The Trompowsky Attack arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5. ECO code: A45.

History

Named after the Brazilian master Octávio Trompowsky (1897–1984), who employed it in the 1930s and 1940s. It is also known as the Ruth Opening (after Ernst Ruth) or the Opovcensky Opening. The opening pins the knight and disrupts Black's standard development plans.

Main Lines

After 2.Bg5, Black's main responses are:

• 2...Ne4 – The most active reply, challenging the bishop immediately.

• 2...e6 – Solid, preparing ...d5 and ...Be7.

• 2...d5 – Direct, transposing into some Queen\'s Gambit-related lines.

Strategic Themes & Plans

White aims to exchange the bishop for Black's knight, damaging Black's pawn structure (after ...dxc6 or ...gxf6), or to provoke weaknesses. The Trompowsky has become increasingly popular at the highest levels as a way to avoid the extensive theory of the Nimzo-Indian Defence and Queen\'s Indian Defence.