Caro-Kann: The ...Bxh5 Bishop Trap
Spot the mistake, then find the punishment
Starting positionWhite to move
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The temptation
7...Bxh5 is the move that springs the trap. The bishop takes a pawn and seems to escape the pawn attack. Black counts the capture without checking the newly opened h-file.
Why it works
8.Rxh5 wins the bishop for a pawn: h2, h3 and h4 are now empty, so the rook on h1 can travel directly to h5. The knight on g3 also attacks h5. ...Bg6 itself is normal Caro-Kann theory; the mistake is the later ...Bxh5, not developing the bishop outside the pawn chain. Before capturing a pawn that has advanced from in front of a rook, trace the rook's entire file.
A pawn push uncovers its own rook
The h-pawn has vacated h2 through h4. The h1 rook uses that clear file to capture the bishop on h5.
How to avoid it
After 7.h5, retreat with 7...Bf5 or consider 7...Be4 rather than capturing on h5. The main-line 6...h6 prepares ...Bh7 and is another sound way to handle h4.
The opening behind it
Learn the sound version of this line and the trick stops being tempting.