Chess traps
The Noah's Ark Trap in the Ruy Lopez
The Noah's Ark trap is a Ruy Lopez trap in which Black's queenside pawns, advancing with ...a6, ...b5, ...c5, and ...c4, trap White's light-squared bishop on b3. White falls into it by recapturing on d4 with the queen.
Example
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. d4 b5 6. Bb3 Nxd4 7. Nxd4 exd4 8. Qxd4 c5 9. Qd5 Be6 10. Qc6+ Bd7 11. Qd5 c4
8.Qxd4 walks into 8...c5, which hits the queen and prepares c4. The queen cannot stay near the bishop, and 11...c4 traps it on b3. White gets one or two pawns for a whole bishop.
How the trap works
After 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6, the Modern Steinitz, White plays 5.d4, and Black chases the bishop with 5...b5 6.Bb3. Black then trades knights with 6...Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4. If White recaptures with the queen, 8.Qxd4, Black plays 8...c5, attacking the queen with a tempo and threatening ...c4.
The bishop on b3 has no escape: a2 and c2 are occupied by White's own pawns, and a4 and c4 are covered by the pawn on b5. In the example, White's queen tries to keep watch with Qd5 and Qc6+, but 11...c4 traps the bishop anyway.
Why the natural move fails and what to play instead
8.Qxd4 looks like a normal recapture, but it puts the queen where ...c5 attacks it with gain of time. Once ...c5 comes with tempo, nothing stops ...c4.
White should not recapture with the queen. 8.c3, offering a pawn, or 8.a4, attacking b5, are the standard moves, and with either one White has a sound position. The point is to give the bishop an escape or to break up Black's pawns.
Why the name
The name is usually explained as a joke about how old the trap is, as old as Noah's Ark. The pattern of a bishop on b3 trapped by a6, b5, and c4 appears in many Ruy Lopez lines, so it is worth knowing for both sides.
Common questions
Can White save the bishop after 8...c5?
No. The bishop is lost. White can try Bxc4 to get pawns for it after ...c4, but Black stays a piece for a pawn or two up.
Does the same trap happen in other Ruy Lopez lines?
Yes. Whenever White's bishop sits on b3 and Black can play ...c5 and ...c4 with tempo, the bishop may be trapped. Playing c3 early gives the bishop a retreat to c2, and a4 attacks Black's b5 pawn.
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