Trompowsky Attack (Trompowsky Opening)

Trompowsky Attack (also written “Trompowsky Opening”)

Definition

The Trompowsky Attack is a chess opening that arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5. White immediately pins (or at least annoys) the knight on f6 with the bishop from c1, thereby sidestepping the vast theory of the Queen’s Gambit and Indian Defences. It is an off-beat yet fully respectable system that can transpose into both tactical skirmishes and quiet positional struggles.

Typical Move-Order & Early Branches

The basic starting position is reached with:

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5

From here Black’s most popular replies form four main families:

2…d5 – “Classical” response, aiming to seize central space.
2…e6 – heading toward Queen’s Indian / Bogo-Indian structures while delaying …d5.
2…Ne4 – the Pert Variation, immediately challenging the bishop.
2…c5 or 2…g6 – flexible Benoni- or King’s-Indian-style setups.

Strategic Ideas

Early minor-piece imbalance: After 2…Ne4 3. Bf4 (or 3. Bh4) h6 4. Bf4 g5 5. Bg3, Black may gain space but concedes dark-square weaknesses. Alternatively, White can voluntarily exchange with Bxf6, doubling Black’s f-pawns and targeting the weakened squares e5 and g5.
Flexible pawn structure: Because White has not committed the c-pawn (c2-c4) or the knight (Nb1-c3), several transpositions are possible into London-System, Colle, Torre or even Queen’s-Gambit-style middlegames.
Psychological weapon: By pulling opponents out of mainstream theory as early as move 2, the Trompowsky is a favorite of club players and grandmasters alike when they wish to avoid reams of preparation.

Historical Significance

The opening is named after the Brazilian master Octávio Trompowsky (1897-1984), who deployed it with success in the 1930s and 1940s, notably at Buenos Aires 1939. Its popularity remained modest until English GM Julian Hodgson and Soviet-born GM Viktor Kortchnoj revived it in the 1980s-1990s. Since then it has appeared at top-level events, even in World Championship matches and elite rapid/blitz tournaments.

Illustrative Game

Below is a short model game that highlights typical Trompowsky themes:

[[Pgn| d4|Nf6|Bg5|Ne4|Bf4|d5|e3|c5|Bd3|Nc6|c3|cxd4|exd4|Bf5|f3|Nd6|Bxf5|Nxf5|Qd3|e6|Ne2|Be7|Nd2|O-O|O-O ]]

White exchanged on f5 at an opportune moment, leaving Black with an awkward knight and long-term weaknesses on the dark squares.

Famous Encounters

Kasparov vs Karpov, Linares 1993 – Kasparov surprised Karpov with 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 and went on to win an instructive endgame.
Carlsen vs Caruana, Shamkir 2015 – The future World Champion used the Trompowsky to score a smooth positional victory.
Hodgson vs Short, London 1992 – Showcases sacrificial attacking chances for White after an early Bxf6 gxf6 structure.

Typical Tactical Motifs

Bxf6 + Qh5 ideas exploiting doubled f-pawns.
Greek Gift sacrifices (Bxh7+) when Black plays …e6 and castles short with weakened dark squares.
Minor-piece hunt: After 2…Ne4 3. Bh4 c5 4. f3 the knight can be chased repeatedly, gaining tempi for central expansion.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

The Trompowsky is nicknamed the “Tromp” or “Tromp-Town” among online blitz aficionados.
World Champion Viswanathan Anand once used it in a blindfold game at Monaco 1994, quipping afterward that it helps “see the board with fresh eyes.”
Engines evaluate the starting position after 2. Bg5 as almost exactly equal (≈ 0.10), yet practical results at master level slightly favor White, especially in rapid and blitz time controls.

When to Add It to Your Repertoire

The Trompowsky Attack is ideal if you:

Prefer to avoid heavy theory of the Queen’s Gambit Declined and the Grünfeld.
Enjoy positions with imbalanced pawn structures and dynamic piece play.
Want a surprise weapon that can still hold its own against grandmaster preparation.