The most-played opening traps, engine-verified
89 traps across 20 openings. Every entry is a genuinely frequent mistake, with the exact engine refutation and the material it loses.
Method: Stockfish screening (depth 14 then 22), refutation = best engine moves. Frequencies: real Lichess games 1400-2200+, blitz, rapid and classical. Whatever failed verification is not published.
The 12 most played
Nimzowitsch DefenseNd4 ?
11.9% of players · 739,035 games
Italian GameQf6 ?
21.5% of players · 522,259 games
Queen's Gambit DeclinedBg4 ?
39.7% of players · 488,815 games
King's Gambitfxe5 ?
5.1% of players · 360,239 games
Italian GameBb5 ?
12.8% of players · 268,202 games
Italian Gameexf6 ?
15% of players · 242,373 games
Scotch GameNf6 ?
5.6% of players · 217,205 games
King's Gambitfxe5 ?
90.3% of players · 191,076 games
Italian GameKg8 ?
6.2% of players · 151,827 games
Sicilian DefenseNxe4 ?
13.9% of players · 133,825 games
Italian GameKe1 ?
21.6% of players · 104,263 games
Scotch GameBe7 ?
15.5% of players · 94,890 games
By opening
- Italian Game18
- Sicilian Defense17
- King's Gambit11
- French Defense6
- Scotch Game5
- Ruy Lopez5
- Queen's Gambit Declined4
- Vienna Game4
- Caro-Kann4
- Alekhine Defense2
- Tarrasch Defense2
- Bishop's Opening2
- Slav Defense2
- Nimzowitsch Defense1
- Polish Opening1
- English Opening1
- Four Knights Game1
- Scandinavian1
- Queen's Gambit Accepted1
- Blackmar-Diemer Gambit1