Master the Marshall Attack ⎸Chess Openings, Ruy Lopez, Marshall (C89)

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The Marshall Attack is one of the most aggressive ways to fight the Ruy Lopez. Black gives up a central pawn in exchange for attacking pressure and piece activity.

For the theory of the Ruy Lopez watch this video on the basics: youtu.be/GFWI3gkizZg
The Breyer Variation in depth – a positional approach by black: youtu.be/0mOJpBF1VLM
The Chigorin Variation in depth – attacking the Spanish: youtu.be/SK1uQyXUvqE
The Exchange Variation – the simple approach by white: youtu.be/W72Vw-DxvA0
The Archangel Variation – black’s most aggressive line: youtu.be/gf-5PDa619E
The Berlin Defense – Kramnik’s strongest weapon: youtu.be/eM1yKnw2g2w

The Marshall Attack branches out of the Closed Ruy Lopez (Spanish game) after the moves:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. O-O Be7 (the Closed Ruy Lopez)
6. Re1 b5
7. Bb3 O-O (black usually plays 7…d6, entering standard positions leading to the Breyer, Chigorin, Karpov etc., castles keeps his options opened; either for entering the Marshall Attack or normal Closed Spanish lines)
8. c3 d5 – this move signifies the Marshall Attack or the Marshall gambit, as it’s also known (because black sacrifices a central pawn)

White plays 8.c3, which gives black an opportunity to exploit the lack of development and the fact that white took away the c3 square from the b1 knight. That’s way d5 works. It’s a timely reaction which provides attacking chances and a huge initiative in exchange for a pawn. If white wants to avoid the Marshall, he can refuse to play c3 on move 8, and enter the “Anti-Marshall” lines with the moves a4, h3 or d4 on move 8. In which case the position will resemble closed variations of the Spanish (Ruy Lopez).

However, after c3, black can still go for 8…d6, entering normal lines, but in most cases, d5 will be played, entering the Marshall Attack.

After the moves:

9. exd5 Nxd5
10. Nxe5 Nxe5
11. Rxe5 c6 - white wins the e5 pawn, and black solidifies the knight which is now attacked twice (Marshall, the inventor of this variation, played Nf6 instead of c6, which is imprecise)
12. d4 Bd6
13. Re1 Qh4 – It’s clear that black has more than enough compensation for the pawn, but he has to push hard in order to prove that. Wasting time could be terminal for him. And white just needs to survive the onslaught, solidify his position and develop the queenside pieces. If he manages to do that he will have an advantage (which will increase as the position simplifies).

The Marshall Attack was named after Frank James Marshall (1877 –1944), who was one of the best chess players at the turn of the century. He was also a US Champion for almost thirty years, from 1909 to 1936.

The theory of the Marshall Attack goes 30-40 moves deep on GM level, and mastering the opening will require studying games of top players who use the opening. The biggest contemporary expert is Levon Aronian. Two other players whose games you should study are Michael Adams and Mark Hebden. Here are a few sample games:
*study them over the board to get a feeling about the position. Starting from move 13-15, try to come up with different solutions to the problem for each side – try to increase the pressure with black and do the opposite with white. (and don’t use the engine)

Judit Polgar vs Michael Adams 1999
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 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6
12. d3 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Re4 Qf5 16. Nd2 Qg6
17. Re1 f5 18. Qf3 Kh8 19. Bd1 f4 20. g4 h5 21. h3 Nf6 22. Qg2
hxg4 23. hxg4 Bxg4 24. Re6 Qh5 25. Bxg4 Nxg4 26. Rxd6 Rae8
27. Ne4 Ne5 28. f3 Nxf3+ 29. Kf2 Nh4 30. Qh1 g5 31. b4 g4
32. Bb2 g3+ 33. Kg1 Nf3+ 34. Kg2 Nh2 35. c4+ Kg8 36. Qd1 f3+
37. Kxg3 Qg4+ 38. Kf2 Qh4+ 39. Ke3 Qf4+ 40. Kd4 Qe5+ 41. Ke3
Ng4+ 42. Kd2 Qxb2+ 43. Qc2 Qxa1 44. Rg6+ Kh7 45. Rxg4 f2 0-1

Fabiano Caruana vs Levon Aronian 2014
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 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6
12. d3 Bd6 13. Re1 Bf5 14. Qf3 Qh4 15. g3 Qh3 16. Be3 Bxd3
17. Nd2 Qf5 18. Bd4 Rfe8 19. a4 h6 20. Kg2 Kf8 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8
22. axb5 axb5 23. Qxf5 Bxf5 24. Bxd5 cxd5 25. Ra6 Be7 26. Nf1
b4 27. Ne3 Bd3 28. Ra5 bxc3 29. bxc3 Bd8 30. Ra8 f6 31. f3 Be7
32. Ra7 Bd6 33. Rd7 Ba3 34. Rxd5 Kg8 35. h4 Bc1 36. Ng4 Bc4
37. Rc5 Be6 38. Nf2 Ra8 39. g4 Ra2 40. Kg3 Ra6 41. Rc7 Bd2
42. Ne4 Be1+ 43. Bf2 Bxf2+ 44. Kxf2 Ra2+ 45. Kg3 Rc2 46. Kf4
Ra2 47. h5 Ra5 48. Nc5 Bd5 49. Rc8+ Kf7 50. c4 Ba8 51. Rc7+
Kg8 52. Ne6 Ra3 53. Rxg7+ Kh8 54. Kf5 Bxf3 55. Rg6 Be2
56. Rxh6+ Kg8 57. Rg6+ Kh8 58. Rxf6 Rf3+ 59. Nf4 Bxc4 60. Kg5
Kg8 61. Kh6 Ra3 62. g5 Ra7 63. g6 Rc7 64. Nh3 Rc8 65. Ng5 Rd8
66. Nh7 1-0