Noah's Ark first.
