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Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation) (D03)
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5

Number of games in database: 2499
Years covered: 1889 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 34.0%
   Black wins 30.2%
   Draws 35.8%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Jan Plachetka  15 games
Petar Trifunovic  15 games
Vladimir Malaniuk  13 games
Lubomir Ftacnik  16 games
Igor Stohl  9 games
Pia Cramling  8 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Timman vs H Bouwmeester, 1967
Timman vs Geller, 1983
Timman vs Fritz, 1997
Kostic vs Capablanca, 1919
E Korchmar vs R Nezhmetdinov, 1931
V Artemiev vs Mamedyarov, 2016
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 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,499  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Gunsberg vs Gossip 1-05318896th DSB Congress, BreslauD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
2. Lasker vs J Bauer ½-½401890GrazD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
3. W Schelfhout vs S von Freymann  ½-½401911Cologne-AD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
4. Alekhine / Esser vs Freiman / Levenfish 1-0371912Consultation gameD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
5. Alekhine vs Ovsiannikov/Ukhtomsk 1-0391913KazanD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
6. Alekhine vs B Malmgren 0-1251914Simul, 24bD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
7. J Krejcik vs A Kaufmann ½-½5319146th Trebitsch TtD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
8. Kupchik vs J Rosenthal  1-0361916Manhattan Chess Club-chD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
9. Kostic vs Capablanca 0-1541919Capablanca - KosticD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
10. Kupchik vs J Bernstein ½-½371919New York State ChampionshipD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
11. Janowski vs Marshall ½-½10519239th American Chess CongressD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
12. Kupchik vs S J Thompson  1-0401923SimulD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
13. Alekhine vs Journal l'Action Francaise 1-0431925Blindfold simul, 28bD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
14. Janowski vs Vidmar  0-1511926Hastings 1925/26D03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
15. Kmoch vs Znosko-Borovsky 1-0541926Budapest 1st FIDE MastersD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
16. C Phillips vs L H Wight 1-0331926Western ChampionshipD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
17. G Machate vs R L'hermet 1-046192725. DSB KongressD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
18. L Grigoriev vs R Brailovsky  1-0261928Rostov on DonD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
19. V Nenarokov vs I Kan 1-0741928Moscow-chD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
20. F C Haalebos vs J Kersten  0-1291928VAS-NRSVD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
21. J Montalban vs W O Cruz  0-15319283rd South American ChampionshipD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
22. L von Dory vs B Hoenlinger  ½-½431928Trebitsch MemorialD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
23. A van Nuess vs P Johner  0-1421928DortmundD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
24. B Hrabal vs Flohr 0-1271930Kautsky mem7D03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
25. E Korchmar vs R Nezhmetdinov 0-1221931Categories 1 & 2 TtD03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,499  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-16-04  matein8: <Drukenknight, Gower> Thanks for your help.

DK, I guess that you have a typo and mean 2...Ne4. Yes, I see that's the most popular response according to the opening explorer. I was thinking about Benjamin's objections to 2...Ne4 above, though. In response to 1.d4, I normally play either the NID or the QID and so I find the Tromp annoying when it's forced on me.

So some interesting lines to play against it are:

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5 (or d5) e.g. Van der Wiel vs Kasparov, 1982

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d6 e.g. Vaganian vs Kasparov, 1979

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 e.g. K Richter vs Alekhine, 1941

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 e.g. Janowski vs Nimzowitsch, 1926

Feb-16-04  drukenknight: matein, yeah thanks. That was a typo. Some fun openings with this:

1 d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3 h4 c5 4 dxc5 Qa4 5 Nd2 Nxg5 6 hxg5 e6 7 c3 Qxc5 8 Nf3

that was against the computer, but there are there are many ways to go for black on move 5, maybe that's why it's so difficult black has many choices, same thing but with

5....e6 6 c3 Nxg5 7 hxg5 Qxc5 8 Ngf3 Kd8 9 Qe2 h6 10 Nb3 Qd6 11 gxh6 gxh6

there are lots of traps in all of these. But you know what? most white players will not take the c pawn, they just dont like to right off, so instead

3...c5 4 Nc3 Qa4 5 Qd3 Nxf3 6 gxf3 c6 7 Bf4 cxd4 8 Qxd4? ...ewwww, watch the fork.

stuff like that, keep working those moves and see what you come up.

Feb-16-04  matein8: DK, thanks for the input. BTW, that symbol at the end of my username is the number eight (8), not just the infinity symbol turned on it's side ;-)
Mar-03-04  waddayaplay: Also, the simple 2...e6 is playable, and 2...g6 is a solid choice.
Mar-24-04  ruylopez900: Is there a Torre Attack that isn't the Tartakower Variation??
Apr-19-04  Vischer: Is this named after Eugenio Torre, Carlos Torre Repetto, or Gonzalez De La Torre, Santiago?
Apr-19-04  Dillinger: <vischer> see refutor's post above
Apr-19-04  Vischer: Ah, Carlos Torre Repetto.
Aug-03-04  cuendillar: <ruylopez900> Yes, the main line goes 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg4 and is categorized as A46. When blacks second move is d5, g6 or b6 it is also called Torre Attack.
Sep-24-04  Knight13: I usually play this when playing Queen's Pawn Game.
Sep-25-04  Kean: Why not 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 and h6 next?
If Bh4 then Bf5 and black aims at controling e4, besides h6 is only to make space to the bishop at h7, and if Bxf6 exf6 and next f5 again controlling e4.

The point being also developing the bad c8 bishop awhile white make those bishop moves. I saw once something about this system in a magazine.

Jan-06-05  Flo: After 3.Bg5 is the position of black very defensive.

Kean, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 could white play 3.Bxf6 and now it's not good for black to play 0-0 later or the center of black is not strong. After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 is 3....e6 the best move because black could play 4....Qxf6 after 4.Bxf6. After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.Bxf6? Qxf6 is the position of black OK.

Jul-20-05  erad1288: actually after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e4 is better for white because he has no structural weaknesses and a lead in development
Sep-27-05  jeff1980: hi there..im new here in chessgames.com and i was hoping someone could help me..im researching for my opening repertoire as white and im considering the torre attack..does anyone know an internet site where there is a move-by-move analysis of this opening?i would appreciate anyone's help.. :)
Sep-27-05  Paul123: Jeff I'm not that strong of a player but when I checked into this opening I found the reason it is not seen in master practice is because of this line

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 Ne4!? with.....White haveing two choices

4. Bf4 and Bh4

4.Bf4 c5 5.e3 Qb6 6.Qc1 Nc6 7.c3 Bf5 8.Be2 Rc8 black is equal with 9.0-0 cxd4 or [9...e6]

and

4.Bh4 4...g6 5.e3 Bg7=] or 4...Qb6 5.Qc1 Bf5 6.e3= However in my most humble and not so strong opinion...(remember opinions are like blow-holes, everyone's got one and I'm no different!) I think lines that can give white a slight plus are the lines that stem from 4. Bh4. They have a better win percentage and offer better chances to mix it up.

Sep-29-05  jdlasmarias: <paul123> thanks..actually the reason im not really convinced with the torre attack is because of the line..1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5 Ne4! and now 4 Bh4 Qd6 with the threat Qb4 and Qh6..is this bookline?can anyone give a comment on this line?


Im looking for an opening to play as white against all black responses and several choices came up..Colle system, Torre attack and the London system..but im not really that convined with these openings..is there an ECO code for the london system?

Dec-31-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ron: The position below, which arises from d4 Nf6 Nf3 e6 Bg5 h6 Bh4 c5 e3 b6 c3 Bb7 Nbd2 Be7 Bd3 d5 Ne5 0-0 0-0 Nbd7


click for larger view

has occurred before according the chessbase.com's database. After this, the natural looking move Rc1 seems to be new. I submit that this move is fine and white can even get a good attacking setup: for example: Rc1 Nxe5 dxe5 Nd7 Bxe7 Qe7 f4 c4 Bb1 f5 exf6(e.p) Rxf6 Qc2 Of course, black can play different moves but it seems to me that ideas like Rc1, Bb1, Qc2 seem interesting.

Jan-01-06  Ybrevo: <Ron> Instead of Rc1 I would strongly consider f2 - f4 first. If Nd7xNe5 then fxe5 with a very promising K-side attack. I have played that position 2 times with good succes. One of the big problems for Black is, that the Bishop on b7 is stone dead compared to White Bishop on d3.
Oct-04-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Surprised they named this variation after Tartakower -- surely someone won a game with it once?!

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...(D03)+as+White+

Apr-04-07  gambitfan: Quite similar to the Trompovsky attack 1 d4 ♘f6 2 ♗g5 (Opening of the Day - 03/04/2007)
Apr-02-09  Archswindler: I used to play this opening all the time, but when I reached a certain level it just stopped working, and I decided it was time to give 1. e4 a try. Maybe I'll go back to it when I'm too old for open sicilians.
Apr-02-09  WhiteRook48: Tartakower NEVER won with that variation, surprisingly!
Jul-28-09  whiteshark: Opening of the Day <Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation) <1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5>> http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...
Mar-08-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
1.d4 d5 2.♘f3 ♘f6 3.♗g5


click for larger view

Sep-26-13  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5


click for larger view

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