Blitz Black with the Torre Attack

Lapoc Chess Board, Issue #106 -- GOTM #76

The Torre Attack was popularized a century ago by Carlos Torre of Mexico. As White it gives you a strong initiative on the Kingside with simple development and relatively easy moves to find.

Black should play 3...c5 and 4.e3 takes you to the Main Starting Position. Black's main options include the humble 4...Be7, the more ambitious 4...Qb6 and 4...b6 which may be a little ropier than it first appears.

The sharpest of the three, 6...Qb6 involves a poisoned pawn sacrifice after 5.Nbd2 Qxb2 6.Bd3. Black can survive and maybe even hold an advantage with perfect play but many players have lost their way in this messy position.

One beautiful Torre Attack game was played in Marianske Lazne in 1925. David Janowski used the Torre on Frederick Saemisch and a very sharp game materialized.

Blitz Black with the Torre Attack

Janowski,Dawid Markelowicz - Saemisch,Friedrich [A46]

GotM #76, Marianske Lazne, 1925
[Connaughton, Ken]

1.d4

Queen's Pawn Game

1...Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5

Torre Attack

3...c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 b6 6.c3 Bb7 7.Bd3 cxd4 8.exd4 Be7 9.Nc4 0-0 10.Qe2

Game position after 10.Qe2

Not committing his King to either wing just yet.

10...Qc7

Black trains his pieces towards the Kingside.

11.h4

And the reason for White's refusal to castle Kingside emerges.

11...h6 12.Qd2!

Black daren't accept the sacrifice.

12...Ng4

(12...hxg5 13.hxg5 Nd5 14.Bh7+)

13.Bf4 d6 14.Ne3 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 h5 16.Rh3 e5

Game position after 16...e5

Black decides to open the position. Who's pieces are more powerful?

17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 dxe5 19.Bxe5

Game position after 19.Bxe5

White's Bishop Pair occupy great diagonals.

19...Bd6 20.Qh6! f6

(20...gxh6?? 21.Rg3#; 20...Bxe5?? 21.Qh7#)

21.Qh7+ Kf7 22.Bxd6 Qxd6 23.Re3 Rg8

Leaving f8 for the King and strengthening g8.

24.Bc4+

Game position after 24.Bc4+

Slowly stretching Black's defensive resources to the limit.

24...Bd5 25.Qxh5+

And Black can't parry the latest double threat.

25...g6 26.Qxd5+ Qxd5 27.Bxd5+ Kg7

Game position after 27...Kg7

And here Black resigns.

1-0

Sliwa,Bogdan - Bronstein,David [A81]

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See you next month.

Ken

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