The Dangerous Marshall Attack

The Marshall Attack is a very dangerous black weapon against the Ruy Lopez.
It has been played at the very highest levels since Frank James Marshall introduced the idea in the Manhattan CC in 1918 against Morrison and Capablanca! - one of the best recent Marshall Attack games is Kramnik-Leko 2004

I am going to analyze a game I have just finished on chess.com. It was actually a Nimzowitsch Defence (1.e4 Nc6) thematic game, but it transposed into a Ruy Lopez only a few moves into the game.

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5! The Marshall Attack!

When playing the Marshall Attack, you basically claim that 8.c3 was a mistake! 
8.c3 - a standard move in Ruy Lopez, preparing d4 and making the c2 square available for the light squared bishop - has blocked the development of the queenside pieces.
You want to take advantage of the white queenside immobility by opening the centre to be able to launch a kingside attack. And you’re willing to sacrifice a pawn to execute this plan!

9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6
So far we’re following the Marshall Attack main line.

12.Qh5?
This is a bad mistake. White is ignoring the development of his queenside pieces and makes a pointless queen move which threatens nothing and only loses tempo. 12.d4 was neccessary to open up for the c1 bishop and b1 knight.
White is in trouble already.

12…Nf6 
Chasing away the queen and positioning the knight for kingside attack!

13.Qd1 Bd6 14.Re1

This position illustrates the idea of the Marshall Attack very well.
The black pieces are mobile and able to participate in a kingside attack very quickly.
The white pieces are immobile and practically none of them are defending the kingside.

I considered 14…Ng4 here, but I was afraid that after 15.h3 Qh4 16.Re2! I would have to retreat my knight to f6.
Instead, I decided to go for direct attack. I boldly played

14…Bxh2+! 
This may not be 100% watertight, but against a fairly fast mover I thought that it would at least offer me very good practical chances. Against a very slow mover I probably wouldn’t have played it.

15.Kxh2 Ng4+ 16.Kg1?
This is losing instantly.
One of my points when playing 14…Bxh2+ was 15.Kxh2 Ng4+ 16.Kg3 h5! because after 17.d4 h4+ 18.Kf3 (18.Kh3? Nxf2+) Qf6+ black has a very good attack

16…Qh4 17.Bxf7+!
The very last shot from white.
17…Kh8?? 18.Qf3! holds the game for white

17…Rxf7 (17…Kxf7 is more accurate) 18.Re8+ Rf8 19.Qb3+
19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Qf3+ Kg8 21.Qg3 looks promising for white, but after exchenging queens on g3 the white king is caught on the back rank and the white queenside pieces are too slow to save their king…
19…Be6! 0-1

White is lost. He can do no better than 20.Qxe6 Kh8 21.Qxg4 (or 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Qxg4) to avoid the mate.
Note that three white queenside pieces never moved in this game: a1 rook, b1 knight and c1 bishop!
No wonder white was in trouble in this game.

I’m thinking of posting more on the Marshall Attack later on. Stay tuned

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