Peter Wells' WINNING WITH THE TROMPOWSKY has to be of the best opening books of the last five years. As Wells points out in a thoughtful and informative introduction, the Trompowky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) is no longer an eccentric opening nor even a terribly underanalysed one, but it does have what he calls an "underestimation dividend" that causes even very strong players of Black to stray into unfamiliar positions which they may not handle optimally. The reasoning is that even though the Trompowsky no longer surprises anyone, players of necessity put more time into their defenses to 2.c4 and 2.Nf3. On the other hand, Wells points out that players of the White side will achieve the beginning position of the "Tromp" in about 60% of their games, thus needing less time to prepare for a wide variety of answers such as follow 2.c4 (the Gruenfeld, King's Indian, Nimzo/Queen's/Bogo-Indian, Benoni and so forth), or 2.Nf3.

This book is a repertoire book with plenty of side information. For example, the first chapter discusses why 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 is recommended instead of 3.Bh4 or 3.h4 (without analyzing these options at length). In some main lines, Wells tends to present two repertoires, a "solid" and "attacking" one. Thus after 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 c5, 4.f3 is "solid" and 4.d5 is "attacking." Wells has a strong preference and extensive coverage of 4.f3, but also analyses 4.d5 at length (although the relevant sections are hard to find). An interesting problem with 4.d5 is 4...e6, which may very well equalize.

In the 4.f3 line, after 4...Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6, Wells examines both 6.Nd2 and 6.d5. His analysis of 6.Nd2 cxd4 7.Nb3 Qb6 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qxb6 axb6 10.Nd4 is incredibly thorough. Wells feels that the whole line is underrated for White and contributes key suggestions for both sides. White does come out better in most lines; nevertheless, Wells  is objective about a few of Black's best alternatives, reaching end positions that he feels are still unclear. I have to say that the huge number of options that both sides have, mostly unplayed, is a testament to the depth of this opening, and to opening theory in general. After all, the position after 10.Nd4 has undergone much scrutiny and many tests, but continues to generate new and remarkable ideas.

The repertoire flexibility continues after 2...c5, when Wells has chapters on both 3.Bxf6 and 3.d5. The latter can lead to the "Vaganian Gambit": 3...Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2 5.Bd2, which is exhaustively analysed. On the other hand, lines such as 2...d5 and 2...g6 bring forth only one repertoire move (3.Bxf6) because that is the only consistent way for White to continue. Similarly, 2...e6 is answered by 3.e4, easily the most ambitious move. Returning to 2...Ne4 3.Bf4, the popular 3...d5 is met by either 4.f3 or 4.e3. Wells himself plays the latter move, which he calls "the discovery of the last 5 years" and even the line that has "revitalized the Trompowsky." All these variations are without exception well organized and contain original analysis.

I have a prejudice in favour of the repertoire book for many reasons, among them: (a) it places more responsibility upon the author to find useful lines and analyze them well; (b) it allows the author to be much more thorough; (c) it requires an efficient concentration of material. The latter contrasts with a presentation that is all over the place, usually with the author's attention diverted to one or two favorite variations and often to the virtual neglect of equally important alternatives. This is the case with so many game-based books that contain dense notes to fill in the gaps. To be clear, I believe that a truly complete encyclopedic treatment of an opening (one that covers "all major variations") is the very best option, and in the long run most of the books published in this format are still more useful than the average "Ideas Behind Opening X" book. But these days, books that try to cover every facet of a major opening often fall short in practice. More than ever, the page requirements for a truly comprehensive work would be excessive, so to the extent that authors attempt to cover everything, they skirt around major issues and lack room for meaningful analysis and specific opinions in too many variations.

What sets Wells' book apart is his combination of creative analysis and explanatory prose. His writing is knowledgeable, fluid, and entertaining, even in the middle of rather dense analytical material. I am often asked to recommend books that contain much more than theory and games with densely-packed imbedded games. For those readers, WINNING WITH THE TROMPOWSKY provides a nice balance. I can't imagine a better tool for the average player who wants a repertoire but works during the day (thus needing first of all to be able to stay awake while studying!). ECO, NCO, and the Informant are marvelous publications; however they can't provide the specialized and friendly insights of a repertoire book.

In my tradition of minor complaints, I didn't like the use of the complete games format; to me, it made navigation through the book a bit harder, although not really difficult. He also uses what he calls "Theoretical Articles" that are tagged onto chapters, unattached to the main games, and referred to as "TA's." This adds a third layer of searching (game, variation, article). Also, it would have helped to know on what page these variations and articles started, not just the chapter. Considering the simplicity of this function using modern software, it is too bad that publishers have mostly neglected page references in chess books.

In summary, WINNING WITH THE TROMPOWSKY gets my absolute approval. With its detailed explanations, original analysis, and infectious enthusiasm, it is without any doubt one of the finest opening books of recent years.

Click to see reviews on this book by Donaldson and Silman.

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