Hodgson Attack: 2...h6 3.Bh4 c6

Hodgson Attack (Trompowsky: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 c6)

Definition

The Hodgson Attack is a defensive countermeasure for Black against the Trompowsky Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5). After the immediate challenge 2…h6, White’s bishop retreats to h4 and Black stabilises with 3…c6. The full move-order is:

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 c6

The line is named after the English Grandmaster Julian Hodgson, whose aggressive use of the Trompowsky in the early 1990s persuaded many opponents to adopt the early …h6 set-up as an antidote. Ironically, the name therefore commemorates Hodgson’s favourite opening weapon from the opposite side of the board.

Strategic Ideas

Limiting the bishop. The push 2…h6 forces the Trompowsky bishop to commit. After the retreat to h4 it is partly sidelined and can even be harassed later by …g5.
Solid pawn wall. 3…c6 prepares the central break …d5 without allowing White to capture on f6 and disrupt Black’s pawn structure.
Flexible development. Black often follows with …Qb6 (hitting b2 and d4), …d5, …Bf5 or …Bg7, entering structures resembling the Slav, Caro–Kann or King’s Indian.
White’s choices. White may continue with 4.Nd2, 4.e3, 4.Nf3 or the sharp 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 d5, each leading to different middlegame landscapes.

Typical Plans

For Black
- Expand on the queenside with …d5 and …c5 once the centre is secure.
- Use the pawn duo …g5–…h5 to trap or neutralise the h4-bishop.
- Target the d4-pawn via …Qb6 and place a knight on e4 after …d5.
For White
- Break with c4 or e4 before Black completes …d5–…Bf5.
- Recycle the h4-bishop to g3 or f2 if attacked, preserving the light-square pressure.
- Exploit the slightly weakened dark squares (g6, f5) created by …h6.

Historical Significance

Throughout the 1990s Nigel Short, Michael Adams and especially Julian Hodgson scored a string of crushing wins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5, forcing theoreticians to search for reliable counters. The early …h6 line became the main remedy and thus acquired Hodgson’s name—an unusual case where a variation is labelled after the player it tries to refute.

The set-up has since been adopted by elite players such as Vladimir Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, keeping it theoretically relevant into the engine era.

Illustrative Game

The following rapid game shows the main ideas for both sides:

(Hodgson – Harikrishna, Isle of Man Open 2000, annotated in many Trompowsky manuals) White ultimately prevails, but the game highlights Black’s standard manoeuvres: …g5–…Bg7, …d6–…e5, and the knight hop to e4.

Interesting Facts

The famous quip “If you fear the Tromp, Hodgsonize it with …h6!” appeared in New in Chess (1995).
Computer engines originally disliked Black’s early flank pawn moves, but since the neural-net revolution (Leela, Stockfish NNUE) 2…h6 has risen in evaluation and popularity.
Because White often castles queenside, Black’s kingside pawn storm (…g5–…h5) can become a full-blown mating attack rather than a mere bishop chase.
In correspondence chess the plan 4.Nc3 d5 5.e3 g5!? leading to razor-sharp play has scored over 60 % for Black.

When to Use It

Choose the Hodgson Attack if you:

want to avoid theoretical duels in the main lines of the Trompowsky,
prefer solid Slav-like structures with latent attacking chances,
don’t mind an early commitment of the h-pawn and an uncastled king for several moves.