Traxler: The Rook-Grab Mate
Spot the mistake, then find the punishment
Starting positionWhite to move
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The temptation
8.Nxh8 is the move that springs the trap. The knight on f7 attacked the rook after the queen moved away. Capturing h8 seems to justify White's earlier adventure and wins substantial material.
Why it works
8...Qf2# ends the game before the rook matters. The knight on e4 protects f2, preventing Kxf2. The queen checks g1 and covers f1, f2, g2 and h2, while White's own rook blocks h1. ...Qh4 introduced this immediate threat; White's error is the later rook grab, not merely entering a sharp Traxler line. A threatened mate outranks a material-winning fork.
The knight protects the mating queen
Ne4 protects f2. Qf2 mates the king on g1, which is boxed in by the queen's attacks and its own h1 rook.
How to avoid it
After ...Qh4, answer the mate threat rather than taking h8. Earlier, 6.Kf1 declines the bishop sacrifice and avoids the illustrated king walk.
The opening behind it
Learn the sound version of this line and the trick stops being tempting.