Trompowsky Attack

Trompowsky Attack is a chess opening with the ECO code A45. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 3 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 2. Bg5 – White plays the bishop to g5

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 2... Ne4.

About the Trompowsky Attack

After 1.d4 Nf6, White plays 2.Bg5 at once, threatening to take on f6 and damage Black's pawns. It avoids a lot of opening theory.

• Bxf6 gives Black doubled pawns but gives up the bishop pair.
• Black often replies 2...Ne4, attacking the bishop, or 2...e6.
• ...c5 and ...Qb6 hitting b2 is a common counterattack.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Trompowsky Attack course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6)
• Continues with: Trompowsky Attack: Borg Variation – adds 2... Ne4 3. Bf4 g5
• Continues with: Trompowsky Attack: Classical Defense – adds 2... e6
• Continues with: Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation – adds 2... Ne4 3. Bh4
• Continues with: Trompowsky Attack: Poisoned Pawn Variation – adds 2... c5 3. d5 Qb6 4. Nc3
• Continues with: Trompowsky Attack: Raptor Variation – adds 2... Ne4 3. h4
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Borg Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bf4 g5)
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Classical Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6)
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Classical Defense, Big Center Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4)
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bh4)
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation, Hergert Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bh4 c6 4. Nd2 Qa5 5. c3 Nxd2 6. Qxd2 d5 7. e4)
• Related line: Trompowsky Attack: Edge Variation, Hergert Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bh4 d5 4. f3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bf5 6. e4)

Browse every named opening · Opening courses