MARK RUBERY CHESS

The one-time Brazilian champion, Octavio Siqueiro Trompovsky (1897-1984) would have slipped quietly into obscurity had it not been for a somewhat unusual second move that he incorporated into his games during the 1930s and 40s. Today in chess circles the name Trompovsky (or Trompowsky) is almost a household name as the sequence 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 has quickly gathered popularity and respectability. Initially introduced to the higher echelons by GM Vaganian in the mid 70’s, the baton was then firmly grasped by the Englishman Julian Hodgson who honed the system into a potent weapon against all levels of opposition. The ultimate seals of approval came from Anand when he used it to defeat Karpov in the 1997 FIDE KO Final, and when Carlsen used it in the first game of his match with Karjakin in 2016. The Trompovsky’s main charm is that as early as move two you can avoid masses of theoretical material, although as it has become more popular, what was once uncharted territory is now slowly being mapped. Wells,P (2501) - Shirov,A (2709) [A45]

Gibtelecom Masters Gibraltar ENG (6) 2006

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 (The Trompovsky-much loved by the British-and on which Wells has written a well-received book about)... c5 3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.d5 Qb6 5.Qc1 f5 6.c4 Bh6 7.e3 f4 8.exf4 Bxf4 9.Qxf4 Qxb2 10.Ne2 Qxa1 11.Nec3 Qb2? (Those willing to tread this perilous path as Black are obliged to play 11...d6) 12.d6! Qc2 13.Qe3 1-0 (A possible continuation that Shirov chose to forgo was 13...Nc6 14.Bd3 Qb2 15.0–0 e6 16.Nd5 Rb8 17.Nbc3 with a wretched position for Black) Here are some of the questions and answers to an examination paper in chess that was given some time ago by Siegbert Tarrasch.

Q: What is the object of playing a gambit opening?

A: To acquire a reputation of being a dashing player at the cost of losing a game.

Q: Account briefly for the popularity of the Queen Pawn Opening in matches of a serious nature.

A: Laziness.

Q: What is the duty of an arbiter where a player willfully upsets the board?

A: Remove the bottle.

Q: What exceptional circumstances will justify the stopping of clocks during a tournament game?

A: Strangling a photographer.