Robert Ris: The top-tier Trompowsky

by ChessBase
6/29/2025 – In today's chess world, an ideal opening should be practical, easy to remember, aggressive, and force the opponent to think early—rather than aiming for small advantages. IM Robert Ris presents such a repertoire for White with 1.d4 followed by 2.Bg5, fulfilling all these criteria. The Trompowsky Attack, now revived by top grandmasters, is especially effective in rapid games and allows players to sidestep deep theory while gaining dynamic play.
The Trompowsky is especially suited for faster time controls as you don‘t have to memorise endless lines of theory, and you push your opponent out of their comfort zone after your second move.
Nowadays, the list of requirements for an opening repertoire is long: being sound and sustainable; not requiring much memorisation; offering great attacking chances; making your opponent think early on etc… The time of finding a minimal advantage from the opening has passed, and we are better off with a more practical approach - simply understanding the position better than our opponent does. The Repertoire for White 1.d4 ... 2.Bg5! from IM Robert Ris answers all these requirements!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 Be7/d5/c5

The top-tier Trompowsky  

by Robert Ris

Nowadays, the list of requirements for an opening repertoire is long: being sound and sustainable; not requiring much memorisation; offering great attacking chances; making your opponent think early on etc…

The time of finding a minimal advantage from the opening has passed, and we are better off with a more practical approach - simply understanding the position better than our opponent does. The Repertoire for White 1.d4 ... 2.Bg5! from IM Robert Ris answers all these requirements!

Free video sample: Introduction

Free video sample: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 Be7/d5/c5

The Trompowsky Attack was a popular system in the 1980s, and is now making a comeback with world class players like Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov recently employing the opening With this course from long-time ChessBase author IM Robert Ris, you can ride the wave of the Trompowsky and upgrade your repertoire with a universal and modern Opening that you will enjoy playing.

The Trompowsky is especially suited for faster time controls as you don‘t have to memorise endless lines of theory, and you push your opponent out of their comfort zone after your second move.


Running time: 8 hours

The Trompowsky is especially suited for faster time controls as you don‘t have to memorise endless lines of theory, and you push your opponent out of their comfort zone after your second move.
Nowadays, the list of requirements for an opening repertoire is long: being sound and sustainable; not requiring much memorisation; offering great attacking chances; making your opponent think early on etc… The time of finding a minimal advantage from the opening has passed, and we are better off with a more practical approach - simply understanding the position better than our opponent does. The Repertoire for White 1.d4 ... 2.Bg5! from IM Robert Ris answers all these requirements!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 Be7/d5/c5

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