What is the idea behind the Magnus Smith Trap?

The Dragon fianchetto is one move too early and the queen falls. In practice that means: Play the Sozin setup with Bc4 against the Sicilian, eyeing f7; Punish an early …g6 while the f6-knight is still pinned to nothing but the d8-queen; Trade on c6 to wreck the structure and open the a2–g8 diagonal.

Is the Magnus Smith Trap good for beginners?

It is rated Intermediate here: the plans are quick to pick up, but a few moves have to be played accurately to get the position you want.

What are the plans after the Magnus Smith Trap?

White: Set the Sozin bishop on c4 and keep it pointed at f7 — that square is the whole plan. Black: Play …a6 or …Bg7 before …g6 in the Sozin — the move order is not optional.

All chess openings

Magnus Smith Trap

B57 · Played as white · Intermediate · Traps & Tricks

The Dragon fianchetto is one move too early and the queen falls

Also known as Sicilian Dragon trap, Sozin trap, Nxc6 e5 trap.

The main line

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 g6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 dxe5 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxd8

Strategic ideas

Play the Sozin setup with Bc4 against the Sicilian, eyeing f7
Punish an early …g6 while the f6-knight is still pinned to nothing but the d8-queen
Trade on c6 to wreck the structure and open the a2–g8 diagonal
Push e5 to deflect the f6-knight away from defending the h5–e8 diagonal
Finish with Bxf7+ and Qxd8, winning the queen for two minor pieces

Key themes

Tactics — A four-move forcing sequence that turns a normal-looking Dragon into a lost position
Attack — Everything points at f7 from move six — the Sozin bishop does all the work
King Safety — Black fianchettoes to make the king safe and gets it dragged out before it ever castles

Typical plans

Named after a Canadian master, this is the reason Dragon players are careful about move orders. With the bishop on c4 in the Sozin setup, Black's natural …g6 is a move too soon: White plays Nxc6 to damage the structure, then e5! to deflect the f6-knight, and Bxf7+ drags the king out so Qxd8 wins the queen. It's a clean, forcing sequence, and the whole thing is prevented by playing …Bg7 or …a6 first. Every trap here is really a lesson about move order.

Move by move

e4 — White claims the centre.
c5 — Black answers asymmetrically with the Sicilian.
Nf3 — White develops, attacking c5.
Nc6 — Black develops, controlling d4.
d4 — White opens the centre.
cxd4 — Black takes toward the centre with tempo.
Nxd4 — White recaptures with the knight.
Nf6 — Black develops and hits e4.
Nc3 — White defends e4 and develops.
d6 — Black shores up the centre.
Bc4 — White plays the Sozin bishop to c4. It's aimed straight at f7, and everything that follows runs through that square.
g6 — Black starts the Dragon fianchetto. It's completely natural and it's the losing move — …a6 or …Bg7 first was essential.
Nxc6 — White trades on c6, damaging the structure and, crucially, removing a defender.
bxc6 — Black must recapture with the b-pawn; …Bxc6 loses the exchange on a8 after e5.
e5 — White pushes e5, attacking the f6-knight — the only piece guarding the h5–e8 diagonal and d5.
dxe5 — Black takes, since moving the knight allows Bxf7+ anyway.
Bxf7+ — White plays Bxf7+, dragging the king out.
Kxf7 — Black must take.
Qxd8 — White takes the queen — and there's no recapture, because the c8-bishop blocks the rook's path to d8. Black has a bishop for the queen, a king stranded on f7 and wrecked queenside pawns. The game is effectively over on move ten.

Where the line leads

White's plans

Set the Sozin bishop on c4 and keep it pointed at f7 — that square is the whole plan
Look for Nxc6 followed by e5 whenever Black's f6-knight is the only defender of d5 and h5
Take the queen and consolidate; a queen for one bishop is a winning material edge

Black's plans

Play …a6 or …Bg7 before …g6 in the Sozin — the move order is not optional
Watch f7 from the moment White's bishop lands on c4
Meet e5 with …dxe5 only after checking whether f7 hangs with check