Hopton Attack: Adviser, Diagrams & Replay Lab

The Hopton Attack is the anti-Dutch move order 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5. White develops the bishop early to provoke ...Nf6, ...g6 or ...h6 before Black reaches a normal Dutch Defence setup. Start with the Hopton Attack starting diagram to see why the bishop move immediately changes Black's choices.

The main starting moves are 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5. Black most often chooses between 2...g6, 2...Nf6, 2...h6, 2...d5 or 2...c6. Use the Hopton Attack Adviser to choose whether you want the doubled-pawn plan, the g6 pressure plan or the h6 retreat plan.

Yes, the Hopton Attack is an anti-Dutch system against 1...f5. White plays 2.Bg5 before committing to c4, Nf3 or g3, so Black cannot automatically choose a Stonewall, Classical or Leningrad setup. Use the Replay Lab to see how many games still transpose into Dutch-style middlegames.

The Hopton Attack is usually classified under A80 because it begins with the Dutch Defence move 1.d4 f5 and an early 2.Bg5. The exact structure can later resemble Dutch, Trompowsky-style or anti-Dutch positions. Use the A80 replay groups to keep the move-order family together.

White plays 2.Bg5 to disturb Black's normal Dutch development before ...Nf6 and ...g6 become comfortable. The bishop can capture on f6, provoke kingside pawn moves, or support a quick e4 break. Replay Moiseenko vs Moroz to see how Bxf6 can create long-term structural targets.

The Hopton Attack is 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5, while the Trompowsky usually begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5. The bishop move looks similar, but Black's f-pawn already being on f5 changes the centre and kingside weaknesses. Use the starting diagram and Bxf6 diagram to see why this anti-Dutch version has its own logic.

No, the Hopton Attack and Staunton Gambit are different anti-Dutch systems. The Staunton Gambit starts 1.d4 f5 2.e4, while the Hopton Attack starts 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5. Use the Hopton starting diagram to keep the bishop-pressure system separate from the pawn sacrifice.

The Hopton Attack is a good practical choice for White if you want to avoid heavy Dutch theory and force early decisions. White often gets clear targets after Bxf6 or a fast h-pawn plan, but Black can equalise with accurate development. Replay Alburt vs Lutikov for a White attacking model and Beliavsky's Black wins for the defensive side.

The Hopton Attack is sound as a practical anti-Dutch system, but it does not promise a forced advantage. Its value is that it disrupts Black's normal setup and creates unfamiliar structures. Use the Adviser to choose whether your study should start with 2...g6, 2...Nf6 or 2...h6.

Beginners can play the Hopton Attack if they understand the bishop's job rather than just memorising 2.Bg5. The main ideas are Bxf6 to damage Black's structure, e4 to challenge the centre, and h4-h5 to pressure the kingside. Start with the four diagrams before replaying any sharp model game.

Black should choose a response that fits the rest of the Dutch repertoire: 2...g6, 2...Nf6, 2...h6, 2...d5 and 2...c6 are all playable. The practical issue is whether Black wants to allow Bxf6 doubled pawns or force the bishop to declare itself. Use the Hopton Attack Adviser with Black selected to choose a defensive model.

The move 2...g6 is popular because Black develops toward a Leningrad-style setup while asking White whether the bishop really belongs on g5. Black aims for ...Bg7, ...Nf6 and central counterplay, but must watch h4-h5 and e4 ideas. Replay Alburt vs Lutikov and Kamsky vs Spraggett to compare both sides of 2...g6.

After 2...Nf6, White can capture with Bxf6 and give Black doubled f-pawns, or retreat and play a flexible anti-Dutch setup. The Bxf6 structure gives White long-term dark-square and pawn-structure targets. Replay Ricardi vs Rodriguez Vila and Grischuk vs Moiseenko to study both sides of this structure.

White plays Bxf6 to damage Black's pawn structure and make the f5-pawn harder to support. After ...exf6, Black gains the bishop pair and central control but accepts doubled f-pawns and dark-square weaknesses. Use the Bxf6 structure diagram before replaying Moiseenko vs Moroz.

The move 2...h6 is a direct way to ask the bishop whether it will retreat to h4 or exchange later. Black gains space but also loosens the kingside and can become a target after h4 or e4. Replay Marjanovic vs Beliavsky and Vaisser vs Kobalia to see both the defensive and attacking versions.

The move 2...d5 tries to make the game more like a Stonewall or solid Dutch centre before White opens with e4. It reduces some tactical danger but can still leave Black with structural targets after Bxf6. Replay Torre vs Kortschnoj and Belozerov vs Potapov to see how the d5 setup can become strategic.

Black can play 2...c6 to support ...d5 and build a compact Dutch centre. The drawback is that White may still break with e4 or use f3 and Nc3 to open the position. Replay Bauer vs Tseitlin and Kacheishvili vs Guliev for practical examples of 2...c6.

Black can allow doubled f-pawns after Bxf6 if the bishop pair, central control and open e-file compensate for the structure. The danger is that White may attack f5, e6 and the dark squares before Black coordinates. Replay Grischuk vs Moiseenko to see Black survive and win with the structure.

The Hopton Attack can transpose into Stonewall-style structures if Black plays ...d5 and ...e6 while White does not force early central tension. The bishop on g5 or f4 changes the usual Stonewall timing because Black must handle pressure on f6 and dark squares. Use the 2...d5 replay group to study those transitions.

The Hopton Attack can resemble a Leningrad Dutch when Black plays ...g6 and ...Bg7. White's early Bg5 makes that route less automatic because Bxf6, h4 and e4 remain annoying. Use the 2...g6 replay group to see how Leningrad-style plans survive or fail against the bishop move.

White's main plan is to make Black's Dutch setup uncomfortable before it becomes automatic. White can damage the f6-knight, push e4, attack with h4-h5, or build central pressure against doubled f-pawns. Replay Alburt vs Lutikov to see the kingside-pressure plan in action.

Black's main plan is to keep development fast while proving that White's bishop move has not gained enough. Black often uses ...g6, ...Nf6, ...h6, ...d5, ...c6 or ...e6 to build a stable centre and then counterattack. Replay Beliavsky's wins to see how Black converts early pressure into long-term play.

White's biggest mistake is playing 2.Bg5 and then drifting without a concrete follow-up. The bishop move only matters if White uses it to damage structure, force a concession or support a central break. Replay Polgar vs Beliavsky to see how Black can take over when White's attack loses momentum.

Black's biggest mistake is treating 2.Bg5 as harmless and entering a normal Dutch setup without checking tactics. Bxf6, h4-h5 and e4 can punish slow kingside development or loose dark squares. Replay Moiseenko vs Moroz to see White exploit uncoordinated development.

White should play e4 when the centre can be opened before Black finishes development. The move is strongest when Bg5 has already provoked a concession or pinned a defender. Replay Rowson vs Danielsen to see e4-based central pressure appear after 2...g6.

White should play h4-h5 when Black has committed to ...g6 or ...h6 and the kingside can be opened. The h-pawn plan is dangerous only if White's pieces are ready to use the opened files. Replay Fressinet vs Kindermann and Shishkin vs Malaniuk to study the practical attacking pattern.

Replay Alburt vs Lutikov first if you want a direct White attacking model against 2...g6. Then replay Ricardi vs Rodriguez Vila to study Bxf6 structural play after 2...Nf6. Use the Replay Lab suggested path to alternate White attacking wins and Black defensive wins.

Remember the Hopton Attack as a bishop question against the Dutch: will Black allow Bxf6, chase the bishop, or fianchetto anyway? Your memory map is 2...g6 for Leningrad-style play, 2...Nf6 for Bxf6 structures, and 2...h6 for a forced bishop decision. Use the four diagrams as your quick visual route before opening the Replay Lab.

Dutch players should prepare for the Hopton Attack because it appears before many normal Dutch move orders are possible. Even if Black equalises, unfamiliar early bishop pressure can create practical problems. Use the Black defensive replay group to build a reliable answer.

The main takeaway is that the Hopton Attack is a flexible anti-Dutch weapon that forces Black to define the structure early. White should not expect a forced advantage, but White can create awkward doubled-pawn, kingside and central-pressure problems. Use the Hopton Attack Adviser, then replay one 2...g6 game and one 2...Nf6 game to feel the tradeoff.