Fun traps & viral openings

How each trap works, the story behind it, and how to beat it.

Traps

Stafford Gambit As Black · Dubious
Black gives up a pawn for fast, tricky play, and one natural-looking pin can get White mated in eight moves.
ICBM Gambit As White · Dubious
One innocent pawn move by Black, and White's queen flies the length of the board like a missile.
Fried Liver Attack As White · Sound
A knight sacrifice on f7 drags Black's king into the open. It is centuries old, and it still catches players online.
Englund Gambit trap As Black · Dubious
Black throws a pawn at White on move one, and one natural-looking bishop move can end in mate on c1.
Fishing Pole trap As Black · Dubious
Black dangles a knight on g4 like bait on a hook. Bite, and the h-file opens straight onto White's king.
Scholar's Mate As White · Dubious
The four-move checkmate nearly every new player meets once. Here is how it works, and the one pawn move that stops it.

The Cow As White · Meme opening
Two tiny pawn steps and two wandering knights: the meme setup Tyler1 took with him on his climb up the rating list.
Double Bongcloud As White · Meme opening
Both kings march out on move two: the meme opening that Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura played in a real tournament.
Halloween Gambit As White · Unsound
White throws a knight away on move four for one pawn and a scary attack. It is spooky, it is fun, and it is unsound.
Jerome Gambit As White · Unsound
White throws a bishop and then a knight at Black's king. It has a reputation as one of the worst openings ever, and it is glorious fun.

Opening names and lines: Lichess chess-openings (CC0) · Not affiliated with Lichess.