MARSHALL ATTACK

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MARSHALL ATTACK
Compiled by gambitfan

This is a variation of the Ruy Lopez

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.

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

Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Variation
J Battell vs Marshall, 1938
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 28 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
Tal vs N Krogius, 1962
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 37 moves, 1-0
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
Pilnik vs Geller, 1965
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 40 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Main Line
Psakhis vs Geller, 1982
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 50 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
Timman vs Nunn, 1983
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 28 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Main Line
Short vs Nunn, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 39 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Variation
F Braga vs Geller, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 42 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Variation
E Prandstetter vs Blatny, 1986
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 39 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Main Line
Geller vs P Lukacs, 1987
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 36 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Main Line
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
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Re3 variation
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
T Ernst vs Geller, 1990
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 33 moves, 1-0
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
J Polgar vs Nunn, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Benjamin vs Kamsky, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 77 moves, 0-1
Kamsky vs Ivanchuk, 1991
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 53 moves, 0-1
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Variation
Anand vs Adams, 1992
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 96 moves, 1-0
Spanish Game: Marshall Attack. Modern Main Line
M Sonter vs J Sarfati, 2005
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 42 moves, 0-1
21 games

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