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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) torre vs london (Read 21112 times)
ErictheRed
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #21 - 09/02/17 at 16:42:30
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Contrary to some opinion in this thread, I actually think that the Torre and London are quite different. In the Torre white is using the bishopto fight for the e4 and d5 squares, whereas in the London he is not. Many lines of the Torre see White surrendering the two bishops to force through and early e4 push, which can even give the game a sort of Sicilian flavor.  They're quite different openings; only in the lines where Black plays an early ...d5 and ...e6 do they seem very similar, in my opinion.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #20 - 09/01/17 at 02:12:21
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I don't fully understand what point Avatar is trying to make, so I'll address the initial question more deeply.

One tip I can give is that you may consider adding 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 to give your Torre repertoire a bit more bite, as you could also reach it from 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 d5 4.e3 Be7 5.c4 - you'd be surprised how many Queen's Indian players end up here at club level!

It's true that the Torre isn't as fashionable as the London, but the principle is quite similar to the London - get the pieces out, don't leave any weaknesses, stay flexible depending on what they do.

I'm not sure I 100% agree with the cons - I heard Palliser's Torre book was quite good, though I don't have it for myself. As for the light-squared bishop, you can say it belongs on d3 if they aren't playing ...g6/...d6/...e5 stuff. For the ...g6 lines, one can consider the e3/c3 setup played by Eljanov not so long ago - I agree that the position from the Carlsen-Cheparinov game feels a tad easier for Black to handle.

As I noted before, you can mix systems to avoid problem lines, so you may find 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 to be a good complement to 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6/g6 3.Bg5. For transpositions, note that 2...c5 3.e3 cxd4 4.exd4 transposes to the Caro-Kann Exchange with 4.Bf4.
  

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Re: torre vs london
Reply #19 - 08/31/17 at 20:33:35
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an ordinary chessplayer wrote on 08/31/17 at 16:21:47:
Avatar wrote on 08/31/17 at 08:45:38:
... what is the use of a good position at the opening when we can not handle properly the other stages of the game.

If your opponent resigns in the opening, you won't lose in the middlegame or endgame.

As you said he must resign but these days none won a game that he resign... and good players know that Smiley
There are many examples,believe me.....
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #18 - 08/31/17 at 16:21:47
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Avatar wrote on 08/31/17 at 08:45:38:
... what is the use of a good position at the opening when we can not handle properly the other stages of the game.

If your opponent resigns in the opening, you won't lose in the middlegame or endgame.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #17 - 08/31/17 at 12:05:55
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CanadianClub wrote on 08/31/17 at 08:06:37:
Of course, going to blindly learn a bunch of moves in a tree-structure without understanding them, is one of the reasons people are not getting better than they are. Including myself some years ago.


But also of course: faced with the task of trying to memorize an overwhelming number of moves, we can do so by trying to make sense of them.

Learning something can often take the route of learning "that" first, and "why" later.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #16 - 08/31/17 at 08:45:38
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It is already told that "blindly learn" without understanding is a bad choice and this is a way to play other openings also and not just London.
Edit:Anyway knowing only opening theory is a bad habit and I thing it is obvious especially for the amateurs who anyway,they have not the knowledge of a GM.
For example good endgame practice (and winning endgames) is not related with openings.
In other words what is the use of a good position at the opening when we can not handle properly the other stages of the game.

 
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #15 - 08/31/17 at 08:24:09
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I agree with the principle that playing the exact same thing every game is limiting on several levels, but there may be merit in learning the different versions of the e3/d4/c3 structure - with the London, Torre, Colle or Stonewall depending on what the opponent does (and one's mood). An example could be:

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3
1.d4 e6 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 d5 4.f4

  

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Re: torre vs london
Reply #14 - 08/31/17 at 08:06:37
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At 1726 elo you have to know what to play and how. Call it theory, call it whatever... But if you play the Colle/London/Torre complex as White you have to know some plans and where put your pieces depending on Black's answers... Is it theory? I think so.

Of course, going to blindly learn a bunch of moves in a tree-structure without understanding them, is one of the reasons people are not getting better than they are. Including myself some years ago.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #13 - 08/31/17 at 07:15:03
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ErictheRed wrote on 08/30/17 at 15:04:56:
  It really depends on Black's specific reaction, though, as how Black arranges his pawns dictates much of the play.  Call me crazy, but I think that a lot of books or videos push these systems as "easy to play" or with "typical plans" or whatever for White, when in fact I think the opposite is true.  Maybe if Black plays ...d5, ...e6, and ...c5 White can stick to all his normal moves, but what if Black plays 1...Nf6 and 2...c5?  What about 1...Nf6 and 2...d6?  Or 1...Nf6, 2...g6, not committing the central pawns yet? 

Anyway white must be aware of the   plans and to choose, Playing d4,c3,e3 etc without thinging is rather not so good.
Also opening theory may  not to be the first choice to learn  a   chess player with less than 1726 rating...  Smiley
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #12 - 08/30/17 at 19:40:38
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You mean I might get to 1726 if I played the London instead of the Ruy Lopez and the Open Sicilian?
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #11 - 08/30/17 at 15:04:56
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Surely the main point is that the bishop is controlling different diagonals and squares, and hence different plans for White are more/less attractive?  In some Torre lines White can fight for rapid control of e4 for instance, which he can't do in the London. 

It really depends on Black's specific reaction, though, as how Black arranges his pawns dictates much of the play.  Call me crazy, but I think that a lot of books or videos push these systems as "easy to play" or with "typical plans" or whatever for White, when in fact I think the opposite is true.  Maybe if Black plays ...d5, ...e6, and ...c5 White can stick to all his normal moves, but what if Black plays 1...Nf6 and 2...c5?  What about 1...Nf6 and 2...d6?  Or 1...Nf6, 2...g6, not committing the central pawns yet?  I'm actually of the opinion that to play these openings well, White has to be a strong enough player to understand when to go into various pawn formations and needs to understand a wide variety of plans, etc. 

Frankly, 1.d4 and 2.c4 seems "more conceptual in terms of plans, strategies and similar pawn formations" to me.  The fact that it has more theory attached to it simply means that it represents more testing play, and many more high-level games exist.  You don't actually have to know all that "theory" to play it well--at least I don't believe that you have to know substantially more than you do in the London or Torre or whatever else, assuming you don't want to be one of those people who play the same system moves over and over and over and wonder why their rating never goes above 1726.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #10 - 08/29/17 at 12:46:47
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Mtal wrote on 02/12/14 at 21:21:17:
How would you comepare the two? Would you play one over the other vs certain openings? Seems to me the London is good vs g6 stuff but the torre shines against e6 lines. Well maybe the London is more complete but like to hear the opinions of more experienced players. Thanks.

I thing torre is playable with g6 ideas and white can try e4 (if the black pawn is not at d5).Then black can play d6 with e5 or c5.
Also with Bf4 against the g6 ideas you can play c4 and play the KID.
I thing pure London is best playing against d5 (1.d4 d5 Bf4 as aronian played against Kasparov at SL) and play c4  with  other defences or the torre.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #9 - 12/20/16 at 10:08:05
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TD wrote on 12/19/16 at 18:53:46:
Which of the two is more conceptual in terms of plans, strategies and similar pawn formations?



As someone who defends against both these with the same system, I see little difference with only the placing of the Bishop on g5 or f4 being different. On g5 it can provoke or allow h6 and g5, whilst on f4 there's scope for marking time with h3 and Bh2 before White runs out of standard moves.
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #8 - 12/19/16 at 18:53:46
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Which of the two is more conceptual in terms of plans, strategies and similar pawn formations?
  
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Re: torre vs london
Reply #7 - 01/16/15 at 19:39:27
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Kylemeister..

I think they are close as far as positional richness goes (London and the Torre)  Played both.

g6 lines I like the London better (just my preference)
e6 lines I like the Torre.

sub g6 with e6 in your last post and you said what I would say about the London Smiley
  
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