What do you know about the Trompowsky ?

Hi everyone,

I'm a d4 player and starting to get bored of queen's gambits and all that stuff. I tried the Catalan ( or pseudo-catalan when 2...d5 ), I tried getting my dark-squared bishop out of my pawn chain, in it, and everything. I really dislike e4 openings with white and other moves like c4, so by looking at some games, I discovered the Trompowsky attack. It looks like it's really fun !

So, is there Trompowsky players out there ? What's YOUR favourite line ? Is there any traps ? ( I know there are but what are the ones YOU know ? )

Thanks !

Fot those interrested, here's a tournament with this opening:    http://www.chess.com/tournament/unrated-the-trompowsky     registration open ( at the time I'm writing this)

It seems like it can work quite fine at the highest level:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1721322

Study the games of GM Julian Hodgson.  He has written extensively about the opening, and is credited with getting it into the mainstream.  I think with normal play White gets a small edge, but there are some very sharp lines after d4 Nf6 Bg5 Ne4 that White needs to know how to play.

I thought the Trompowsky was just for blitz games but it's really a dangerous weapon even in slow games...I think I'm gonna have a try in a slow tournament...I had in mind playing it with white.

Any other info ?

Hey, there's a game I played live ( 15/10 ) on the Trompowsky, the first time I ever play a decent game on this opening ( hey, I'm still learning !!).

What do you think of this game ? I'll be posting other trompowsky games so stay tuned...

While there's no refutation for it the opening does look crude. 

I've worked a lot on the queen's gambit and all the main openings, I can play comfortably any queen pawn opening (exept the trompowsky) so I think I should have a go at the trompowsky. I also think, but I might be wrong, that the trompowsky corresponds better to my style of play than other openings on d4 (or it depends on my opponents opening choices). Trompowsky games are about all of the same nature, and if I manage to master it, I might be very comfortable in every game .

The problem with d6 is after Qb6, white cannot defend both the b2 pawn and the d6 pawn. If white wants to keep the d6 pawn it seems he has to give up both b2 and c3.

11 ... e5 seemed like a good move, but in reality it was next to impossible to win the d6 pawn so keeping the pawn and playing a move like b6 instead (threatening a pin on the queen and forcing white to react) would give black adequate time to develop.

19 ...f6 was actually a fine move, but it had to be followed by h5 and h4 and then g5 would block out the bishop and gain space. However if white sacrifices the bishop he actually wins the rook on h8! which still leaves white with a significant advantage. (but white has to find it!)

Franky played a good game. A very fun opening. And nice analysis. Difficult to play against well if you don't know the theory and most opponents at our level don't. I want to start using the Trompowsky a bit as a change of pace.

b3 protects the 2 pawns :)

yes, but it loses the d6 pawn after Nh5, white either loses the bishop (requiring a pawn push and worsening of pawn structure) or moves it back (seemingly the better option), allowing black to take the pawn while developing the previously dead bishop either way. Doesn't seem very good for white.

It's sound but not my personal style.  Playing Bg5/Bg4 before black/white has castled isn't recommended by some, have to find out and understand why though but I think one reason has to do with h6-g5 and the bishop can bite on granite if there's a pawn on e5. 

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