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White repertoireImproving to club

The Trompowsky Trumpet

An active Trompowsky repertoire with early Bg5, central space and concrete attacking plans against Black’s main replies.

We develop the bishop to g5 before the queenside knight and make Black choose a central setup. Against an early knight jump we use the h-pawn to create active possibilities; other replies call for a broad centre or a timely exchange on f6. Some lines accept structural damage or sacrifice a pawn for activity, so king safety and move order remain part of the plan. The course explains both the attacking ideas and the resulting defensive responsibilities.

AttackingCounterattack
chapters
6
lines
57
moves to know
484
Try the first line free

1. The h4 advance: meet c5 with space

12 lines

We meet the early knight jump with h4 and answer the c5 challenge by gaining space with d5. Black can exchange our bishop and collect queenside pawns, so these positions demand concrete calculation rather than automatic attacking moves. We use the half-open h-file, central pawn advances and development with tempo to create activity. The main habit is to track both kings before committing another pawn or sacrificing material.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.h4 c5 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Nxg5 6.hxg5 Qxb2 7.g6 fxg6 8.e3 e6 9.Bd3 exd5 10.Bxg6+ Kd8 11.Bf7 Qe5 12.Ndf3 Qc3+ 13.Kf1 Na6 14.Bxd5 Nc7 15.Ne2 Qf6 16.Rb1 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Qe6 18.Qd3 Qd6 19.Qe4 Qe6 20.Qf4 Qf6 21.Ne5 Qxf4 22.Nxf4FreeLearn
  2. Line 2… 9.Bd3 Be7 10.Rb1 Qf6 11.Ne4 Qf7 12.d6 Bf6 13.Qg4 O-O 14.Nf3 h6 15.Ng3 Kh7 16.Nh5 e5 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Nh4 Qxf2+ 19.Kd1Premium
  3. Line 3… 8.e3 d6 9.Rb1 Qe5 10.Ngf3 Qxd5 11.Bc4 Qf5 12.Bd3 Qf7 13.Ng5 Qg8 14.Rxh7 Rxh7 15.Bxg6+Premium
  4. Line 4… 9.Rb1 Qxa2 10.Nc4 Qa4 11.Nxd6+ exd6 12.Bb5+ Qxb5 13.Rxb5Premium
  5. Line 5… 8.e3 g5 9.Ngf3 g6 10.Rb1 Qf6 11.Ne4 Qg7 12.Nfxg5 h6 13.Nh3 b6 14.Nf4Premium
  6. Line 6… 8.e3 Na6 9.Rb1 Qf6 10.Ngf3 Nc7 11.Ne4 Qf7 12.c4Premium
  7. Line 7… 7.g6 Qf6 8.gxf7+ Qxf7 9.e4 g5 10.Be2 Kd8 11.Rb1 Bg7 12.Bh5 Qf6 13.Ngf3 d6 14.e5 Qf4 15.e6 g4 16.Rh4 Bf6 17.g3 Qf5 18.Bxg4 Qxd5 19.Rh5 Qxa2 20.Ne4Premium
  8. Line 8… 9.e4 e5 10.Ngf3 d6 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Ng5 Qg6 13.Bxd7+ Nxd7 14.Ne6 Qxg2 15.Ke2 Qg4+ 16.f3 Qg2+ 17.Kd3 Rb8 18.a4Premium
  9. Line 9… 5.Nd2 h6 6.Bf4 Qxb2 7.Nxe4 Qb4+ 8.c3 Qxe4 9.e3 d6 10.f3 Qf5 11.Bd3 Qf6 12.Ne2 g6 13.Kf2 Bg7 14.Rc1 g5 15.Bg3Premium
  10. Line 10… 6.Bf4 Nxd2 7.Bxd2 Qxb2 8.e3 Qf6 9.Ne2Premium
  11. Line 11… 5.Nd2 Nxd2 6.Bxd2 Qxb2 7.Nf3 d6 8.e4Premium
  12. Line 12… 6.Bxd2 e5 7.e4 d6 8.Ne2Premium

2. The knight on e4: answer central alternatives

10 lines

We keep h4 against Black's alternatives to the immediate c5 break, then challenge the knight on e4 with Nd2. Exchanges often give Black the bishop pair and leave us a half-open h-file, but the central pawn structure determines our plan. We develop before choosing between e4, c4 and a kingside lever. Queen checks and bishop attacks can change the move order, so each forcing contact needs attention.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.h4 d5 4.Nd2 Nxg5 5.hxg5 e5 6.dxe5 Qxg5 7.Ngf3 Qg6 8.e3 Nc6 9.Nb3 Be6 10.Qd2 O-O-O 11.O-O-O Be7 12.Bd3 Bf5 13.Bxf5+ Qxf5 14.Nfd4 Nxd4 15.Qxd4 Kb8 16.Qf4Premium
  2. Line 2… 5.hxg5 c5 6.dxc5 e6 7.c4 Qxg5 8.Ngf3 Qf6 9.Rc1 Nc6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b4 Nxb4 12.e4 d4 13.e5 Qf5 14.Qb3 Nc6 15.Bd3Premium
  3. Line 3… 6.dxc5 e5 7.e4 Bxc5 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.Ngf3 Nc6 10.Bc4 Qd6 11.Qe2 Bf5 12.O-O-O O-O-O 13.Ne4 Qe7 14.Nxc5 Qxc5 15.Bxf7Premium
  4. Line 4… 5.hxg5 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.c4 c6 8.g4 Bg6 9.Qb3 Qb6 10.c5 Qc7 11.f4 b6 12.cxb6 Qxb6 13.Rc1Premium
  5. Line 5… 4.Nd2 Nxd2 5.Qxd2 Bf5 6.O-O-O h6 7.Bf4 e6 8.f3 h5 9.e4 dxe4 10.fxe4 Bxe4 11.Qe3 Bf5 12.d5 Nd7 13.Nf3 Bc5 14.Qc3 O-O 15.dxe6Premium
  6. Line 6… 5.Qxd2 c5 6.e4 dxe4 7.d5 h6 8.Be3 e5 9.f3 exf3 10.gxf3 Bd6 11.Ne2Premium
  7. Line 7… 4.Nd2 Bf5 5.Nxe4 Bxe4 6.f3 h6 7.Bf4 Bh7 8.e3 e6 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 c5 11.Ne2 Nc6 12.Qb3 Qd7 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.O-O-OPremium
  8. Line 8… 3.h4 c6 4.Nd2 Qa5 5.Nf3 d5 6.c3 Bf5 7.Nxe4 Bxe4 8.Nd2 Bf5 9.e4 dxe4 10.Bc4 h6 11.Bf4 e6 12.g4 Bh7 13.Qe2Premium
  9. Line 9… 3.h4 h6 4.Bf4 c5 5.d5 Qb6 6.Nd2Premium
  10. Line 10… 3.h4 Nxg5 4.hxg5 c5 5.d5 Qb6 6.Qc1Premium

3. The c5 break: build behind d5

9 lines

We answer the immediate c5 break with d5 and develop behind the space-gaining pawn. When Black's queen takes b2, we accept a concrete pawn investment and seek development with tempo, central breakthroughs and open-file activity. Other setups call for a compact centre or an exchange of the f6 knight. We keep checking which diagonals our own pawns block before transferring the queen or claiming an attack.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 e5 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.Bc4 Bd6 11.a4 O-O 12.O-O a6 13.Qe1 Qd8 14.Qh4 Nb6 15.Be2 Be7 16.Qg3 Nh5 17.Qe1 Nf4 18.Bxf4 exf4 19.a5 Nd7 20.e5 Re8 21.Qd2 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Bf6 23.Nc4 Bxc3 24.Qxc3 Rxe2 25.Qf3 Qe8 26.Nb6 Rb8 27.Qxf4 Qe3+ 28.Qxe3 Rxe3 29.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 30.Rxe1 Bf5 31.c4 Kf8 32.Re5 g6 33.Rxf5 gxf5 34.Nd7+Premium
  2. Line 2… 6.e4 d6 7.f4 Qc7 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Qxe5+ 12.Be2 g5 13.O-O Qd4+ 14.Kh1 Qxd2 15.Bb5+ Nbd7 16.d6Premium
  3. Line 3… 7.f4 e6 8.Rb1 Qc7 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.O-O O-O-O 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Bxd7+ Nexd7 16.Ng5Premium
  4. Line 4… 7.f4 Qd8 8.Nf3 a6 9.a4 g6 10.Bc4 Bg7 11.O-O O-O 12.e5 Nfd7 13.Qe1 Nb6 14.Ba2Premium
  5. Line 5… 7.f4 g6 8.e5 dxe5 9.fxe5 Nfd7 10.Nf3 Bg7 11.Rb1 Qd8 12.e6 fxe6 13.Ng5Premium
  6. Line 6… 3.d5 Ne4 4.h4 g6 5.Nd2 Nxg5 6.hxg5 Bg7 7.c3 d6 8.e4 h6 9.Ngf3 Nd7 10.a4 hxg5 11.Rxh8+ Bxh8 12.Nxg5 e6 13.dxe6 Qxg5 14.exd7+ Bxd7 15.Nc4 Qe7 16.Qxd6 Qxe4+ 17.Ne3 Qe5 18.Qxe5+ Bxe5 19.g3Premium
  7. Line 7… 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Qd2 O-O 7.Bh6 Bxh6 8.Qxh6 a6 9.h4 Ng4 10.Qd2 h5 11.f3 Nf6 12.Qh6Premium
  8. Line 8… 4.Nc3 h6 5.Bxf6 exf6 6.e4 g6 7.Bd3Premium
  9. Line 9… 3.d5 b5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 5.e4 Qb6 6.Nd2Premium

4. The e6 setup: claim a broad centre

12 lines

We occupy e4 against the e6 setup and make Black reveal the central structure. The bishop exchange on f6 often leaves Black two bishops, so our knights and central space must provide useful activity before the position opens. We use queen checks, rook development and timed pawn breaks to coordinate the initiative. The key is to finish king safety before relying on an advanced pawn that is pinned along a file.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 5.c3 c5 6.Nf3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d6 10.Qa4+ Nc6 11.Bb5 Bd7 12.O-O Qe7 13.d5 Nb8 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.e5 d5 16.c4 dxc4 17.Bxd7+ Nxd7 18.Rfd1 O-O-O 19.Qxc4+ Kb8 20.Rd6 Rhe8 21.Rad1 Nb6 22.Qg4Premium
  2. Line 2… 8.Nc3 O-O 9.Rc1 Qg6 10.Bd3 Qxg2 11.Rg1 Qh3 12.a3 Bxc3+ 13.Rxc3 Nc6 14.Qd2 d5 15.Bc2 Qh5 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5 18.Qxh6Premium
  3. Line 3… 9.Rc1 d6 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.Rxc3 e5 12.Bb5 a6 13.Ba4 Bg4 14.O-O b5 15.Bb3 Nd7 16.Qd2Premium
  4. Line 4… 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.Be2 Nxf3+ 9.Bxf3 exd5 10.Qxd5Premium
  5. Line 5… 5.c3 d6 6.Bc4 Qg6 7.Qf3 e5 8.Ne2 Nd7 9.O-O Nf6 10.Nd2 Be7 11.Ng3 O-O 12.Rae1 Bg4 13.Qd3 Nh5 14.Nxh5 Qxh5 15.f3 Bd7 16.f4Premium
  6. Line 6… 5.c3 d5 6.Bd3 c5 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.O-O dxe4 9.Bxe4 Bd7 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Nbd2 Qf4 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Bc2Premium
  7. Line 7… 3.e4 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.e5 Qe7 6.f4 Qe6 7.Nc3 d4 8.Nb5 Na6 9.Nf3 h6 10.f5 Qxf5 11.Bd3 Qe6 12.O-O hxg5 13.exf6Premium
  8. Line 8… 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Qxd7 8.Nf3 exd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.Qxd5Premium
  9. Line 9… 5.Nc3 a6 6.dxe6 Bxe6 7.Nge2 Be7 8.g3 O-O 9.Bg2Premium
  10. Line 10… 4.d5 h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6.Nc3 a6 7.Nf3 d6 8.a4 Be7 9.Be2Premium
  11. Line 11… 3.e4 Be7 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxe7 Qxe7 6.c4 Qb4+ 7.Nd2 Nb6 8.Qc2Premium
  12. Line 12… 3.e4 d5 4.e5 h6 5.Be3 Nfd7 6.Bd3Premium

5. The d5 centre: exchange and coordinate

9 lines

We exchange the f6 knight against the early d5 centre and build a coordinated setup against Black's doubled pawns. The two possible pawn recaptures lead to different files and bishop diagonals, so we adapt our development instead of treating them identically. We prepare c4 with suitable support, develop the knights and secure the king. Central exchanges matter most when they improve our pieces without releasing both opposing bishops.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 Bd6 5.g3 c6 6.Bg2 O-O 7.Ne2 f5 8.O-O Nd7 9.b3 Nf6 10.c4 Be6 11.Qd3 Qd7 12.Nbc3 Rac8 13.c5 Bc7 14.b4 h5 15.h4 Rfe8 16.Nf4 Bxf4 17.exf4 Ne4 18.Ne2 b5 19.a4 a6 20.Ra3Premium
  2. Line 2… 6.Bg2 f5 7.Ne2 Be6 8.Nd2 Nd7 9.b3 Nf6 10.c4 Bb4 11.O-O Bxd2 12.cxd5 Bxd5 13.Qxd2 Bxg2 14.Kxg2Premium
  3. Line 3… 4.e3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nd2 Bd6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Nb3Premium
  4. Line 4… 4.e3 Be6 5.g3 c6 6.Bg2 Nd7 7.Ne2 f5 8.Nd2Premium
  5. Line 5… 3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.e3 c5 5.dxc5 e6 6.Nf3 Bxc5 7.Be2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O 9.c4 dxc4 10.Qc2 b5 11.a4 Nb4 12.Qe4 f5 13.Qf4 Qf6 14.axb5 Qxb2 15.Nbd2 Nd5 16.Qg3+ Qg7 17.Bxc4 Bb7 18.Nb3Premium
  6. Line 6… 7.Be2 b6 8.O-O Bb7 9.c4 dxc4 10.Qa4+ Nd7 11.Nc3 Qe7 12.Rfd1 a6 13.Qxc4 O-O 14.Qh4Premium
  7. Line 7… 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Nd2 e5 7.Nb3 Bxc5 8.Nxc5 Qa5+ 9.c3 Qxc5 10.Nf3 Rg8 11.g3Premium
  8. Line 8… 4.e3 e5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Nc3 Be6 7.Bb5 Qd6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.O-OPremium
  9. Line 9… 4.e3 Bf5 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3Premium

6. Early alternatives: develop with a purpose

5 lines

We keep the bishop exchange and central development connected against Black's early alternatives. Fianchetto structures call for patient coordination and queenside space, while slower flank moves give us time to occupy e4 with the d2 knight supporting it. Some lines open files through pawn exchanges, so king safety remains a practical priority. We identify the actual blockers on each diagonal before deciding whether to attack or improve another piece.

  1. Line 11.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 g6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 Bg7 5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 f5 7.Ne2 O-O 8.O-O Nd7 9.c4 Nf6 10.Nbc3 c6 11.b4 Re8 12.b5 Bd7 13.Rb1 Qa5 14.Qd3 Rac8 15.a4 Be6 16.Nf4 Nd7 17.Rfc1Premium
  2. Line 2… 2.Bg5 d6 3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.e3 e5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.Nh4 f5 8.Qh5 exd4 9.exd4 Bxd4 10.O-O-OPremium
  3. Line 3… 2.Bg5 b5 3.Nd2 Bb7 4.Ngf3 a6 5.c3 e6 6.e4 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.b4Premium
  4. Line 4… 2.Bg5 b6 3.Nd2 Bb7 4.Ngf3 e6 5.e4 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Bd3Premium
  5. Line 5… 2.Bg5 c6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.c4 d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3Premium