Torre Attack, Grünfeld Variation

In the Grünfeld Variation of the Torre Attack, Black meets 3. Bg5 with 3...g6. Instead of breaking the pin with ...e6 or attacking the bishop with ...Ne4, Black prepares ...Bg7 and castling, taking the dark-square posture of the Grünfeld Defense. Because White has not advanced the c-pawn, the game usually stays slower and more closed than the real Grünfeld. The named main line, often reached through 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d5 5. e3 O-O, shows the typical Torre development against a fianchetto, with White building calmly behind the d4-pawn.

White has three main replies. 4. Bxf6 is the most popular. It gives up the bishop pair, and since the g-pawn has moved Black must recapture with the e-pawn, which damages Black's pawn structure. 4. e3 is almost as common, and White scores somewhat better with it. 4. Nbd2 is less frequent. The engine prefers 4. c4, which can steer the game into Grünfeld territory proper. Its assessment is close to equal, and practical results are similarly even.