MARSHALL GAMBIT

MARSHALL GAMBIT
Compiled by gambitfan

http://www.playchess.de/games/HCL-T...

One of Black's more aggressive alternatives is the Marshall Attack: after 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 Black plays 8...d5, sacrificing a pawn with 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5. In exchange, Black has an attack on White's king: 11...c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4. This attack can be quite treacherous for White. In game 8 of the World Championship in 2004 between Vladimir Kramnik and Péter Lékó, Kramnik succumbed to Black's attack. White often avoids the Marshall Attack by playing one of the anti-Marshall systems, 8.a4 or 8.h3 instead of 8.c3.

The Marshall Attack was introduced by Frank Marshall in a famous game against Capablanca in 1918. According to legend, Marshall saved this prepared innovation for eight years before getting the chance to play it against Capablanca. This seems unlikely, and in fact the gambit had been played earlier in a few obscure games including a consultation game in Havana, although there's no evidence that Marshall knew of these games. Capablanca weathered the Black attack and won brilliantly. Improvements to Black's play were found (Marshall played 11...Nf6 instead of 11...c6) and the Marshall Attack was adopted by top players including Boris Spassky.

Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 36 moves, 1-0
Jack Battell vs Marshall, 1938
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 28 moves, 0-1
Petrosian vs Averbakh, 1947
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 40 moves, 0-1
Novopashin vs Spassky, 1963
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 22 moves, 0-1
Hernandez vs Spassky, 1964
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 29 moves, 0-1
Pilnik vs Geller, 1965
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 40 moves, 0-1
Spassky vs Geller, 1965
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 55 moves, 1-0
Psakhis vs Geller, 1982
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 50 moves, 0-1
Timman vs Nunn, 1983
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 28 moves, 0-1
Short vs Nunn, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 39 moves, 0-1
F Braga vs Geller, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 42 moves, 0-1
Geller vs P Lukacs, 1987
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 36 moves, 0-1
Ljubojevic vs Nunn, 1987
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 26 moves, 0-1
Sax vs Nunn, 1988
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 40 moves, 0-1
O Renet vs Nunn, 1989
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 22 moves, 0-1
Anand vs Nunn, 1990
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 41 moves, 0-1
M Schlosser vs Adams, 1990
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 32 moves, 0-1
A Ivanov vs Geller, 1990
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 35 moves, 0-1
Judit Polgar vs Nunn, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
J Benjamin vs Kamsky, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 77 moves, 0-1
Kamsky vs Ivanchuk, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 53 moves, 0-1
Anand vs Adams, 1992
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 96 moves, 1-0
Judit Polgar vs Adams, 1999
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 45 moves, 0-1
Leko vs Anand, 2003
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 45 moves, 0-1
Kramnik vs Leko, 2004
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 32 moves, 0-1
Tal vs Krogius, 1962
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 37 moves, 1-0
T Ernst vs Geller, 1990
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 33 moves, 1-0
E Prandstetter vs Blatny, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 39 moves, 0-1
Judit Polgar vs Svidler, 2005
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 30 moves, 1-0
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
Leko vs Kramnik, 2007
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 54 moves, 0-1

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