MNb wrote on 10/06/21 at 08:20:57:


I think the main idea is to throw the opponent off and out of theory? Not necessarily going for "theoretical" or academic advantage.

VGA wrote on 04/12/21 at 20:20:55:


Wow! thanks for quoting that thread, I had completely forgotten about it and there is indeed some good stuff there.

Here is what you need to know about the Tromp in a nutshell:

1. The Tromp is very dangerous for Black if he gets too frisky.

2. If Black meets the Tromp with either 2...d5 or 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 then there is very little to fear theoretically. Trendy at the moment is a weird line dubbed 'The Raptor' a cool sounding name that conjures up images of a dangerous predator, but like   GM Sam Shankland I too tend not to take Openings coined after animals [or reptiles] very seriously. The Raptor goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. h4!! or some enraptured [Pun Intended] players insist with 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. e3 Ne4 4. h4!! [Exclams for cajones]  Everytime I see and study such games in my database I think to myself  why not me, why can't I find opponents who engage in this kind of thing. For the record Avrukh's published 2012 antidote against 'The Raptor' remains as reliable today as it was way back then.

3. All lines for Black other than what I outlined above allows White the potential to have too much fun and too much initiative. A bit of advice, don't let the engines give you a false sense of security in irrational positions, aim instead for rational positions that are easier to play and more importantly understand. To illustrate these points, take the following position: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5 Nb4 6.Nxd4 Nxe4 7.Nb5 Nxd5 8.Qxd5 Qe7 [Many sources stop here and claim black is much better] 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Bf4 d6 11.0-0-0 Kxc7 [At this point the engines love Black's position, and perhaps in a higher sense this maybe ultimately justified, but in over the board play there is no way I'm heading for this mess if I have a safer option that offers decent chances. For me King safety trumps all, even Stockfish ] 

Hopefully Mr. Palliser himself will soon weigh in on this topic either here or in a future update. We can dream after all, can't we.

A reasonable point. It may be better to win more on what you do know than occasionally lose to what you don't. 

I notice the board here has been pretty quiet of late and wondering why?

I am aware of at least two Black-side Trompovsky books (I think): "Beating the Anti-Indians" and "Dealing with d4 Deviations." I am interested in one day having some form of Indian Defense as a part of a future Black repertoire but the Nimzo, QID, and KID (though they are each very different) have what looks to this novice as a shared and possibly critical weakness: The Trompovsky. So I figure (hope ) there must be valid answers for Black and so learning to meet these kinds of attacks should go along with studying the above-mentioned Black Defenses. Googling around, it is not hard to find players complaining that, when they try to assay the KID say, they spend much more time on dealing with 2.Bg5 instead. So, why the seeming dearth of books on this? Do these books I cited still have merit? And how do YOU rate Black's chances against the Trompovsky? Have a great weekend!

TIA,

Cathexis