Chessy
Torre Attack: When Black Pushes h6
After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5, many club players lash out with 3...h6, hoping to kick the bishop and gain time. You oblige with 4.Bxf6 — and suddenly the position is much less straightforward than it looks. The engine calls this dead level at +0.20, and the database of nearly 100,000 games agrees: White wins 50.9% of the time, Black 44.3%, and draws make up the rest. The real question is whether you know how to handle the resulting endgame-style struggle better than your opponent does. The drill below will teach you exactly that.
Play the Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack: h6 against the engine
Free, no signup — you play white, the engine adapts to your level.
Jump into the interactive drill now and practice handling both exf6 and gxf6 with the engine as your opponent. The best way to learn this structure is to play —
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By playing 4.Bxf6, you give up your dark-squared bishop to double Black's pawns — but you're also handing Black the bishop pair. Why do it? Because the move keeps your central structure intact and leaves Black with a choice: capture toward the centre with exf6 or away from it with gxf6. Each choice leads to a completely different pawn skeleton, and White has a clear plan against both. The position is symmetrical in evaluation — Stockfish rates it +0.20, a tiny edge for White — but for you as White, that means the opening is perfectly playable and the middlegame will reward whoever understands the pawn structure better. This is not an opening where you checkmate quickly; it's a slow, positional fight where small advantages accumulate.
The Engine's Favourite: exf6
Over 74,000 games in the database show Black choosing exf6 — and they score a solid 50.1%, making this the main line. After exf6, the engine recommends you continue with e3, then Be6 and Nbd2. Why e3? It opens a diagonal for your light-squared bishop while keeping the centre solid. Black's bishop on e6 looks active, but your knight going to d2 keeps an eye on c4 and e4. The pawn on f6 can become a target later. You control d4, and Black's kingside dark squares are weakened without their f-pawn. You're not better, but you are comfortable — just keep developing naturally and wait for Black to misplace a piece.
The Surprising Choice: gxf6
Here is the statistic that might change how you play: Black captures with the g-pawn only about 24,000 times, but White scores 53.1% in those games — a full 3% higher than in the exf6 line. Why? Because gxf6 opens Black's kingside entirely. The h6 pawn becomes a hook, the g-file is half-open, and Black's king often feels unsafe. From this structure you can aim for quick development, castle queenside if needed, and launch a pawn storm on the kingside. The bishop pair is less dangerous when the centre is closed and Black has no good square for its king. If your opponent grabs on g6, you have a real edge to play for.
Punish the Blunders
The database flags three moves as outright blunders in this position — and they all lose more than six pawns' worth of material according to the engine. Here they are: e6 is a blunder (loses ~7.1 pawns; better was exf6). g6 is a blunder (loses ~6.5 pawns; better was exf6). g5 is a blunder (loses ~6.4 pawns; better was exf6). The pattern is clear: any move that tries to
Results across 98,909 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| exf6 | 74,738 | 50.1% |
| gxf6 | 23,901 | 53.1% |
| e6 | 143 | 76.9% |
| g6 | 43 | 76.7% |
| g5 | 36 | 97.2% |
| Nc6 | 17 | 64.7% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Torre Attack with 4.Bxf6 good for White?
Yes, it's completely playable. Stockfish rates the position +0.20, essentially dead level, and White scores 50.9% in practice. You give up the bishop pair but damage Black's pawn structure. This is a solid, positional opening, not a sharp attacking line.
Should Black capture with exf6 or gxf6 in the Torre Attack?
Both are playable. exf6 is far more popular (74,738 games) and leads to a balanced centre. gxf6 is less common but actually scores worse for Black — White wins 53.1% of those games. Against gxf6, you have good attacking chances on the kingside.
What is the biggest mistake Black can make after 4.Bxf6?
The three biggest blunders are e6, g6, and g5. All lose roughly 6.4 to 7.1 pawns of material compared to the correct exf6. If Black plays any of these, you should be winning — just develop naturally and pick up the free material.
What is the best plan for White after 4.Bxf6 exf6?
The engine recommends e3 followed by Be6 and Nbd2. Develop your pieces behind the pawn centre, keep control of d4, and target Black's doubled f-pawns in the middlegame. Solid development is more important than forcing an immediate win.
How many games feature the Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack: h6?
Over 98K Lichess games have reached the Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack: h6 position. White wins 50.9%, Black wins 44.3%, with 4.8% draws — based on real rated games.