Queen's Pawn Game: Anti-Torre c4 — Playing as Black

After 3.c4 Bxf3, White must decide how to take back. The engine's best move is gxf3, continuing with gxf3 dxc4 Nc3 e6. This keeps the g-file half-open and prepares to develop the bishop to g2, where it eyes the long diagonal. The alternative is exf3, which is far more popular — played in 85,369 games compared to just 31,414 for gxf3 — but White's winning percentage is almost identical: 52.3% with exf3 versus 52.1% with gxf3. From your perspective as Black, neither is great news, but the engine clearly prefers gxf3. White's score with exf3 might be slightly higher in practice because many Black players don't know how to follow up. If White plays exf3 instead, your task gets a little easier — but you still need a solid plan.

The numbers reveal a clear story: White has a comfortable plus regardless of the recapture, but this is not a crushing line. Across all 118,835 games, White wins 51.8%, draws happen only 4.5% of the time, and Black wins 43.6%. That draw rate is notably low — games tend to be decisive. If you enjoy fighting positions where you can outplay your opponent in the middlegame, this opening suits you well. The most-played continuation is exf3 (85,369 games), and against it you should aim for quick development and central control. Only 145 games saw cxd5, and just 70 games featured Qa4+ — these rare moves generally score poorly for White, so if your opponent tries them, you should be confident.

The engine has identified three poor alternatives for White in this position — and knowing them gives you sharp counterplay. The first is Nc3, a mistake costing about 2.8 pawns. Here White keeps the pawn on c4, but you can follow up with ...dxc4 and a quick ...e5, exploiting the absence of the light-squared bishop. The second is e3, a blunder losing roughly 7.6 pawns. This move blocks the dark-squared bishop and does nothing to challenge the centre — you can take on c4 and follow with ...e5 or ...c5 to seize space. The third is cxd5, a blunder worth about 4.1 pawns. After cxd5, you recapture with the queen (Qxd5) and White has nothing to show for the doubled f-pawns. If your opponent picks any of these, stay alert — the advantage can swing quickly in your favour.

If White plays the engine's best move, 4.gxf3, you should capture on c4: 4...dxc4. Then after 5.Nc3, the engine suggests 5...e6, solidifying the centre and preparing to develop the kingside. Your bishop on f8 will go to e7 or d6, and your knight to f6. The doubled f-pawns give White extra central control but also create long-term weaknesses. Your plan is straightforward: complete development, castle quickly, and target the white centre with moves like ...c5 or ...Nd7-e5. You're slightly worse, but the position is rich in counterplay. White's extra pawn on f3 can become a target in the endgame, so don't rush — let the pressure build.