Trompowsky Attack

• At a glance

  Trompowsky Attack

  Your second opening with White: 1058 games, 48%, three points below your score with White (51.1%). No disaster, but four plans that cost you points every game.

  20 cards, one idea each. Swipe to move on.

• The big idea

  2.Bg5 is a contract you sign on move two: you offer to double Black's pawns before they've chosen their structure.

• The big idea

  The price: your dark-squared bishop, which you often give up for the f6 knight.

• The big idea

  What you buy: Black has to decide right away whether to accept doubled pawns, chase the bishop (2…Ne4) or let it be (2…d5, 2…e6).

• The big idea

  1058 games, 459 wins, 98 draws, 501 losses: 48%, against 51.1% with White overall.

• The big idea

  Your opponents answer 2…d5 (300 games, 45%), 2…Ne4 (241, 54%), 2…c5 (162, 52%), 2…g6 (157, 47%) and 2…e6 (126, 46%).

• The big idea

  The dossier flags only two recurring suboptimal moves, and both are in the 2…Ne4 3.Bh4 c5 4.f3 line: 7.Kf2 in the …g5 gambit, and 6.c3 against 5…Qa5+.

• The big idea

  The rest of your points leak through plans: an automatic 8.Qb3 in the exd4 structure, no answer to the bishop that comes out to f5, opening the center too early against the bishop pair, and 3.Nd2 against 2…e6 when 3.e4 is free.

• Principle

  Against the 4…g5 gambit, give back e3

  Your games: 33× · 58% of points

  After 6…Bh6, 7.dxc5 or 7.Nc3: the e3 pawn falls, but your pieces come out and d5 is yours. 7.Kf2 keeps the pawn and puts your king on the black queen's diagonal.

• Principle

  Against …Qa5+, offer the queen trade

  Your games: 12× · 54% of points

  6.Qd2: if the queens come off, the c5 pawn stays yours; if not, Nc3, e4 and O-O-O arrive with tempo on the queen.

• Principle

  In the exd4 structure, eliminate the f5 bishop

  Your games: 17× · 38% of points

  Against …Nc6, …Bf5 and …e6, Nh4 removes Black's only light-squared piece. Your automatic 8.Qb3 scores only 30%.

• Principle

  A bishop out early leaves b7

  Your games: 34× · 34% of points

  Against 3…Bf5: Bxf6, e3, c4 and Qb3. The queen hits b7, which nothing guards anymore.

• Principle

  Against the bishop pair, hold d4 first

  Your games: 30× · 35% of points

  After 2…g6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.c4 f5, the g7 bishop aims at d4: e3, g3, Bg2, Nge2. No premature e4 or g4.

• Principle

  The pin makes e4 free

  Your games: 313× · 49% of points

  After 2…e6, the f6 knight is pinned to the d8 queen: 3.e4 can't be taken.

• Imbalance

  Your bishop against their structure

  Your games: 154× · 46% of points

  You often give up the g5 bishop for the f6 knight. In exchange, Black keeps doubled f-pawns for the whole game: the more the position simplifies, the more they weigh.

• Imbalance

  Time against the e3 pawn

  Your games: 33× · 58% of points

  In 2…Ne4 3.Bh4 c5 4.f3 g5, Black takes your bishop and opens the g-file; you win the e4 pawn in the center and tempi. The e3 pawn is the price to pay, not something to defend.

• Imbalance

  The lone d4 pawn in the center

  Your games: 56× · 39% of points

  After 4…cxd4 5.exd4, your d4 pawn controls e5 and c5, and the e-file opens. In exchange, it's a target: c3 quickly becomes necessary to hold it.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • You choose the structure from move two.
  • Against 2…Ne4, Black has to know forcing lines, and their inaccuracies (5…Qa5+, 7…Qb6) can be punished.
  • Black's doubled pawns remain targets all the way to the endgame.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • You often give up your dark-squared bishop.
  • Against 2…g6 and 2…c5, Black gets the bishop pair.
  • Quiet positions (2…d5 3.Nd2) demand precise plans: that's where you lose the most points.
• That's all

  Your turn

  These ideas only stick once you play the moves. The chapters make you find the right ones.

  Start chapter 1

Card 1 of 20: Trompowsky Attack

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