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Trompowsky Attack

White develops the bishop to g5 at once and is happy to trade it for the knight, building a big centre with e4.

Intermediate · Queen's pawn openings · 12 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Trompowsky Attack (A45). You play White. White develops the bishop to g5 at once and is happy to trade it for the knight, building a big centre with e4.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Bg5

White plays bishop to g5. It develops the bishop into the game. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 5% of 805k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 25% of 36k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 54% of 9244 games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...h6

Black plays pawn to h6. It attacks the bishop on g5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 79% of 4911 games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bxf6

White plays bishop takes f6. It captures the knight on f6. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 3766 games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Qxf6

Black plays queen takes f6. It captures the bishop on f6. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 3874 games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 3749 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 48% of 1324 games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Trompowsky Attack. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Queen's pawn openings

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