The Magnus Smith Trap, named after Magnus Smith (1869–1934), a renowned Canadian chess champion, is a strategic maneuver that occurs within the Sicilian Defense, one of the most popular chess openings against 1. e4.
In reality, the concept behind this trap bears a striking resemblance to those discussed in our earlier articles (e.g. the trap in Caro-Kann Defense, Breyer Variation). Essentially, the player initiating the attack aims to open up the d-file while both players’ queens remain in their starting positions. The objective is to entice the opponent’s king to move away by sacrificing a bishop, ultimately leading to the capture of the vulnerable queen.