Marshall Attack
Ruy Lopez · C89 · you play White. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7
About the Marshall Attack
The Marshall Attack, Frank Marshall's famous pawn sacrifice 8...d5, gives Black a lasting kingside initiative for a pawn. White must defend precisely with Re1, g3 and Be3. This line teaches the main defensive setup and when to give the pawn back for a safe position.
Playing the Ruy Lopez as White? The Marshall Attack (C89) begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6, and is one of 5 lines you can practise here. You study the moves first and then play them against the computer; every wrong move gets a short explanation. After the opening, the page shows the typical middlegame plans, the endgames that often follow and grandmaster games with the Marshall Attack. Use it to build your opening repertoire for White, and test what you remember with speed training or the random-position drill.