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Trompowsky Attack
The Trompowsky Attack begins after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5. It is a sound and direct answer to 1... Nf6, a favourite of players who want to fight over the pawn structure from move two without a long theoretical debate.
- For white
- Practical
- Direct
Written by:
The Essentials
- Early moves:
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5
- Colour:
- Played by White
- Style:
- Practical and direct
- Difficulty to learn:
- Easy to moderate (for both colours)
- Named after:
- Brazilian champion Octávio Trompowsky (1897–1984), who played it in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Trivia:
- Carlsen opened his 2016 title match with the Trompowsky days after Donald Trump's election. Asked if Trump played a part in the choice, he said, "A little bit."
- Variations:
- 3. Bf4. 3. Bf4 c5. Edge Variation. Raptor Variation. Big Center Variation. 2... d5. Poisoned Pawn Variation. 2... g6.
- Good for:
- BlitzRapidClassical
Best suited for rating
800-2200
Why play the Trompowsky Attack?
The Trompowsky is a practical weapon against 1... Nf6 that skips most of the deep theory.
After 1. d4 Nf6, White plays 2. Bg5 at once, before c4 or Nf3. The bishop eyes the f6-knight, and if allowed, Bxf6 doubles Black's pawns.
White gives up the bishop pair to change Black's pawn structure, then aims for a space advantage in the centre. Understanding that structure counts for more than memorised lines.
Black can sidestep it with 2... Ne4 or 2... e6, which lets the queen recapture on f6. White then chases the knight to win back time, or grabs the centre with 3. e4.
The bishop leaves a gap behind it. With c1 empty, nothing guards b2, and ...c5 with ...Qb6 often follows. White must know when to defend the pawn and when to offer it.
This opening teaches how to weigh the bishop pair against a better pawn structure, a lesson that carries over to many 1. d4 openings.
Try the Trompowsky Attack yourself!
Why the Trompowsky Attack is good with the:
Short homework - White chooses the battleground on move two, so there is far less theory to learn than in the main 1. d4 openings.
Central space - Whether Black allows the doubled pawns or avoids them with ...e6, White can build a broad centre that gives the pieces room.
First question - Black has to decide about the f6-knight on move two, and each answer commits Black to a different kind of position.
Suited for - Practical players who prefer understanding strategic middlegames to memorising long main lines.
Why the Trompowsky Attack is good with the white pieces
Short homework - White chooses the battleground on move two, so there is far less theory to learn than in the main 1. d4 openings.
Central space - Whether Black allows the doubled pawns or avoids them with ...e6, White can build a broad centre that gives the pieces room.
First question - Black has to decide about the f6-knight on move two, and each answer commits Black to a different kind of position.
Suited for - Practical players who prefer understanding strategic middlegames to memorising long main lines.
Why the Trompowsky Attack is good with the black pieces
Bishop pair - If White takes on f6, Black gets two bishops against bishop and knight, a long-term asset once the position opens.
Many good answers - With accurate play, ...Ne4, ...d5, ...e6 and ...c5 all give Black an equal game.
Loose b-pawn - With the bishop gone from c1, nothing guards b2, and ...c5 with ...Qb6 puts the question to White early.
Suited for - Well-prepared players who know which structure they want and steer toward it on move two.
Strategy
Typical plans, pawn breaks, and key squares.
Doubled f-pawns
White plays c2-c4 to strike at the d5-pawn, with the pawns on d4 and e3 behind it.
Big centre
White's pawns on d4 and e4 claim the centre, and Black answers with the bishops on c8 and f8.
Space on d5
Black hits b2 with ...Qb6 and prepares ...e6 and ...Bd6, aiming to trade off the f4-bishop on d6.
Key squares
d4, d5, e4 and c4 decide the central fight, and b2 turns weak once the bishop has left c1.
Traps and tactics
Four traps every Trompowsky player should know.
Themes
Central space
While Black collects the bishop pair or chases the bishop, White builds a broad centre with e4 or c4 and gains space.
The b2 question
With the bishop gone from c1, ...Qb6 hits b2. Taking it can cost Black time, ignoring it can cost White a pawn.
Doubled f-pawns
Bxf6 gives Black doubled f-pawns and the bishop pair. White wants the structure fixed, Black wants open lines for the bishops.
Regaining lost time
After ...Ne4 the bishop often moves again, costing White a tempo. White wins the tempo back by hitting the knight with f3 or Bd3.
History
The history of the Trompowsky Attack, from its origins to modern play.
1922
Philadelphia first
Pennsylvania champion Bill Ruth plays the early Bg5 in a 1922 telephone match, before any known game by Trompowsky, and Americans call it the Ruth Opening.
1930s
From Rio
Octávio Trompowsky of Rio de Janeiro, later Brazilian champion, plays 2. Bg5 against 1... Nf6, and the opening takes his name.
1974
Candidates surprise
Viktor Korchnoi plays the Trompowsky against Anatoly Karpov in the Candidates final and wins game 19.
1989-1997
Hodgson's books
Julian Hodgson, who plays the Trompowsky often, writes several books on it.
2016
World stage
Magnus Carlsen opens his world championship match against Sergey Karjakin with the Trompowsky.
2020s
Still practical
Engines rate Black's main replies as equal, and the opening stays common both online and in elite events.
Model Games
Three games, from a world championship final to the Raptor.
FAQ
The Trompowsky Attack begins after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5. White develops the bishop at once and offers to take on f6, doubling Black's pawns before the usual 1. d4 theory begins.
Yes, it rewards understanding more than memory. The ideas are few and clear, though White has to watch the b2-pawn once the bishop has left c1.
Yes. Engines rate Black's main replies as equal, so White gets no forced edge, only playable positions away from the main theory.
White trades the bishop for the f6-knight when that damages Black's pawns, then uses the time and space to build a broad centre with e4 or c4.
The Raptor Variation is 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. h4. White defends the bishop with the h-pawn, so that taking on g5 opens the h-file for White's rook.
It arises after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 c5 3. d5 Qb6 4. Nc3. White offers the b2-pawn, and if the queen takes it, White gains time to build a big centre with e4.
Both bring the dark-squared bishop out before the c-pawn moves. In the London it goes to f4 behind a calm pawn setup, while in the Trompowsky it goes to g5 and asks about f6 at once.
There is no single best line. 2... e6 keeps the pawn structure intact, 2... d5 accepts the doubled pawns, 2... c5 starts the fight for b2, and 2... Ne4 hits the bishop at once.
Julian Hodgson, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Antoaneta Stefanova, and Arjun Erigaisi have all used it.
Choose the London if you want one calm setup you can play against almost any defence. Choose the Trompowsky if you want to ask Black a concrete question on move two.