Torre Attack

The Torre Attack arises when White meets 1...d5 with 2. Nf3 and then pins the f6-knight with 3. Bg5. In this D03 form it is also known as the Tartakower Variation. The bishop goes outside the pawn chain before e3 is played. The usual setup then follows with c3 to support d4, Nbd2 and Bd3. With that in place White prepares e4 to open the center, and the pin makes it harder for Black to defend the kingside. The opening takes its name from Carlos Torre Repetto, who used it to beat Emanuel Lasker. Tartakower, Spassky and Petrosian early in his career also employed it.

Black has several sound replies. 3...e6 is the most frequent and leads to a structure resembling the Queen's Gambit. 3...Ne4, the Gossip Variation, attacks the bishop at once, and 3...g6, the Grünfeld Variation, adopts a fianchetto. Engines prefer the immediate counterstrike 3...c5 and judge the position roughly level. The Torre involves little theory and a calm buildup, so it is common at club level. It is seldom a primary weapon among elite players, where it is not thought to give White much.