A former student from decades past messaged me wondering if I still had a copy of my “Scandalous Scandinavian Traps.” The referenced traps were taught to a star filled group of future chess masters in Fremont, California.
As I sit back reminiscing about those spirited Saturday afternoons in Fremont, California, the chess group’s overall enthusiasm and tactical aptitude left an indelible mark on my heart. It was a rare joy to coach such a brilliant small group of kids; Five of them went on to achieve the prestigious title of chess masters, showcasing the skills we honed together over countless weekends. Remarkably, two of my former students have achieved the Silicon Valley dream, running their own innovative companies, changing the landscape of technology. And then there’s the one who reached the pinnacle of success, a billionaire whose name now resonates in business circles. Each success story reminds me that those afternoons weren’t just about chess; they were about controlling the outcome, playing aggressively, and achieving goals.
Luckily, I keep records of lessons because I had honesty forgotten about the “Scandalous Scandinavian Traps.” For those who don’t already know, the Scandinavian Defense is defined by the moves 1. e4 d5. With 1.. d5 Black immediately strikes at the center and forces White to make a commitment while sidestepping more mainstream openings like the Italian or Ruy Lopez.
After White captures the central pawn with 2. exd5, Black can immediately recaptures the pawn with 2… Qxd5, taking space and placing the Queen on a powerful central square. However, Blacks’s Queen is an easy target for White who should gain “tempo” (a free turn) by developing their Knight to c3 with a threat.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3.
The threatened Queen generally escapes to a5 or d8, both of which have been championed at the highest levels. However, my star pupils in Fremont were well prepared for either continuation and our plan of attack became known as the “Scandalous Scandinavian Traps!” I hope my readers enjoy them now as much my famous Saturday afternoon chess group in Fremont did decades ago.
[Event “Scandalous Scandinavian 1”]
[Site “Fremont”]
[Date “2010.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “You”]
[Black “You”]
[Result “1-0”]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Qh5 7.hxg4 Qxh1 8.Ne2
Nxg4 9.Ng3
1-0
[Event “Scandalous Scandinavian 1”]
[Site “Fremont”]
[Date “2010.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “You”]
[Black “You”]
[Result “1-0”]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Qh5 7.hxg4 Qxh1 8.Ne2
Nxg4 9.Ng3
1-0