Queen's Pawn Opening – Tartakower Variation
Queen's Pawn Opening – Tartakower Variation
(sometimes catalogued as “Torre Attack: Tartakower Variation”, ECO A46)
Definition
The Tartakower Variation of the Queen’s Pawn Opening arises after the moves
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5.
White employs an early dark-square bishop sortie (a Torre-style “pin”) while Black counters immediately with
…c5, challenging the centre before committing any pawns to d5 or gundy structures.
Typical Move Order & Transpositions
The most common sequence is:
- d4 Nf6
- Nf3 e6
- Bg5 c5
Other orders are possible—for instance 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. Nf3 c5 or even via the Torre Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) if Black withholds …e6 for a move. The line can transpose into:
- Benoni-type structures after …c5 …e6 …b6
- Queen’s Indian-style setups if Black plays …b6 and …Bb7
- QGD Tartakower-Makogonov–Bondarevsky lines if Black later plays …d5 …Be7 …h6
Strategic Ideas
- White’s Aims
- Maintain the pin on f6 to discourage …d5 in one go.
- Build a solid centre with e3 & c3 (or c4) and consider a later e4 break.
- Rapid development: 0-0, Nbd2, Re1, preparing for a kingside expansion.
- Black’s Aims
- Counter-attack immediately with …c5, often accepting an IQP (isolated queen’s pawn) after …d5.
- Avoid the slow, somewhat cramped positions that arise from classical Torre systems.
- Generate queenside play with …Qb6, …Nc6, and sometimes …cxd4 followed by …d5.
Sample Line
A representative “main-line” continuation is shown below.
The engine will recreate the final position if you load the PGN:
Plans & Typical Pawn Structures
In many branches Black captures on d4 early, yielding an isolated pawn on d5. The resulting IQP position gives Black piece activity, open files, and easy development, while White tries to blockade and later undermine the pawn in the end-game. If Black defers …d5, play can resemble a Modern Benoni with colours reversed, where White enjoys extra space but must parry queenside counter-thrusts.
Historical Context
Saviely Tartakower (1887-1956) was a creative grandmaster and prolific writer known for his witty aphorisms. He popularised several early-c5 ideas against 1.d4 systems, leading opening theoreticians to attach his name to this variation. Tartakower himself used the setup sporadically in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably in simultaneous exhibitions rather than top-flight tournaments. His larger influence came from commentary—in Die hypermoderne Schachpartie he praised …c5 “as a splash of cold water on complacent system-builders.”
Illustrative Games
- Tartakower – Gruenfeld, Vienna 1922 – The origin game; Tartakower used the line with White and scored a brisk attack after Black gambled on …Qb6xb2.
- Karpov – Ribli, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1984 – Karpov demonstrated the strategic blockade plan, suffocating the isolated pawn and converting in a textbook endgame.
- Petrosian – Spassky, Candidates 1966 (Game 8) – A high-level duel where Spassky equalised comfortably, illustrating Black’s dynamic possibilities.
Practical Recommendations
• For White: Learn the motifs of blockading an IQP; keep an eye on tactics along the a4-e8 diagonal
after Black’s …Qb6. Do not drift—Black’s activity can snowball.
• For Black: Strike while the iron is hot—use the lead in development to create threats. If the
position simplifies without generating play, the isolated pawn may become a long-term weakness.
Interesting Facts
- Despite lending his name to the variation, Tartakower employed it with both colours—evidence of his playful attitude toward openings.
- The early …c5 move makes this one of the few Torre-type lines that can transpose into a pure Benoni-Queenside structure.
- Modern engines rate the position roughly equal, yet it remains a surprise weapon because most Torre specialists expect slower manoeuvring games.