Gareyev? Inspiring!

Timur Gareyev: Trompowsky for the attacking player

Review by Christian Höthe

The "Tromp" (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5!?) is a fascinating opening. I still remember how I played against my first chess program, "Colossus Chess", on the Commodore 64 computer at the end of the 80s — such a looong time ago — and how surprised I was when the program shied away from the usual 2.c4 and confronted me with this bishop move.

Four years later I watched live how Julian Hodgson, one of the most ardent and passionate Trompowsky advocate and pioneer tried this move against his countryman John Nunn at the tournament in Pardubice. The game turned into a fascinating tactical slugfest — and I was gripped by 2.Bg5.

But ChessBase has already published two rather fine DVDs by Andrew Martin and Martin Breutigam about the "Tromp", and I asked myself what new ideas or lines Gareyev had to offer on his DVD that comes with the promising name "The Trompowsky for the attacking player"?

Let's have a look at the table of content of the DVD:

1. Trompowsky with Ne4: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.f3 Nf6 5.e4:
2. 01: 5...dxe4 6.Nc3 exf3 7.Nxf3 c6 8.Bc4 e6 - Timur Gareyev (blindfolded) - Stojanovic D [15:42]
3. 02: 5...dxe4 6.Nc3 exf3 7.Nxf3 c6 8.Bc4 Bf5 9.Qe2 e6 10.0-0-0 Bb4 - Analysis [22:15]
4. 03: 5...dxe4 6.Nc3 exf3 7.Nxf3 c6 8.Bc4 Bf5 9.Qe2 e6 10.0-0-0 Be7 and 7...e6 - Analysis [11:21]
5. 04: 5...dxe4 6.Nc3 exf3 7.Nxf3 Bg4 - Analysis [07:43]
6. 05: 5...dxe4 6.Nc3 e3 and 5...e6 6.e5 - Analysis [11:54]
7. 06: 5...e6 6.Nc3 - Analysis [06:23]
8. 07: 5.Nc3 - Gareyev,T - Matikozian,A [08:15]
9. Trompowsky with Ne4: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5:
10. 08: 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Nxd2 6.Bxd2 Qxb2 - Analysis [12:59]
11. 09: 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Qxb2 6.Nxe4 Qb4 7.c3 Qxe4 8.e3 e6/g5 - Analysis [14:19]
12. 10: 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Qxb2 6.Nxe4 Qb4 7.c3 Qxe4 8.e3 b5 - Radjabov,T - Areshchenko,A [06:28]
13. 11: 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Nxd2 6.Bxd2 e5 - Gareev,T - Mikhalevski,V [06:03]
14. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4:
15. 12: Winning Gambit Game: Gareyev,T—Sevian,S [14:27]
16. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5:
17. 13: 3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.c4/3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 and g3/3.e3 c5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 Analysis [23:13]
18. 14: 3.e3 Ne4 4.Bf4 c5/Bf5/e6 - Analysis [11:13]
19. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5:
20. 15: 2..e6 3.e3 d5/2..e6 3.Nd2 c5 and h6 - Analysis [21:18]
21. 16: Creative ideas and 2...Ne4 3.Bh4 - Analysis [23:32]
22. 17: 2...Ne4 3.h4 - Miladinovic,I - Chatalbashev,B [15:49]
23. 18: Conclusion [01:10]

Quite a program! And one that promises a lot of fun! The first time I came across the gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 d5 4.f3 Nf6 5.e4!? was in Peter Wells' fantastic book Winning with the Trompowsky, and at that time I rather naively thought this gambit was the only playable line against 3....d5. However, after a while I had a look at Grandmaster Boris Avrukh's groundbreaking book Beating 1. d4 sidelines in which Avrukh recommends the very solid 5....e6 — and this turned out to be a very difficult nut to crack. But of course Gareyev also analyzes this move and he recommends 6.e5 or 6.Nc3, the most promising lines for White.

One of the most critical variations which every Trompowsky player will have to face sooner or later is the Benoni-like line after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5. Here White must decide whether he wants to steer the game into quiet positional waters or whether he wants to burn his bridges to go all out for a gambit and an attack.

But there is a reason why Gareyev titled his DVD "Trompowsky for the attacking player". I liked that he recommends the sharp line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Ne4 4.Bf4 Qb6 5.Nd2 Qxb2 6.Nxe4 Qb4+ 7.c3 Qxe4 8. e3 which might give White a lasting initiative as the following instructive model game by Radjabov shows:

The line with 2....c5 without ...Nf6-e4 is another huge complex in the "Tromp". Of course, both sides have several options. Martin Breutigam proposed the interesting 3.Nc3!? and if you are looking for an interesting alternative to the lines recommended by Gareyev you can check Breutigam's contributions in ChessBase Magazine — you won't regret it!

Gareyev advocates the sharp 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4, a line Peter Wells and Richard Pert recommend as well. That Gareyev not only preaches but also practices in exemplary fashion is shown by a game he played against Sam Sevian at the 2015 U.S. Championship in St. Louis:

What I liked best is that Gareyev recommends two different lines for White after 2....d5 and the popular 2....e6. This confirms the motto of the DVD to stay creative and to start the game from scratch by challenging yourself again and again by keeping an open mind!

But to my mind the icing on the cake comes at the very end of the DVD. In the chapter which the author fittingly described as introducing you to "creative ideas that will complement your explosive opening choice!" He dedicates a full 40 minutes to the rare but expremely interesting lines that arise after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3. h4!? and 3.Bh4!? which have few followers but deserve theoretical attention.

Would you like an inspiring sample? Voilà!

Summary:

Grandmaster Gareyev — inspiring! I cannot say it any differently. I am already looking forward to other DVDs by this guy — he makes chess training fun!

Trompowsky for the attacking player

Tap into your creative mind and start the game on a fresh note. The Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) is an opening outside of conventional wisdom. Create challenges and make your opponent solve problems early on.

A 15 minute sample video from the Trompowsky-DVD by Timur Gareyev:

Interview with Timur Gareyev:

Translation from German: Johannes Fischer