Ruy Lopez, Mortimer Trap this pitfall had a vogue for many years." Today, 4...Ne7 is rarely seen, and is not mentioned in either "Modern Chess Openings" (which relegates 4.d3 to a footnote, and mentions only 4...d6 in response) or the "Encyclopedia of Chess Openings" (which mentions only 4...d6 and 4...Bc5). Bibliography Ruy Lopez, Mortimer Trap The Mortimer Trap is a chess opening trap in the Ruy Lopez named after James Mortimer. The Mortimer Trap is a true trap in the sense that Black deliberately plays an inferior move hoping to trick White into making a mistake. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
Ruy Lopez play 8.c3, Black can and often does play 8...d6, which is just the main line in another order. But he can also play 8...d5 for the Marshall Attack. One of Black's more aggressive alternatives is the Marshall Attack: after 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 Black plays the gambit 8...d5, sacrificing a pawn. The main line begins with 9.exd5 Nxd5 (9...e4?!, the Herman Steiner variation, is considered weaker) 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 (Marshall's original moves, 11...Nf6, and 11...Bb7 are considered inferior, but have also yielded good results at top levels of play for Black. GM Joel