Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5
Torre Attack
1.2.3.
What Is The Torre Attack?
3.Bg5 develops the dark squared bishop outside the pawn chain before e3 locks it in, and it pins the f6 knight against the queen on d8. That pin costs Black time: freeing moves like ...Ne4 commit him early, so White completes the setup with e3, Nbd2, Bd3, c3 and castles. The Torre is not a passive system: White trades or retreats the bishop on his own terms and then plays for the e4 break that opens lines toward the black king.
Black's third move sets the character. 3...e6, the Classical Defense, builds a solid wall; 3...Ne4, the Gruenfeld Variation, hits the bishop and forces White to decide. Everything turns on that bishop: after Bxf6, ...gxf6 wrecks Black's kingside but hands him the bishop pair and a grip on e5.
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 31% | 239 | |
| Bf5 | 12% | 94 | |
| Nc6 | 12% | 91 | |
| Ne4 | 11% | 84 |
The Named Lines Of The Torre Attack
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Grünfeld Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 g6 4.e3 |
| Gossip Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Ne4 |
| Breyer Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 d5 4.e3 c5 5.c3 Qb6 |
| Grünfeld Variation, Main Line | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d5 5.e3 O-O |