Torre Attack: Spassky Gambit (2 part series)

The Torre Attack is one of those openings that deserves more attention than it gets. Over the years, it has featured in the repertoires of the likes of Petrosian, Spassky, Kamsky, and Yusupov. It suffers somewhat from a reputation as a stodgy variation, but white can play many of its lines in a sharp fashion, and black must have a solid understanding to reach equality. One such line is the Spassky gambit with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 e3 Qb6 5 Nbd2!? The idea is simple: by sacrificing the poisoned pawn on b2, white develops his pieces quickly and gets a good grip on the center, which in turn gives great attacking chances. And in his latest Gambit Guide series, GM Boris Alterman demonstrates just how easy - yet lethal - the Spassky gambit is to play.