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Ruy Lopez, Marshall (C89)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5
7 Bb3 O-O 8 c3 d5

Number of games in database: 2011
Years covered: 1893 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 31.3%
   Black wins 26.1%
   Draws 42.6%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Viswanathan Anand  33 games
Peter Leko  20 games
Judit Polgar  17 games
Levon Aronian  42 games
Michael Adams  42 games
Mark Hebden  35 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918
Kramnik vs Aronian, 2007
J Polgar vs Svidler, 2005
Kramnik vs Leko, 2004
Shirov vs Aronian, 2006
J Polgar vs Adams, 1999
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 page 1 of 81; games 1-25 of 2,011  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Walbrodt vs Conill / Ostolaza / Lopez / Herrer 1-0441893Consultation gameC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
2. S Sittenfeld vs V Soldatenkov 0-1251901Casual gameC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
3. W Frere vs Marshall 0-1171917freeC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
4. Capablanca vs Marshall 1-0361918New YorkC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
5. J Morrison vs Marshall 0-1841918New YorkC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
6. S Sery vs Z Vecsey 1-01819217th Czech Chess Association CongressC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
7. J W te Kolste vs R Loman 0-1181921Dutch ChampionshipC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
8. Yates vs J O'Hanlon 1-0351921British ChampionshipC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
9. B Moritz vs K Emmrich 1-03319222nd Play-OffC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
10. Lasker vs H R Bigelow 0-1191926Simul, 30bC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
11. Ed Lasker vs Marshall  ½-½301926Chicago MastersC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
12. L Steiner vs K Helling 0-1181928Berlin BSGC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
13. M Fox vs H Steiner 1-0221929Bradley BeachC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
14. A Gromer vs J van den Bosch  1-0581930Hamburg OlympiadC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
15. G Stoltz vs H Steiner  1-0361930Hamburg OlympiadC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
16. R Loman vs J van den Bosch  1-0361932The HagueC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
17. W Gerhardt vs L Rellstab  0-1271935Berlin MastersC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
18. C Jaffe vs Marshall 0-1481936Rice Progressive CC - Marshall CC mC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
19. K Simerda vs L Potucek  0-1251938PragueC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
20. M Brakmanis vs G Hodakowsky  0-1271938Riga championship group 1C89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
21. J Battell vs Marshall 0-1281938Marshall CC chC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
22. A Ismodes Dulanto vs C H Alexander 0-1351939Buenos Aires Olympiad qual-1C89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
23. J Foltys vs B Thelen  0-1221943UJCS-17.KongressC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
24. A Pinkus vs B Altman  1-0411944USA-chC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
25. R H Steinmeyer vs Santasiere  ½-½49194445th US OpenC89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall
 page 1 of 81; games 1-25 of 2,011  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-09-04  Giancarlo: suprisingly few have ever declined this gambit. This game seems to give black good drawing chances, and pretty even in the win column
Sep-10-04  refutor: i disagree giancarlo...Ruy Lopez (C88) has over 1100 games v. 415 here so it looks like lots of people decline it ;)
Sep-10-04  benderules: The real declination comes from play the anti-marshall that is very played in the late times. Specially since Kaspa plays this anti-mars-hall. It is a tacit declaration: the gambit is very correct
Oct-08-04  GazoGypsy: Both Anand and Leko have played this from opposite sides recently. In very pivotal games for a win. Anand vs Shirov, 2004 and also Kramnik vs Leko, 2004

Still many options for this exciting line

Oct-08-04  e4Newman: The lack of analysis on the Marshall, Worrall and Exchange variations is my only disappointment with Emms' guide on the Lopez. For the Marshall he only discusses the anti Marshall line 8.a4.

As I have found the hard way, Lopez players need to know the Marshall these days!

Oct-08-04  refutor: a good book on the ruy lopez is called "Mastering the Spanish" by Daniel King and Ponzietto. It has adequate coverage of the lines you give, but mostly it deals with pawn structures. e.g. focusing on the tactics and strategies in the "marshall" or "exchange" pawn structure, which i find helps more than memorizing lines. i know it's unavoidable when playing the marshall, but there's always a point where you get out of theory :) to make a long story short, i highly recommend "mastering the spanish"
Oct-08-04  e4Newman: Thanks for the recommendation. Emms does touch on closed position pawn formations, and how to use them as an outpost for knights. I can't remember if he pointed it out but there's a slight similarity to the king's indian with regard to ...c5 and .d5, and as I've said elsewhere, I often play both. For me, in the KID .d5 often fails due to black's KB fianchetto. Of course, we don't see that in the Lopez.
Oct-10-04  Miss Ter: Why doesn't any white players try (after Rxe5 c6) Bxd5 cd leaving black with an IQP and getting rid of the pieces on the board? I have won with it on several occasions.
Oct-10-04  Shadout Mapes: Quite a few players have tried it, it's the second most played move after d4, but thoery shows it leaves white with a smaller advantage in the long run. It's probably a very effective move against players who don't know the line.
Oct-15-04  AdrianP: Tal's record with White against the Marshall is impressive +7 =11 (although I think there may be some duplicates in the database)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Oct-15-04  iron maiden: Actually it's only thirteen games, not counting games as Black and duplicates. So his record moves to an even more impressive +7 =6, although one must add that the opposition he beat, aside from Krogius and Stein, wasn't exactly top-notch.
Mar-07-05  GazoGypsy: Suddenly the Marshall is becoming a very popular line. Look how many times in 2004-2005 this line has used, and by top level players. I dare to say its the en vouge line. Maybe even the new Winawer of the 00's. ..... Ok we'll have to wait and see on that one.
Mar-08-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: What surprises me about the Marshall is how often the game ends in a draw, which is not exactly what you'd expect of an opening named after Frank. Seriously, though, if you have Black in a must-win situation, and you like defending the Ruy, would you play this line?
Mar-08-05  GazoGypsy: It sure beats playing a closed spanish. In a must win with black against the Ruy, this is my first choice. But then again I don't play top teir players.
Mar-08-05  wkargel: For the record, I DO play the Marshall, which is in fact a form of the Spanish Closed. True, many games end up draws, but the opening itself is not meant to "settle" for a draw. Black gives up a pawn to try and bottle up the Queenside and initate a Kingside Attack...it is up to White to blunt this attack and for Black to not falter...otherwise, it can often end up a draw...or worse.
Mar-15-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: GazoGypsy and wkargel, we might have different philosophies here. I always went into a game assuming that my opponents would find the best moves in the opening, unless I knew of a hole in their repetoire. That's why I never played, for example, the Albin. So if I ever defended the Ruy, I would have also have used the Marshall--as a drawing weapon! With, of course, good winning chances if White screwed up.
Apr-28-05  cuendillar: Your reason to play the Marshall would apply very well to the Riga variation too. It's not as easy for white to lose, but if white wants to win too badly... But for one line, it's a forced repetition.
May-27-05  aw1988: Over the years I've had 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. h3 played against me, more often g3, but h3 too... rarely. I always respond with 14...Bxh3!? and seem to get a good game. Is Bxh3 a refutation?
Jun-18-05  aw1988: aw1988-? blitz 2 12:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 e4 10. dxc6 exf3 11. Qxf3 Bg4 12. Qg3 Bd6 13. Qh4 Re8 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. f3 Bf5 16. d4 Qxc6 17. Qg5 Bg6 18. Bf4 Re8 19. Nd2 Re2 20. Bxd6 Rxd2 21. Re1 cxd6 22. d5 Qd7 23. Qxd2 h6 24. Qe3 Kh7 25. Qe7 Qxe7 26. Rxe7 a5 27. c4 a4 28. cxb5 axb3 29. axb3 Nxd5 30. Rd7 f6 31. Rxd6 Bf7 32. b6 1-0 resigns

Jul-05-05  mandar: <aw>Jun-18-05
<aw1988: aw1988-? blitz 2 12:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 e4 10. dxc6 exf3 11. Qxf3 Bg4 12. Qg3 Bd6 13. Qh4 Re8 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. f3 Bf5 16. d4 Qxc6 17. Qg5 Bg6 18. Bf4 Re8 19. Nd2 Re2 20. Bxd6 Rxd2 21. Re1 cxd6 22. d5 Qd7 23. Qxd2 h6 24. Qe3 Kh7 25. Qe7 Qxe7 26. Rxe7 a5 27. c4 a4 28. cxb5 axb3 29. axb3 Nxd5 30. Rd7 f6 31. Rxd6 Bf7 32. b6 1-0 resigns>

U will lost to that line if u play me! rxe8 is really very bad.A marshall player (from black)must know when to exchange pices and when to not and when to sac! opponent must punish u after 15.f3 by playing ....Qe2!

Jul-09-05  zarra: I like to play the Marshall Attack with both Black and White. With Black I like it, understandably, because of the strong attack which is pleasant to play.

With White I like it because of a strong move after the main line <9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3>. Now the move is <15. Re4> which has brought me many wins in my blitz games.

The point is that <15... Bf5 16. Rh4> traps the black Queen. If Black plays something else like <15...Bb7> then <16. Rh4> still drives the Queen away and gives White a strong attack along the h-file. One of my games today went <15. Re4 Be6 16. Rh4 Qf5 17. Bc2 Qf6 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 19. Qh5> whereupon Black resigned.

The only move to prevent <15. Rh4> is the strange-looking <15...g5> which means that Black must accept a compromised pawn structure and slow down his attack a bit.

Jul-09-05  stinky2: Anyone ever encountared 12. a4 in Marshall?
Jul-20-05  who: When trying to avoid the Marshall I take Capablanca's advice and play 8.Bd5. It might not be the best move, but it usually scores well for me as black is forced to play a line he is not prepared for, especially seeing as how he was all excited about entering lines which he has prepared well in advance.
Jul-20-05  Robin001: In avoiding the Marshall, I recently tried 8. a4 and achieved good results.
Aug-01-05  bomb the bishop: a4 seems to have very good results for white
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