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Trompowsky Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 · A45

Starting positionWhite to move

0 / 12

The point is what White avoids, not what White gets

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The idea

White develops the bishop to g5 on move two, sidestepping every main-line Indian defence and playing a lower-theory game.

Main line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Qb6

What White wants

  • Avoid all the Nimzo, King's Indian and Grünfeld theory
  • Trade on f6 at the right moment to damage the structure
  • Develop with e3, Bd3 and Nf3 and castle short

What Black wants

  • Play ...Ne4 or ...d5 and challenge the bishop at once
  • Take the centre and develop actively
  • Use the extra space on the queenside after the bishop trades

Key idea

Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.

The point is what White avoids, not what White gets

Bg5 attacks the f6 knight before White plays c4, sidestepping many standard Indian move orders. Black has established replies such as ...Ne4, ...d5 and ...e6, so this is not theory-free. White chooses whether an exchange on f6 produces useful structural or development gains.

Common mistake

Exchanging on f6 without checking the recapture. After ...e6, Bxf6 and ...Qxf6 keep Black's pawns intact while White gives up the bishop pair; a pawn recapture creates a different structure. Choose the exchange for concrete gains, not guaranteed doubled pawns.

Representative position

The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.

r1b1kb1r/pp2pppp/1qn5/2pp4/3PnB2/3BPN2/PPP2PPP/RN1QK2R w KQkq - 4 7

Analyze this position

Related openings

Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · A45–A79, D70–D99, E00–E99The family name for every defence where Black develops the knight to f6 first and decides later whether the centre will be blocked, undermined or handed over.Queen's Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 · E12–E19Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop and challenges e4 along the long diagonal — solid, principled and a lifetime's work to master.London System1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5 4.e3 Bd6 · D02White develops the dark-squared bishop outside the pawn chain before e3, then builds a familiar setup with Nf3, Bd3 and c3. The structure is practical, but plans still depend on Black's replies.Nimzo-Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · E20–E59Black pins the knight on c3 and fights for e4 with pieces rather than pawns — one of the most respected defences in all of chess.