Opening traps

Sicilian Defense Traps: 4 Real Traps for White and Black

The Sicilian Defense, 1.e4 c5, is the most popular answer to 1.e4, and it is full of sharp lines. That also means it is full of traps. Here are 4 real ones: three for White in the Classical, the Dragon and the Accelerated Dragon, and one for Black in the Kan. Each trap is on its own board with the side lines, and every claim was checked with Stockfish.

8 min readPublished November 2026By Surajit Paul4 traps · 4 boards

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Sicilian Defense trap: the Magnus Smith Trap, 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxd8 - White wins the black queen (Stockfish +5.0 for White)

In this article

Watch the traps (video)
The 4 traps at a glance
Trap 1: The Magnus Smith Trap
Trap 2: The Dragon Bb5+ trap
Trap 3: The Accelerated Dragon f7 trap
Trap 4: The Kan knight fork
What about the Smith-Morra Gambit traps?
How to learn the Sicilian lines behind these traps
FAQ

Watch: Stockfish shows Sicilian Defence traps

Our Stockfish channel video shows opening traps in the Ruy Lopez and the Sicilian Defence. Watch it, then replay the four Sicilian traps below at your own speed.

Stockfish Shows Ocean of Opening Traps After Ruy Lopez and Sicilian Defence | Chess Traps and tricks - video thumbnail — Stockfish Shows Ocean of Opening Traps After Ruy Lopez and Sicilian Defence | Chess Traps and tricks

The 4 Sicilian Defense Traps at a glance

#	Trap	For	The mistake	Stockfish after it	What it wins
1	The Magnus Smith Trap	White	8...dxe5??	+5.0	The queen
2	The Dragon Bb5+ Trap	White	6...Ng4??	+4.5	A knight
3	The Accelerated Dragon f7 Trap	White	9...Ne8??	+4.0	The queen
4	The Kan Knight Fork	Black	10.Kxf2??	-4.5	The queen

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 evaluations: + means White is better, - means Black is better.

Sicilian Defense traps for White

Most Sicilian traps punish Black for a natural-looking move in the open lines after 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4. Three of the best known are in the Classical, the Dragon and the Accelerated Dragon.

WHITE TRAPTrap 1: The Magnus Smith Trap (Classical Sicilian, 8...dxe5??)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 g6Black falls for it with 8...dxe5??9.Bxf7+! wins the queen (+5.0)

Black plays a Dragon set-up against the Sozin bishop on c4. After 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 the natural capture on e5 opens the d-file, and a bishop check on f7 pulls the king away from the queen. Press Play, then try the side lines.

How to avoid it: meet 6.Bc4 with 6...e6. If you already played 6...g6, answer 8.e5 with 8...Ng4! (Stockfish +0.5), never 8...dxe5.

WHITE TRAPTrap 2: The Dragon Bb5+ Trap (6.Be3 Ng4??)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3Black falls for it with 6...Ng4??7.Bb5+! wins the knight (+4.5)

In the Dragon, Black jumps at the bishop on e3 with ...Ng4. It works in the Najdorf, but in the Dragon there is no pawn on a6, so a bishop check on b5 comes first and the queen takes the knight. Press Play.

How to avoid it: as Black, play 6...Bg7 first. The ...Ng4 jump only works when ...a6 stops Bb5+.

WHITE TRAPTrap 3: The Accelerated Dragon f7 Trap (8...Na5? 9.e5)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 ... 8.Bb3 Na5?Black falls for it with 9...Ne8??10.Bxf7+! and 11.Ne6!! win the queen (+4.0)

Black tries to swap off the bishop on b3 with ...Na5. White kicks the f6 knight with e5, and after the retreat to e8 the bishop sacrifice on f7 and the knight jump to e6 win the black queen. Press Play.

How to avoid it: as Black, play 8...d6 (Stockfish +0.3). After 8...Na5 9.e5 the best try is 9...Nxb3, but White is still better.

Sicilian trap for Black

Black has traps too. In the Kan Variation (4...a6) the bishop on a7 and the knight on f6 punish a greedy queen.

BLACK TRAPTrap 4: The Kan Knight Fork (9...Bxf2+! 10.Kxf2??)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.Qg4White falls for it with 10.Kxf2??10...Ng4+! wins the queen (-4.5)

A trap for Black. White grabs the g7 pawn with the queen. The queen hides on h6, but Black gives the bishop on f2, and if the king takes it, the knight forks the king and the queen. Press Play.

How to avoid it: as White, do not grab g7: play 8.Qg3 (Stockfish +0.5). If you did take, answer 9...Bxf2+ with 10.Kd1!, never 10.Kxf2.

What about the Smith-Morra Gambit traps?

The Smith-Morra Gambit (2.d4 cxd4 3.c3) has its own famous traps, among them the Siberian Trap, where Black mates or wins the queen with ...Nd4 and ...Qxh2. They are all on our Smith-Morra Gambit traps page, so we do not repeat them here. For the other ways White can avoid the Open Sicilian, read the anti-Sicilian guide.

How to learn the Sicilian lines behind these traps

Every trap here comes from one wrong idea: a pawn or piece that looks free, or a jump that works in a different line. The best defence is to know the plans. Start with our Sicilian Defense guide, then the Dragon, Accelerated Dragon, Najdorf and Taimanov and Kan guides.

Sicilian Defense Traps FAQ

What is the most famous Sicilian Defense trap?

The Magnus Smith Trap: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 g6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 dxe5?? 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxd8 and White wins the queen. It is named after Magnus Smith, a three-time Canadian champion. The Siberian Trap in the Smith-Morra Gambit is also very famous.

Is there a Sicilian trap for Black?

Yes. In the Kan, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.Qg4 Nf6 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qh6 Bxf2+! 10.Kxf2?? Ng4+ Black forks the king and queen. The Siberian Trap in the Smith-Morra Gambit is another trap for Black.

What are the best Sicilian Defense traps for White?

The Magnus Smith Trap (8.e5 and 9.Bxf7+), the Dragon trap 6.Be3 Ng4?? 7.Bb5+, and the Accelerated Dragon trap 8...Na5? 9.e5 Ne8?? 10.Bxf7+ Kxf7 11.Ne6. All three win a piece or the queen.

Why does 6...Ng4 work in the Najdorf but not in the Dragon?

In the Najdorf Black has already played ...a6, so White has no Bb5+ check. In the Dragon the b5 square is open, and 7.Bb5+ gains the time White needs to play Qxg4.

How do I avoid the Magnus Smith Trap?

Answer 6.Bc4 with 6...e6. If you play 6...g6 and White goes 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5, play 8...Ng4, which Bobby Fischer called the correct move. Never take with 8...dxe5.

Is "Sicilian Defence traps" the same as "Sicilian Defense traps"?

Yes. Defence is the British spelling and Defense the American one. It is the same opening, 1.e4 c5, and the same traps.

Set these traps in your own games

Play the Sicilian against a bot and see if it walks into the Magnus Smith Trap.

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