"Secrets of the Trompovsky-Volume 1" by Julian Hodgson, 1997
Hodgson Enterprises, Figurine Algebraic Notation, paperback,
159pp., $20.95

British GM Julian Hodgson writes in the Introduction to his
"Secrets of the Trompovsky--Volume 1" that "[o]ne main
advantage of the opening is that, as White, there is probably at least
a seventy percent chance of reaching the position after 1 d4 Nf6 2
Bg5 and thus avoiding Nimzo Indians, Queen's Indians, King's
Indians, Benonis etc. In this day and age of computers and a
never-ending supply of books and magazines all loaded with reams
of opening theory, the advantages (mainly time-saving ones)of
reaching a relatively unanalysed position on move two are
obvious..."

Thus, we have the Trompovsky, examined by "the world's leading
advocate" of this particular opening, as Hodgson bills himself.
Volume 1 of an intended two-volume set, deals only with the
variation 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4. All other Black second move
replies, including the popular 2...e6, played by FIDE World
Champion Karpov among others, presumably will be covered in
the forthcoming edition.

The volume at hand consists of 159 pages segregated into three
sections and 28 individual chapters, in addition to a detailed Table
of Contents and a two page introduction. Coverage, which includes
material from 1996, can be found for virtually all variations after 1
d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 Ne4. Although there are few complete games
provided, there are numerous game fragments presented, plus
Hodgson's own ideas and analysis.

Section 1, which consists of 103 pages and 17 chapters, examines
the principal White option against 2...Ne4, the move 3 Bf4. The
second most popular White choice, 3 Bh4, is the subject of
Chapters 18 through 21, while the recent 3 h4 is seen in Chapters
22 through 28.

An in-depth examination of Hodgson's analysis necessitated the
use of a treatise on the Trompovsky. Wolfgang Gerstner's "Der
Trompovsky-Angriff in Damenbauerspiel" from 1995 was selected
since, at least until now, it offered probably the most
comprehensive coverage available for this opening. 

Two of the more popular variations of 3 Bf4 are the lines 3...c5 4
f3 Qa5+ 5 c3 Nf6 6 Nd2 and 6 d5. Looking first at 6 Nd2, Hodgson
gives 6...cxd4 7 Nb3 Qb6 8 cxd4 Nc6 9 e4 e5 10 dxe5+ Bb4+ 11
Ke2 Nxe5 12 Qd4 Ng6 13 Be3 d5 14 exd5 0-0 and believes that he
could have maintained an approximately even position playing the
White pieces against Gelfand at 1996 Groningen, had he continued
15 Kf2 Qxd4 16 Bxd4 Nxd5. Nonetheless, according to Hodgson,
8...Nc6 "casts a dark shadow over this whole variation" (p. 34,
chapter 5).

Gerstner does not even address 8...Nc6 but, instead, follows
another Hodgson game, Hodgson-Nunn from Pardubice 1992,
which saw 8...d5 9 e3 Nc6 10 Rc1 a5 11 a4 e5 12 dxe5 Nh5 13
Bb5 Nxf4 14 exf4 Bb4+ 15 Kf1 0-0, with an unclear position. At
first glance, it seems obvious that Gerstner simply missed the
Gelfand game, since it didn't occur until after his book was
published. Although this may, in fact, be exactly what happened,
there is one curious twist. Hodgson also analyzes the move 8...d5.
After 9 e3, he comments that this move is "much stronger than 9
Rc1 as played in Hodgson-Nunn, Pardubice 1993" (p. 30) which
left this writer in a quandary, given that Gerstner quoted
Hodgson-Nunn as having played 9 e3 in the same tournament - but
one year earlier. Assuming that Hodgson knows his own games
better than anyone else, such errors do not reflect well on
Gerstner's accuracy. But, out of fairness to all, it must also be said
that this writer was unable to confirm the year or the actual order of
moves of Hodgson-Nunn, Pardubice. (Perhaps one of our astute
readers can help?)

The move 6 d5 also generated a certain conflict between the two
sources. After 6...Qb6 7 b3 e6 8 e4 exd5 9 exd5 Bd6, Hodgson
calls 10 Bg5 "critical" and recommends 10...Be7 11 c4 0-0 12 Nc3
Re8 13 Nge2 h6 14 Bd2 d6 15 Qc2 Na6 16 a3 with an advantage,
although he is careful to cite the foregoing as analysis only, that is
in need of practical tests (p. 49). Gerstner, however, puts his stock
in one of Hodgson's alternatives, 10 Nh3. Similar to Hodgson,
Gerstner follows Sokolov-Smirin, an exciting draw from Wijk aan
Zee 1993 with an unclear position after 10...0-0 11 Qd2 Re8+ 12
Be2 c4 13 Bxd6 Qxd6 14 bxc4 b5.

Section 2 of "Secrets" is devoted to 3 Bh4. Initially popular, it has
become the second choice after 3 Bf4 during the last several years,
as indicated by Hodgson in Volume 3 of his "Trends" pamphlet, as
well as in "Secrets". Gerstner continues to give top billing to 3
Bh4, although twice as much coverage is accorded to 3 Bf4. 

A line that this writer has faced occasionally in tournament play is
the variation 3 Bh4 c5 and now, 4 d5, annotated as "?" by Gerstner
and "?!" by Hodgson (page 105, chapter 18). Both recommend that
Black proceed as in Rodriguez-Hort, Las Palmas 1975, when Black
was for choice after 4...Qb6 5 Qc1 g5 6 Bg3 Bg7 7 c3 Qh6.
Hodgson stops here, giving Black a slight advantage, while
Gerstner continues with Rodriguez-Hort (8 Bxb8) and also offers
Franco- Casas (8 Nh3), both of which are evaluated as leading to
solid Black "pluses".

But the increase in popularity of 3 Bf4 is undoubtedly due at least
in part to disenchantment with one of the main lines of 3 Bh4: 3..c5
4 f3 g5 5 fxe4 gxh4 6 e3. White's troubles appear to begin with
Black's reply, 6..Bh6. Now, 7 Kf2 is considered to be the principal
option, leading to 7..cxd4 8 cxd4 Qb6 9 Nc3 e6 10 Nf3 Nc6,
reaching a crossroads. ("Secrets," chapter 20) Unfortunately for
White, it is at this point where all roads lead to no worse than
equality for Black. Hodgson analyzes 11 Na4, 11 Bb5 and 11 Nb5
(Gerstner adds 11 e5 and 11 Bc4), citing the same games as
Gerstner, with similar evaluations.

Instead of 7 Kf2, interesting is the try 7 Qh5. Gerstner believes that
this move may offer possibilities to rejuvenate the variation for
White, citing Bellon-Lopez vs. Litinskaya, Biel 1988, when White
was for choice after 7..Bxe3 8 Nf3 d6 9 Bc4 e6 10 Rf1 cxd4 11
Nxd4 Qe7 12 Nf3 Nc6 13 Nc3 Bd7 14 Nb5 0-0-0 15 Qxf7.
Hodgson, however, considers 7 Qh5 to be dubious because of
7..Qb6! 8 Nf3 cxd4 9 exd4 Qxb2 10 Qxh6 Qxa1 and "White does
not have enough compensation for the sacrificed material" (p. 112).

A third option for White against 2..Ne4 is the relatively recent
attempt 3 h4. After 3..c5 4 d4, Black has the obvious 4..Qb6,
leading to 5 Nd2 Nxg5 6 hxg5 Qxb2. Hodgson now suggests 7 g6,
as in Hodgson-Zlocheski, Bad Worishofen 1993, which continued
7..fxg6 8 e3 Na6 9 a3 g5, when 10 Ngf3 g4 11 Rb1 Qxa3 12 Ne5
should have been tried and "White has fantastic compensation for
the sacrificed material" (p. 145). Gerstner only offers 7 e4 g6,
leading to an unclear position in Lajos-Toth, Debrecen 1991, and
omits the more recent Yermolinsky-Zlotnikov, New York 1995,
which also featured 7 e4 g6.

In the variation 3 h4 c5 4 d5 g6, Hodgson and Gerstner both follow
Hodgson-Emms, 1992 British Ch., which went 4 d5 g6 5 Qd3 Qa5
6 Nd2 Nxg5 7 hxg5 Bg7 8 c3 d6 9 e4 Nd7 10 a4 Rb8 11 Nc4 Qc7
12 f4. Gerstner ends here, assessing White with a minimal
advantage. Hodgson, on the other hand, comments that he already
prefers Black's game after move 10, providing the additional
moves 12..a6 13 a5 b5 14 axb6 Nxb6 15 Qc2 e6 16 dxe6 Bxe6 17
Ne3, and if 17..d5! had been played, White would have been in
"serious trouble as 18 f5 is well met by 18..d4! when the position is
opening up in Black's favor" (p. 148).

"Secrets" is one of the few books available that is written by a
grandmaster who actually tries to impart some of his opening
knowledge to the reader. In this case, there are obvious benefits
that the reader reaps from a GM who is a practitioner of the
opening about which he is writing. "Secrets" is a "must" for any
serious player who wishes to learn more about the 2..Ne4 line of
the Trompowsky, whether from the White or the Black side.
(Secrets" includes virtually all significant lines found in Gerstner's
detailed reference work and has the added benefit, of course, of
being published in the English language. Although this book may
be best suited for the experienced tournament player, variations are
clearly explained and material is well- organized, so even novices
should find it useful. At this time, "Secrets" looks like the way to
go to study the Tromp. It is hoped that the forthcoming Volume 2
will reflect the same high standards that Hodgson set for Volume 1.