Trompowsky Attack

With his second move, White intends to exchange his bishop for Black’s knight, inflicting doubled pawns upon Black in the process. This is not a lethal threat: Black can choose to fall in with White’s plan.

The Trompowsky is a popular alternative to the more common lines after 1.d4 Nf6 beginning 2.c4 or 2.Nf3. By playing 2.Bg5, White sidesteps immense bodies of opening theory of various Indian Defences like the Queen’s Indian, King’s Indian, Nimzo-Indian, as well as the Gruenfeld Defence.

The opening is named after the one-time Brazilian champion Octavio Trompowsky (1897–1984) who played it in the 1930s and 1940s. The Trompowsky has also been called The Zot.

Julian Hodgson and Antoaneta Stefanova are among several grandmasters who often employ the Trompowsky.

You can find more Openings by Trompowsky in ‘Search Openings‘