Torre Attack

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Moves	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 ... 3.Bg5
ECO	A46–48, D03
Origin	1920s
Named after	Carlos Torre

The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves:

1. d4 Nf6

2. Nf3 e6

3. Bg5 (ECO code A46)

or the Tartakower Variation in the Queen's Pawn Game (ECO code D03):

2... d5

3. Bg5

or the Torre Attack in the East Indian Defence (ECO code A48):

2... g6

3. Bg5

or the Torre Attack in the Indian Defence (ECO code A47):

2... b6

3. Bg5

Description

A common position for White's opening attack on Black's kingside will be with the light-squared bishop at d3 and the dark-squared bishop at g5, and the knights at d2 and f3:

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Torre Attack: ready to go

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

White's Torre structure with c3 and e4

White pursues quick and harmonious development, will bolster his d4-pawn by c2–c3, then often enforces e2–e4 to obtain attacking chances on the kingside as the Torre bishop pins the f6-knight. If White plays an early c4, the opening will transpose to a number of more common queen pawn openings, such as the Queen's Gambit or one of the various Indian defences.

The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto, who beat former World Champion Emanuel Lasker with it.^[1] The variation was also employed by Savielly Tartakower, Boris Spassky, and Tigran Petrosian early in his career. Other noted top-level exponents include Alexey Dreev, Pentala Harikrishna, Krishnan Sasikiran and Jan Timman.^[2]

The Torre Attack is rarely met in modern top-flight play as a "Go-to or Primary" system, and statistics suggest that it is not particularly advantageous for White.^[3][4][5] Due to its calm nature and relative lack of theory, however, it is popular at club level, giving White chances to seize a middlegame initiative. In recent years it has also been used against Black's kingside fianchetto pawn structure.

Torre Attack in the East Indian Defence (ECO A48)

A variation of East Indian Defence, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5, is often also called Torre Attack. After 3...Bg7, White usually plays 4.Nbd2 but can also play 4.c3. After 4.Nbd2, common lines include 4...0-0 5.c3 and 4...d5 5.e3 0-0.

See also

• Trompowsky Attack · another set of openings with White utilizing d4 and Bg5 attacking Black's Nf6, which may sometimes transpose to a Torre Attack
• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after people

References

Further reading

• Tangborn, Eric (1993). The Complete Torre Attack. International Chess Enterprises. ISBN 978-1-879479-14-2.
• Gufeld, Eduard; Stetsko, Oleg (1994). Winning With the Torre Attack. Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 978-0805032802.