Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5

Trompowsky: 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5

Definition

The sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5 is a branch of the Trompowsky Attack (ECO code A45). After White’s bishop sortie to g5 on move two, Black immediately questions it with 2…Ne4. White retreats the bishop to f4, keeping pressure on the d6–c7 diagonal, and Black replies with …d5 and …c5, staking a broad claim in the centre. The line often transposes into Queen’s Gambit– or Queen’s Indian–type structures, but with the bishop already developed and the knight committed to e4, both sides must make early strategic decisions.

Typical Usage in Play

• Surprise weapon: The Trompowsky itself is less common than the Queen’s Gambit or the London System, and this particular sub-variation is even rarer, making it a useful choice to steer opponents out of well-trodden theory.
• Early Imbalances: Black’s knight on e4 and the pawn thrusts …d5 and …c5 create concrete tension by move four, forcing both sides to find accurate replies rather than settle into quiet development.
• Transition possibilities: Depending on White’s fifth move (e.g. 5.Nd2, 5.c3, or 5.f3), games can transpose into Carlsbad pawn structures, an IQP position, or even resemble certain lines of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted with colours reversed.

Strategic Themes

For White:

• Maintain the g5–f4 bishop as an active piece; it can later drop back to g3 or h4 if harassed by …g5.
• Challenge the e4-knight with f2–f3 or Nd2, aiming to undermine Black’s central blockading piece.
• Prepare the e3–e4 break once development is complete; this can lever open the centre if Black’s pawn on c5 becomes a target.

For Black:

• Use …c5 to put immediate pressure on d4, sometimes exchanging on d4 to create an isolated queen’s pawn for White.
• The e4-knight can jump to d6, f6, or g5 later, but must not become stranded; timely support with …f5 or …Bd6 is common.
• Rapid castling and queenside development (…Nc6, …Qb6) target the b2-pawn and deter White from occupying the centre too freely.

Historical & Theoretical Notes

Although named after the Brazilian-Polish master Octávio Trompowsky, who popularised 2.Bg5 in the 1930s, this exact branch gained theoretical attention only in the computer era.

• Grandmasters such as Julian Hodgson and Viktor Moskalenko employed it as a surprise weapon in the 1990s.
• Modern engines reveal that Black’s early …c5 is double-edged: accurate play yields full equality, but slight inaccuracies can leave Black with a weak d5-pawn or a misplaced knight.

Illustrative Mini-Game

The following short game demonstrates typical ideas.

Highlights:

• White’s 9.Nd2 trades the aggressive e4-knight, leaving Black with an IQP after 13…cxd4 14.exd4.
• On move 21, 21.dxc5 seizes the pawn and opens the d-file, a common tactical motif when Black overextends.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• British GM Julian Hodgson once joked that the bishop retreat to f4 is like “taking the dog for a walk and bringing it safely home,” highlighting the non-committal yet provocative nature of 2.Bg5.
• In blitz, grandmasters occasionally blitz out 4…c5!? purely to avoid the mainline theoretical slugfest of the Queen’s Gambit, forcing opponents to solve fresh problems over the board.
• The line can transpose to the London System if White later plays Nf3 and Bf4 again—an ironic loop back to a more positional setup.