Add Variety To Your White Game With The Trompowsky Attack

The Trompowsky Attack is named after the Brazilian player Octávio Trompowsky. Trompowsky won the Brazilian chess championship of 1939, and in the same year represented his country at the chess olympiad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Playing on board one for Brazil, this gave Trompowsky the opportunity of a lifetime: to test himself against some of the very strongest chess players in the world, including Alexander Alekhine, Savielly Tartakower, Paul Keres, and José Raúl Capablanca. Against that quartet, Trompowsky scored a respectable two draws to go with two defeats - a fine result against such legends of the game!

Trompowsky used the opening which now bears his name four times when he had the White pieces at that same 1939 tournament. He had also been known to play the opening throughout the 1930’s and continued to do so into the 1940’s.

It all begins with: 1. d4 Nf6, 2. Bg5.

For a long time, the Trompowsky Attack didn’t command much respect among the chess community, but during the 1980’s the opening experienced a resurgence in popularity.

However, the early Bg5 foray is still far less common than White’s main options on move two.

The Trompowsky Attack occupies an interesting middle ground within chess opening theory. 

• On the one hand, it is too rare to be considered a “main line” opening such as the King’s Indian Defense.
• On the other hand, it still scores well for White - so it also cannot be called an “unsound” opening such as the Budapest Gambit.

Instead, the Trompowsky Attack is something in-between: a good opening, which still remains relatively unexplored!

This makes it a great chess opening for White to mix things up and catch your opponents by surprise - but without venturing too far into the realm of hoping to win with tricks and traps in an objectively bad opening.

Related: Check out our wide range of chess opening books.

Main Ideas In This Dynamic Chess Opening For White

By threatening Black’s knight on f6, White immediately asks Black a question: are you prepared to let White capture it?

Black has several ways of responding which the aspiring Trompowsky Attack player must familiarize themselves with.

2. …g6

With this move, Black is essentially ignoring White’s threat of capturing their knight. In this case, White should take on the challenge and play 3. Bxf6, doubling a pair of Black pawns in the process.

In compensation for their damaged pawn structure, Black has the bishop pair (a common theme in the Trompowsky). 

Meanwhile, thanks to eliminating the Black knight on f6, White has the option of seizing the center by playing a quick e4. After just three moves, the game is already very unbalanced!

The Trompowsky Attack with 2. …g6 after 3. Bxf6 and exf6. Playing e4 can be a further idea for White, with a strong presence in the center.

2. …e6

Another move where Black allows their knight to be captured, if White so chooses. However, rather than do so right away, White should take advantage of the fact that Black has put themselves into a pin. Therefore, 3. e4 is White’s most popular continuation, where the e4 pawn is immune to capture by Black’s knight, as Black would then lose their queen.

Instead, Black will normally ask the question of White’s bishop by playing 3. …h6. After 4. Bxf6, Qxf6, we reach a position where, again, Black has the bishop pair - but this time, their pawn structure remains intact. However, in this variation White has already established the ideal pawn center with e4 and d4. Theory has little to say about how to play from here - both players will need to “play chess” instead of reciting memorized opening knowledge.

2. …d5

With 2. …d5, Black establishes a stake in the center of their own, preventing White from playing e4 even if the Black knight on f6 is captured.

From here, White will usually play Bxf6 (doubling a pair of Black’s pawns on the f-file) and e3 in order to enable development of their light-squared bishop. The character of these middlegames tends to resemble a Queen's Gambit, with c4 a further idea for White at some point.

2. …Ne4

2. …Ne4 is both the most commonly-played move by Black, and the greatest test of the Trompowsky Attack. 

As beginning chess players, one of the first dictums we get taught is “do not move the same piece twice in the opening” - but part of becoming a stronger player is knowing when to break the rules! This is such a case.

Black fights fire with fire - removing their knight from the White bishop’s line of sight, while simultaneously attacking it. White needs to respond.

3. Bf4 is considered safest, but 3. Bh4!? (“The Edge Variation”) and 3. h4!? (“The Raptor Variation”) could also be worth closer inspection, depending on your style as a chess player. The latter two moves promise to take the game in a much more chaotic direction, which might be to your taste!

Related: Improve your ability to play sharp, tactical positions with 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players, available from the USCF store.

If White goes for the main move 3. Bf4, then Black could play something quiet such as 3. …d5, or spice things up with the wild move 3. …g5!?, hitting the White bishop yet again.

For their part, White should not let the strong Black knight stay where it is on e4. White should challenge the Black knight with a move such as Nd2, or directly kick it away with f3.

Getting Started With The Trompowsky Attack

The Trompowsky Attack is relatively light on theory compared to some chess openings for White. Even so, the opening still requires some degree of study and practice in order to play it well.

To further your education, we recommend checking out this short YouTube video. In it, GM Timur Gareyev provides more of the main ideas in the Trompowsky Attack for both players, including a few common chess tactics to watch out for. (By the way - if you like Gareyev’s teaching style, he can take your education in the Trompowsky Attack even further! See below). 

Next up, it is time to try the Trompowsky Attack in online blitz games. Only through practical experience can you solidify your understanding of the opening.

Thanks to the fast time controls of blitz chess, you can play a lot of games in short order, and soon you will have several of your own games to study. You will begin to see what players with the Black pieces at your level tend to do in reply to the Trompowsky Attack, and therefore which lines deserve more attention in your further study.

If you like what you see, and decide to “master” the Trompowsky Attack, check out GM Gareyev’s comprehensive video training course: Trompowsky For The Attacking Player, available for download from the USCF store.

This product includes:

• 4 hours 36 minutes of video instruction.
• Interactive training including video feedback.
• 50 essential training games.

Armed with this knowledge, you will soon be playing the Trompowsky Attack like an expert!

Summary: Is The Trompowsky Attack Right For You?

The Trompowsky Attack can be a great addition to your White opening repertoire if you:

• Enjoy early imbalances. As we have seen, positions that begin with the Trompowsky Attack can often become imbalanced very early. For example, there are lines where White gets a better pawn structure and control of the center, but Black has the bishop pair as compensation. As early as move three, your position will already be quite different to that of your opponent!
• Like to think from early in the game, rather than memorize opening moves. As a less common opening, The Trompowsky Attack is not as heavily studied as the main alternatives. You won’t be able to rely on memorization so much - but then again, neither will your opponent! 
• Can be adaptable. Both players have a wide choice of moves in the Trompowsky Attack - and every decision can lead the game in a different direction. You should be ready for each of your games being quite different to the last!

Does that sound like the sort of chess opening for White you would enjoy?

Then try the Trompowsky Attack today!