ECO A48 · Best studied as White
Neo-King's Indian: Torre Attack
- Tactical
- Positional
- Aggressive
What is the Neo-King's Indian: Torre Attack?
The Torre Attack is a solid, aggressive system where White develops the dark-squared bishop early to pressure the kingside.
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Ne4
The lesson
Play through the Neo-King's Indian: Torre Attack, move by move
Scroll the moves and watch the board follow along. Every move comes with the idea behind it.
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Ne4
Before the first move
The Torre Attack is a solid, aggressive system where White develops the dark-squared bishop early to pressure the kingside. In this Neo-King's Indian setup, Black uses a fianchetto to challenge the long diagonal, leading to a sharp tactical battle when the knight jumps to e4 to harass your bishop.
1. d4White · your move
Push your pawn to d4. This classic opening move claims the center and opens pathways for your queen and dark-squared bishop. You are establishing a firm foothold in the middle of the board while preparing to dictate the pace of the game.
1... Nf6Black
Black replies with Nf6, the Indian Defense. This prevents White from playing e4 and keeps the position fluid. While Black could try the Englund Gambit with e5 or the solid Horwitz Defense with e6, the knight move is the most respected and common choice at the highest levels.
Other paths here: Na6 (Australian Defense) · g5 (Borg Defense: Borg Gambit) · b6 (English Defense) · e5 (Englund Gambit)
2. Nf3White · your move
Bring your knight to f3. This move reinforces your control over the d4 and e5 squares while preparing for kingside development. By delaying the move c4, you keep Black guessing about whether you will enter a main-line Queen's Gambit or a more specialized system.
Other paths here: f4 (Canard Opening) · g4 (Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit) · e4 (Indian Defense: Omega Gambit) · d5 (Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation)
2... g6Black
Black plays g6, signaling the King's Indian setup. This is a sharp choice compared to the solid c6 Czech-Indian or the provocative b5 Polish Variation. Black is happy to let White take the center in exchange for long-term pressure and a safe king.
Other paths here: Ne4 (Döry Defense) · c6 (Indian Defense: Czech-Indian) · a6 (Indian Defense: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation) · b5 (Indian Defense: Polish Variation)
3. Bg5White · your move
Slide your bishop to g5. This is the defining move of the Torre Attack. You are pinning the knight on f6 against the queen, or at least forcing Black to address the pressure. This active development makes it difficult for Black to coordinate their pieces comfortably.
Other paths here: Bf4 (London System) · Nbd2 (Neo-King's Indian) · g3 (Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation) · c4 (King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation)
3... Ne4Black
Black replies with Ne4, a sharp and ambitious move. While the main line is typically Bg7, this jump forces White to react. The knight is beautifully centralized and attacks the bishop, often leading to an exchange or a retreat that changes the character of the game.
Other paths here: Bg7 (Neo-King's Indian: Torre Attack)
Where you stand
The position is tense and strategically rich. White must now decide whether to retreat the bishop to f4 or trade it for the knight, which would give Black the bishop pair but a doubled pawn structure. Black aims to follow up with c5 and Bg7 to shatter White's center, while White will look to develop the queenside and capitalize on their space advantage.
- g5-f4 Retreat the bishop to maintain the tension
- b1-d2 Develop the knight to challenge e4
- c7-c5 Strike at the center with a pawn break
- f8-g7 Complete the fianchetto for long-range pressure
Your games
Related Neo-King's Indian lines
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