The Torre Attack is a fascinating and intriguing opening strategy in the game of chess off the Queen’s Pawn Opening.

It features a distinct move order and a specific set of strategies that have been used in various grandmaster games and international tournaments throughout history.

The Torre Attack is often favored by players looking to establish an early advantage in the game by focusing on piece development and control over the center of the board.

Move Order of the Torre Attack

The Torre Attack is initiated by a specific series of moves in the beginning of the game.

The initial move, 1.d4, is followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bg5 for white.

This move order involves first moving the Queen’s pawn two squares forward, developing the knight to f3, and then developing the bishop to g5.

The order of these moves is critical for setting up the Torre Attack.

By controlling the center with the Queen’s pawn and developing the knight and bishop early, the player can exert significant pressure on the opponent.

Black’s move order may change.

These are the four variations:

• Torre Attack: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5
• Tartakower Variation in the Queen’s Pawn Game: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5
• Torre Attack in the East Indian Defense: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5
• Torre Attack in the Indian Defense: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bg5

Theory, Strategy, and Purpose

In the Torre Attack, the primary strategy is to control the center of the board and exert pressure on the opponent’s pieces.

The opening’s main purpose is to establish a strong position early in the game.

By developing the knight and bishop, the player can control key squares and build an effective attack.

The Bishop at g5 also creates potential tactical opportunities, especially against the opponent’s knight and queen.

It is related to the Trompowsky Attack, which is characterized by the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5

Variations of the Torre Attack

There are several variations of the Torre Attack from the traditional 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5.

These variations depend on the initial moves made by the opponent.

Tartakower Variation in the Queen’s Pawn Game

The Tartakower Variation in the Queen’s Pawn Game (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5) is a common response where black aims to establish their presence in the center immediately after white’s opening moves.

Torre Attack in the East Indian Defense

The Torre Attack can also appear in the context of the East Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5). Here, black opts for a fianchetto setup with g6.

Torre Attack in the Indian Defense

Similarly, in the Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bg5), black looks to fianchetto their bishop on the queen’s side.

Torre Attack – Gossip Variation

The Torre Attack: Gossip Variation is found via:

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Ne4 (or transpositions like 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bg5 Ne4)

 The Gossip Variation is evaluated as approximately even.

So, three moves in, white’s opening advantage is gone but may be a variation that is used as a surprise.

Torre Attack: Wagner Gambit

The Torre Attack: Wagner Gambit is found via the line:

The knight can’t take e4 because it loses the queen, so black’s best move is cxd4.

This gives a slight edge for black.

Evaluation of the Torre Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 is generally evaluated around +0.10 to -0.05 for white.

The reason why it’s not overly popular is because it largely gives away white’s opening advantage by move 3.

Theory & Continuation Lines of the Torre Attack

Below we can find some common theory and continuations from the Torre Attack that you’d see at the highest level of play.

3… h6

3… h6 4. Bh4 d5 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. c3 b6 9. Bg3 c5 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nd7 12. O-O c4 13. Bc2 

3… h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. e3 Qb6 7. Qb3 d5 8. Be2 c4 9. Qc2 g5 10. Bg3 Ne4 11. Nbd2 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Bg7 13. e4 Bd7 14. O-O 

3… h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. e3 Qb6 7. Qb3 d5 8. Be2 Bd6 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Bg3 Bxg3 11. hxg3 Bd7 12. Ne5 Be8 13. a4 Qxb3 14. Nxb3 Nxe5 

3… h6 4. Bxf6 Qxf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Qd2 c5 7. a3 cxd4 8. axb4 dxc3 9. bxc3 d5 10. Qd4 Bd7 11. Kd2 Nc6 12. Qxf6 gxf6 13. e3 Ne5 14. Nxe5 fxe5 

3… h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. c3 Qb6 6. Qc2 d5 7. e3 Nc6 8. Nbd2 cxd4 9. exd4 Nh5 10. g4 g5 11. gxh5 gxh4 12. Nxh4 Bd7 13. Rg1 O-O-O 14. O-O-O Kb8 15. Ndf3 Rc8 16. Kb1 Be8 17. Qe2 

3… h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. c3 Qb6 6. Qc2 Nc6 7. e3 d5 8. Nbd2 cxd4 9. exd4 Nh5 10. g4 g5 11. gxh5 gxh4 12. Nxh4 Bd7 13. Ndf3 O-O-O 14. O-O-O Kb8 15. Kb1 a6 16. Bd3 Ka7 17. Ka1 

3… c5

3… c5 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Nc6 6. Qh4 Bb4 7. e4 h6 8. Bd3 d6 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 e5 11. Nd2 O-O 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qxf6 gxf6 

3… c5 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Nc6 6. Qh4 Bb4 7. e4 h6 8. Bd2 d5 9. e5 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 g5 11. Qa4 Ne4 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Bxc6 Bxc6 14. Qd4 Nxc3 15. Qxc3 d4 16. Nxd4 

3… c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 Qb6 7. Qc2 d5 8. Nbd2 cxd4 9. exd4 Nh5 10. g4 g5 11. gxh5 gxh4 12. Nxh4 Bd7 13. Ndf3 O-O-O 14. O-O-O 

3… c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 Qb6 7. Qc2 d5 8. Nbd2 cxd4 9. exd4 Nh5 10. g4 g5 11. gxh5 gxh4 12. Rg1 Bd7 13. Nxh4 O-O-O 14. O-O-O Kb8 15. Ndf3 Rc8 16. Kb1 Bd6 17. Ka1 

3… c5 4. d5 Qa5+ 5. c3 Nxd5 6. e4 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bd2 Qd8 9. c4 Nc7 10. Bf4 Be7 11. Qc2 Nc6 

3… c5 4. d5 Qa5+ 5. Bd2 Qd8 6. e4 Nxe4 7. Nc3 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 Be7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. d6 Bf6 11. Ne4 b6 12. g4 Bb7 13. Qf4 Bd4 14. Bd3 f5 15. gxf5 Rxf5 16. Qg3 Nc6 

3… c5 4. d5 Qa5+ 5. Bd2 Qd8 6. e4 Nxe4 7. Nc3 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 Be7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. d6 Bf6 11. Ne4 b6 12. Qf4 Bb7 13. g4 Bd4 14. Bd3 f5 15. Neg5 h6 16. gxf5 

3… c5 4. d5 Qa5+ 5. Bd2 Qd8 6. e4 Nxe4 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8. Bxc3 d6 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. a4 e5 11. Nd2 Bxb5 12. axb5 Be7 13. f4 Nd7 14. fxe5 O-O 15. Nc4 Nb6 16. Nxb6 Qxb6 17. exd6 Bxd6 18. O-O Rae8 19. Qg4 g6 20. Qc4 

3… h6 is considered the best continuation.

3… c5 brings a Benoni flair to the Torre Attack. This could be met by 4. Nc3, 4. c3, or 4. d5 (considered the best).

History

The Torre Attack has a rich history in the world of chess.

Named after the Mexican chess Grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto, the Torre Attack became a popular strategy in the early 20th century.

Despite its age, the Torre Attack is still employed in contemporary grandmaster games, a testament to its enduring effectiveness.

Whether It’s Good for Beginners or Intermediates

The Torre Attack can be a beneficial opening strategy for both beginners and intermediate players.

For beginners, it offers a straightforward way to control the center and develop pieces.

The sequence of moves is relatively easy to remember, which can make it an attractive option for those learning the game.

For intermediate players, the Torre Attack offers an opportunity to transition into complex middlegame positions.

Understanding the tactical and strategic opportunities that arise from this opening can certainly help players improve their game.

The Torre Attack – Plans, Structures, Patterns, Variations · Chess Openings

How Often It’s Played at the Grandmaster Level

While the Torre Attack is not as frequently seen as openings like the Sicilian or the French Defense, it continues to be played at the Grandmaster level.

Although it might not be the first choice in every game, it remains a viable and occasionally surprising option for many top players.

Even world-class players like former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik have employed the Torre Attack in their games, showcasing its utility at the highest levels of competition.

Simon Williams – The Torre Attack

FAQs – Torre Attack

1. What is the Torre Attack in chess?

The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 and 3.Bg5.

This opening can arise from various move orders, but the idea behind it remains the same: to control the center quickly with your pawn and knight and then put your bishop on its most dangerous square.

It was popularized by the Mexican Grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto.

2. How does the Torre Attack differ from the Tartakower Variation?

The Torre Attack and the Tartakower Variation are similar in that they both start with 1.d4 and 2.Nf3.

However, they differ in the subsequent moves.

The Tartakower Variation is characterized by the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5, while the standard Torre Attack is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5.

The key difference is in Black’s second move, e6 versus d5.

3. What is the main strategy for white in the Torre Attack?

The main strategy for White in the Torre Attack is to gain quick control of the center with their d4 pawn and Nf3 knight, followed by an early pin of the opponent’s knight with Bg5.

This opening allows White to develop quickly, maintain flexibility, and potentially exploit weaknesses in Black’s position.

4. How should Black respond to the Torre Attack?

Black’s response to the Torre Attack will often depend on their preferred style of play, as well as how White has chosen to proceed after the initial moves.

Some common responses to 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 include h6 to chase away the pinning bishop or Be7 to break the pin.

Another option is d5, countering in the center.

5. What is the Torre Attack in the East Indian Defense?

The Torre Attack can also be employed against the East Indian Defense, characterized by the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6.

The Torre Attack in the East Indian Defense then proceeds with 3.Bg5, aiming to pin the knight before Black can fianchetto their bishop.

6. How does the Torre Attack in the Indian Defense differ?

The Torre Attack in the Indian Defense follows the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bg5.

Here, Black aims to fianchetto the bishop on b7 and develop the knight to d7.

The key difference here is Black’s decision to play b6 on the second move, which is less focused on immediate central control than other variations and aims for a more flexible, hypermodern setup.

7. How can I transition into the middle game from the Torre Attack?

Transitioning to the middle game from the Torre Attack generally involves completing development, connecting rooks and looking for opportunities to exploit any weaknesses in the opponent’s position.

Precise strategies will often depend on how Black has chosen to respond, but White often has plans related to e4-e5 pawn thrusts, queenside pawn storms, or focusing on piece play in the center and on the kingside.

8. Are there any famous games played with the Torre Attack?

Yes, there are several notable games played using the Torre Attack. One of the most famous is the game between Carlos Torre Repetto and Emanuel Lasker at Moscow (1925).

Torre, playing as White, was able to exploit weaknesses in Lasker’s position to secure a victory.

Such games can provide valuable insights into the strategic and tactical possibilities offered by the Torre Attack.