The Monticelli Trap refers to a move sequence within the Bogo-Indian Defense, which was named after the Italian chess player Mario Monticelli. It originated from the Monticelli versus Ladislav Prokeš game played in Budapest in 1926. While it is commonly referred to as a “trap” due to its potential to allow White to win the exchange, Black is able to secure some form of compensation.
Ladislav Prokeš (7 June 1884 – 9 January 1966) was a Czech chess master and one of the most prolific composers of endgame studies in chess. He was born and died in Prague. We will get back to him in our series of endgame strategies, as one of the typical positions (the Prokeš maneuver) was named after him.