What is the Marshall Cheat in chess? Spanish game: overview of the main variations Marshall counterattack chess
Good day, dear friend!
Do you know what “Spanish torture” is? In chess, of course. This is the Spanish party for blacks. Today I propose to take a short sightseeing tour of this “torture chamber”. As the unforgettable Red Army soldier Sukhov said: “Right away? No, it’s better, of course, to suffer...”
What is the Spanish party?
The Spanish game is the most popular, starting with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
The history of the “Spanish flu” dates back several centuries. Back in 1561, the Spanish cleric Rio Lopez studied and systematized the variations resulting from the move 3.Bb5, which was the reason for the name of this opening.
White's main task in the Spanish game is to impede the free development of black pieces and prevent them from positioning themselves in convenient positions. Thus, seize the initiative, forcing Black to parry threats.
With the move 3.Bb5 White increases the pressure on the e5 square. Black must constantly consider the possibility of Cxc6 and capturing the pawn on e5. This does not mean that White will do this directly with his next move. For example: after 3…a6 4.K:e5 Qd4 Black has a good game.
The Spanish game is one of the most studied openings. Entire studies have been conducted and books have been written on the most popular options. Today we will review the main features. For whites and for blacks.
Main options
Rare sequels
3… Bb4
Calling “fire on yourself.” Example option:
With White's advantage.
3…. Kge7
WITH best game for White due to Black's pawn weaknesses.
3….g6
A correct, albeit somewhat slow move, giving White greater freedom of action. Let's consider the option when White sacrifices a pawn:
With a difficult endgame for Black.
3….Nd4 Bird Defense
Taking advantage of the position of the bishop on b5, Black starts a fight in the center. As practice shows, the knight's attack is somewhat premature and the black pawn on d4 can become a weakness.
An approximate scenario:
3….d6 Steinitz Defense
Has a reputation as a durable but passive option.
Example option:
With White's attack.
3….Cc5 Classic variation
Black brings out the bishop without fear of the d2-d4 advance and intends to counterattack White's center with 4....f5.
Example option:
White retains a slight advantage.
3….f5 Janisch Gambit
Black launches an immediate counterattack to the center.
4. Ks3 Is this much better than 4.ef? e4!
White has an advantage, the d3 pawn will soon “fall”.
Despite the fact that White, when played correctly, achieves “only” a better endgame, the last word in it has probably not been said yet.
Another option for Black in this line is 7... Qg5
White has the advantage. They play more freely.
I note that typical mistake is 8...Q:g2?. More on this below, in the errors section.
As we see, not everything is so simple in Janisch's gambit. It is not so easy to refute Black's plan with long castling.
3…. Kf6 Berlin Defense
For a long time it was considered a second-rate debut. However, at the beginning of this century, the gaze of the “masters” somehow fell on her. In particular, Vladimir Kramnik.
And everything changed.
In the main variation, already rejected by theory, additional resources were found for Black
For example:
Black has sufficient counterplay.
Practice recent years showed that the position is acceptable for Black despite the doubled pawns and the king in the center.
3….a6
This move begins the main ramification of the Spanish game.
Since we have an article, and not a monograph, it is not possible to consider the options in any adequate volume.
Therefore, your humble servant undertakes to write a review of variations with 3...a6 in a separate article. The same applies to the Berlin defense.
Common mistakes
A very common mistake is to take the pawn on g2 in the main variation of the Janisch Gambit.
After 9.Qh5+ White wins
9…g6 doesn’t help either
Such options are sometimes used as traps (in this case for White). You just need to know them if you decide to play openings like the Janisch Gambit.
Which option should I choose?
A) Select the main option
The one you will play most often. The “highlight” of your debut program, so to speak. It is desirable that this “nail” meet the following criteria:
- The option must be correct. Even in case correct game opponent, you should not end up in frankly worse positions “by default”. Otherwise, your friends-competitors will quickly “notice” that you are playing a “crooked” variation, and will begin to use it shamelessly, over and over again driving you “to the ground” already in the opening.
- You must like him. It’s not always easy to explain what we like or don’t like in life and why. Trust your intuition.
There is such a thing as “flow state”. When you do what you love, you are “in the flow” and are able to move mountains.
So is chess. When you play what you like, your possibilities are higher than when you “saw” what someone advised you, but “your soul doesn’t lie.”
B) Backup option
We have already discussed that the opening repertoire should include “special” openings and variations designed for the effect of surprise or inconvenient for a particular partner. Accordingly, they should be used from case to case.
Approximate games
Harikrishna - Bambacher
European Cup, 2016, 1:0
Ivanchuk - Elvest
Petrov Memorial, 2013, 1:0
Svidler - Stefanova
Gibraltar, 2012, 1:0
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Applause rang out in the tournament hall. Some spectators, who had calculated the indicated options, were so shocked by what they saw that they ran up to the stage and began throwing gold coins onto the chess table. Now it was Levitsky’s turn to be shocked. He immediately resigned the game and congratulated his opponent on his victory. The next day the newspapers wrote: “After Marshall’s move, full of great beauty and strength, White surrendered due to irresistible checkmate threats.”
100 years ago, in the party Levitsky-Marshall, played at an international tournament in Breslavl, one of the most beautiful moves in the history of chess was made.
Frank Marshall (USA)
Stepan Levitsky (Russia)
The position is dynamic. Black has an extra piece, but his queen and rook are under attack. Taking the queen away from the attack of the white rook, Marshall makes a move that has spread all over the world. He puts it under triple strike!
Black “for a minute” decided to checkmate with the queen on h2. So the queen must be taken! It turns out, however, that none of the pawns can take it:
2.hg? Ke2 x.
2.fg? Ke2+ 3. Kh1 Rxf1 x.
Applause rang out in the tournament hall. Some spectators, who had calculated the indicated options, were so shocked by what they saw that they ran up to the stage and began throwing gold coins onto the chess table. Now it was Levitsky’s turn to be shocked. He immediately resigned the game and congratulated his opponent on his victory. The next day the newspapers wrote: “After Marshall’s move, full of great beauty and strength, White surrendered due to irresistible checkmate threats.”
In fact, Black's brilliant move was... a "small" exchange combination! Indeed, with White's best answer
followed by a fork 2…Ke2+
3. Kh1 Nxg3+
4. Kрg1 Ke2+
5. Kh1
and now, calmly continuing, for example,
Black, retaining an extra piece, moved into a completely won endgame.
So Levitsky surrendered “correctly.” The question is different - and it concerns not only chess. In such reasoning (outwardly completely correct), I clearly see a certain latent desire of analysts to “ground” the romantic impulse to beauty, so characteristic of Frank Marshall. Particularly popular in this regard are the opinions about the “optionality” of his queen move, that in the position on the diagram one could win “any way”, for example, by continuing 1…R:f2! This is certainly true. But in this case there would be no gold coins on the board...
Frank Marshall
...Six years have passed. In 1918, as part of the New York International Tournament, the “invincible” Jose-Raul Capablanca, the future World Champion, and the “incurable romantic” Frank Marshall met. In the seemingly thoroughly studied version of the Spanish Party that Capablanca chose, his opponent prepared a brilliant novelty, which he had been “nurturing” for several years, especially for this party. Subsequently, the entire variant was called the “Marshall Attack”. That time Capablanca managed to cope with Black's threats and win. But the chess players now have a job - at long years. The new opening system has been thoroughly tested in competitions by the high rank. 50 years later, the “final” verdict was given to her by Boris Spassky, who used the Marshall Attack to... neutralize the offensive capabilities of Mikhail Tal in the Spanish party. Spassky, having won that memorable match, seemed to prove to everyone that the invention of “old Frank” is now only suitable for faster mooring to a no-man’s harbor...
...Almost another 50 years have passed. So what do we see? A new generation of chess players, armed with computers, discovered new interesting possibilities in the Marshall Attack that had not been seen before! He is again “in fashion”, this ancient, but truly inexhaustible debut! So, rumors about his “death” turned out to be somewhat exaggerated. Probably, “the romantic Frank” would be pleased with such an intriguing story of his discovery. This year he has a double anniversary - 135 years since his birth and 100 years since his birth. Qg3!!, made in the city that is now called Wroclaw.
Good day, dear friend!
You may have heard or read this phrase: Marshal Deception. In relation to chess, of course. Agree, it sounds quite strange, and you won’t immediately understand what it’s about.
Let's clarify this issue today.
What does this play on words mean?
I hope I won’t disappoint you too much if I say that the expression “ deception of the marshal"has nothing to do with military rank.
And the word “deception” is not entirely well chosen, in my opinion. But that's not the point. Now, in order.
We are talking about an American chess player Frank Marshall, one of the strongest players in the world at the beginning of the twentieth century.
His "deception" - brilliant chess combination , which he played in one of his games.
Here is how it was
In 1912, the city of Breslau hosted chess tournament featuring Marshall. In one of his games he played black against a Russian (and then Soviet) master Stepan Levitsky .
By the way, by some incredible coincidence, a photo of this meeting has been preserved:
The party developed as follows:
After White's twenty-third move, the position on the board was as follows:
A move earlier, Marshall made a tactical blow, capturing the bishop h3 rook. A rook cannot be captured with a pawn because of a fork. Levitsky is trying to “muddy the waters.” He attacks the queen by moving Ls5. Now both the queen and the rook are under attack.
Marshall's solution
23... Qg3!!
You see everything for yourself.
After the move Qg3 the audience gasped. What does Marshall do? Provides a queen for all possible battles! There is a short pause in the hall...
You can hear the brains of the spectators watching the game moving). And finally a sigh of relief mixed with delight. Played powerfully and beautifully!
Stepan Levitsky gives up without waiting for the sad ending for White.
Let's look at the options that arise after the move 23…Qg3
Options
a) 1.hg
Then just checkmate in one move - 1...Ke2X
b) 1.fg
1...K d4-e2+ 2. Kh1 Rf8:f1×
Also checkmate, already in two moves.
c) 1.Q:g3
1...Kd4-e2+ 2. Kh1 K:g3+
3. Kg1(when the knight is captured, checkmate will follow 3… Rf8-f1×) Ke2+(having bitten the queen, he simply returns with check, safe and sound) 4.Kh1 Rs3(or La3). And now the rook is leaving the battle.
Black has an extra piece and an easy win.
How else could you win?
One might get the impression that Marshall “pulled out” a hopeless game with his combination. Some authors present the material this way, apparently for greater effect.
However showing off and casting a shadow on the fence is not our method.
I don't know if I'll disappoint you or not, but the position on the chart is after 23.Ls5, is won in other ways, although this may not seem obvious.
For example:
23...Fa3 24.Rs7
White threatens to mate on the field g7.
And yet Black wins here too. But how exactly - decide the combination yourself:
Exercise from the game Marshall - Levitsky
Black starts and reaches a winning position in 3 moves
Finally:
As you can see, Black wins and can do this not only with Marshall’s super-effective move Qg3, but also in other ways. A little less impressive, but no less effective.
The secret of such multivariance is simple - Black has a very strong attack. All of their pieces are involved in the attack and are aimed at the king's position. A spectacular tactical strike in such a position is the final chord that crowns the decisive attack.
However, you must admit that the party would hardly have gone down in history if Marshall had not found the genius Qg3.
Routine is forgotten, but beauty remains in history. Play chess!
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The eighth game of the match exceeded all expectations! An exceptionally combative opening, an interesting multi-piece fight, a thirst for victory on both sides, spectacular sacrifices and beautiful variations in the final stage - this is exactly the kind of chess that fans all over the world and of all ages love.
The previous seven games were played in a calm, positional manner. And in an approximately equal fight. The very first stormy combination fight ended in a spectacular victory for the challenger. However, it is still too early to draw comparative conclusions. There is no doubt that Kramnik can also play Shirov and Kasparov's chess well!
Spanish batch C89
Vladimir KRAMNIK (RUS) – Peter LEKO (HUN)
Brissago, world championship match, game 8
8...d5! This sacrifice was first used in the Capablanca-Marshall game (New York 1918). Old Frank received a strong attack at the exit from the opening, but was unable to overcome the defense of the brilliant Cuban and lost.
9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6! (modern interpretation; at first Black played here 11...Nf6) 12.d4(12.d3) 12…Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4! This intricate maneuver with the rook does not allow Black to conveniently deploy his forces for an attack.
15...g5! Best answer. Otherwise, the black queen cannot be kept at the forefront of the attack. White, of course, cannot take the g5 pawn due to the double blow Qh3-f5.
There are two more good moves – 16.Qf3 and 16.Nd2, but they are not able to cast doubt on the viability of Black’s position.
16...Qh5!? The exclamation mark reflects the objective strength of the move. It is advantageous for Black to keep the queens. The interrogative reflects my attitude towards Peter's 50-minute reflection. The fact is that the position after 16.Qf1 was encountered in practice at least 20 times (my database gives this number of games). When preparing the variation before the World Championship match, this position should have been carefully studied and the conclusion entered into the RAM of the brain. Yes, Peter eventually managed to survive the time trouble in this game! What happened cannot be changed.
And yet it was illiterate... The exchange 16...Qxf1+ 17.Kxf1 was encountered in practice more than once. Black retains compensation for the pawn, but he no longer has any mating ideas. Of course, the champion would be pleased to play this position for a win without much risk. Next in the game Pen Xiaomin - Grischuk (Shanghai 2001) there was 17...Bf5 18.f3 h6 19.Re1 Rfe8 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Rxe8+ Rxe8 22.Kf2 a5 23.a3 Bd3. Draw.
19...Rae8. It was at this moment that Vladimir first fell into thought. The demonstration of opening superiority ended with the realization... of its absence! I mean the chess assessment of the position - Black has sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn. True, in this case, White received a head start of a whole hour!
20.Rxe8(the confrontation between the rooks was very dangerous for White; the attack Bf5-d3 was already threatening!) 20...Rxe8 21.a4(the only way to develop a passive rook) 21...Qg6. Reliable continuation with a double bottom! At this moment I was sure that the game would soon end with a repetition of moves. One could play for victory at the risk of one's life by 21...b4!?, prolonging the imprisonment of the white rook.
23...Re2!(after 23...axb5 24.Bd1! White could prevent the black rook from invading e2; and calmly play with an extra pawn) 24.Qxe2. Another quickly executed move. The highlight of the plan! First, White gets a rook for the queen, and then, when the last pawn moves forward, Black will be forced to give up another minor piece. Material balance will be restored, and the positional advantage will clearly be on White's side. The idea is beautiful. But with a hole!
As the analysis after the game showed, rearranging the moves did not help patch the hole: 24.bxa6 Rxf2 25.Kxf2 (or 25.a7 Qh6! 26.a8Q+ Kg7 27.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 28.Ke3 Qe2#) 25...Qh6! – The best way connect u fight queen! Further, all ways to protect the white king turn out to be in vain.
26.Kf2. Played after much thought. Of course, the champion understood everything, but nothing can be changed. Here is the main scenario for the sinking of the Titanic: 26.a7 Qe3+ 27.Kg2 Bxf3+! 28.Nxf3 Qe2+ 29.Kg1 Ng4! 30.a8Q+ Kg7 and the extra rook and bishop are unable to help the king.
26...Bxf3! 27.Nxf3 Ne4+(check on g4 also won) 28.Ke1 Nxc3!(decisive blow) 29.bxc3(29.Kf2 Ne4+ 30.Ke1 Bb4+) 29...Qxc3+ 30.Kf2 Qxa1. The black arrow has ripened everywhere. And bite off the white material, and hold the passed pawn.
A very spectacular and very important game from a sporting point of view! Peter takes the lead for the first time in the match – 4.5:3.5. Now we have to see how the Russian champion will play when it is necessary to win. His favorite way of dancing “from the stove” no longer makes sense. We must attack, we must open up! I am sure that closer to the end of the match the fight will become even more interesting.
A very interesting sharp attacking opening line for Black in Spanish. parties. Perhaps some will be interested in this option. Someone will enrich their arsenal of openings by playing, as suggested at the beginning of the centuryFrank James Marshall, I think it would be more correct to call the novelty he introduced the Marshall counterattack in the Spanish game, because before the move 8) .... d5, the initiative is on White’s side. and after this move she goes to black.
Let me give you an example of the first use of this debut novelty by Marshal against Capablanca! Even if the first pancake came out lumpy, the novelty was subsequently used repeatedly with success by Black.
Capablanca - Marshal. New York, 1918
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 [ Capablanca:"First surprise. For the first time in 10 years, Marshall allows me to play Spanish Party ".] [ HFIf Capablanca was really afraid, he would certainly have turned to another opening.] 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 [ Capablanca:"Second surprise. Here I felt that Marshall had something in store for me, expecting me to play Bb3-d5, so I played c2-c3 without hesitation."] 8.с3 [ HFAnd it's not too late to leave here Counterattacks of Soldatenkov-Marshal move 8.d3.]8...d5![ Capablanca:"And now I was sure that I had fallen for the prepared version."]
[ V.Panov:“This interesting variation, despite failure at the first test, entered the golden fund of chess theory under the name “Marshal attacks”. Whether black receives sufficient compensation for a sacrificed pawn has not been established over the past half century, despite detailed research. This alone proves tactical versatility and meaningfulness of the Marshal’s attack.”]
[ HFThis gambit appeared not in 1918, but in 1901. Today we can state that no refutation of the gambit has been found and most likely it is correct. This means that Black correctly moved to
counterattack, and White made some mistake somewhere in the previous game. In this case, our suspicion falls on 4.Ca4, and we would like to recognize 4.Cxc6 as the best.] 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 [ Capablanca:"I hesitated for some time before taking the pawn, knowing that after doing so I would be exposed to a terrible attack, carefully designed by my opponent. However, I was overcome by the thirst for battle. I felt that I was being challenged by a player who had every reason to fear my understanding and skills (as our previous meetings showed), but who had a number of surprises in store for me and wanted to take advantage of my unfamiliarity with what he had devoted many nights of hard and persistent work to. I considered the situation and decided that my reputation, so to speak, obliged me to take pawn and accept the challenge, for my understanding and insight told me that the position would be defendable in the future."] [ HF 10.a4 is considered fashionable, which can be called refused gambit; A10.d3can be called delayed gambit. Although my games with this idea were published in “Chess in the USSR” No. 10 / 1981, they were not included in the reference books. 10...Qd6 (10...Bb7 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rxe5 c6 13.Nd2 Bd6 14.Re1 Qh4 15.g3 Qh3 16.Ne4 c5 17.Qf3! Rae8 18.Nd2 Ne5 19.Nxc5 1-0. Chashikhin - Kucherov.According to correspondence 1980-1981.) 11.h3 Bb7 12.Nbd2 Rad8 13.Ne4 Qg6 14.Ng3(Trap) 14...Bc5? 15.d4! exd4 (After 15...Bb6 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Rxe5 black is down a pawn, but that’s how it should have been played. Now they are giving up the queen for just two knights.)
Diagram No. 01
16.Nh4 Qf6 17.Ne4! Qxh4 (Bad 17...Qe7 18.Nf5 Qd7 19.Nxc5 Qxf5 because of 20.Nxb7.) 18.Bg5 Qxe4 19.Rxe4 f6 20.Bd2 dxc3 21.Bxc3 Ne5 22.Rc1 Bb6 23.Bb4 Rfe8 24.Bc5 Kh8 25.Rd4 Bxc5 26.Rxc5 c6 27.Nxd5 cxd5 28.Rc7 Rd7 29.Qc2 Rxc7 30. Qxc7 Ba8 31.f4 Ng6 32.Qd7 Rf8 33.Qe6 1-0. Chashikhin - Borchyan. By correspondence 1980-1981 ]
10...Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Nf612.Re1
[ Capablanca:"The natural move d2-d4 would have resulted in the same position. I knew this when I was calculating the options, but I decided on this continuation (12.Re1), thinking, thus, to throw my opponent a little out of the rut he had intended and force him again rely on my own strength. However, I failed."] [ HF Capablanca directly says that he knew the move 12.d4.] 12...Bd6 13.h3 Ng4 14.Qf3 Qh4 15.d4 Nxf2 16.Re2 Bg4? [ Tartakower16...Ng4! 17.Qxa8 Qg3 18.hxg4 Qh2+ 19.Kf1 Bg3 20.Be3 Qh1+ 21.Bg1 Bh2 22.Ke1 Qxg1+ 23.Kd2 Bf4+] 17.hxg4 Bh2+ 18.Kf1 Bg3 19.Rxf2 Qh1+ 20.Ke2 Bxf2 21.Bd2 Bh4 22 .Qh3 Rae8+ 23.Kd3 Qf1+ 24.Kc2 Bf2 25.Qf3 Qg1 26.Bd5 c5 27.dxc5 Bxc5 28.b4 Bd6 29.a4 a5 30.axb5 axb4 31.Ra6 bxc3 32.Nxc3 Bb4 33.b6 Bxc3 34.Bxc3 h6 35.b7 Re3Diagram No. 03
36.Bxf7+[Capablanca declared checkmate in 5 moves
- 36...Rxf7 37.b8Q+ Re8 38.Qxe8+ Kh7 39.Qfe4+ Rf5 40.Qxf5+ g6 41.Qfxg6#] 1-0.17 years before Marshall, Soldatenkov used this novelty in his match game, but for the world community, in spite of everything, this option is called the “Marshall attack”. I’ll give you the game where this option appeared for the first time
Sittenfeld – Soldatenkov Match. Paris, 1901
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.d4 exd4 11.cxd4 Bb4 12.Bd2 Bg4 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Be3 Bxf3 15.gxf3[Harder 15.Qxf3 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Qxd4 17.Red1 Qa7 18.Nd5] 15...Qd7 16.d5 Ne7 17.Bg5 Qh3 18.Bxf6
Diagram No. 04
18...Bd6![Soldatenkov played this effectively, and 17 years later Marshal played 18...gxf6 in the game Morisson – Marshal (New York, 1918). After the publication of the Morisson – Marshall game (New York, 1918) in the American Chess magazine, the editors received a letter from Vasily Soldatenkov, who was then living in the USA, who reported that all 18 moves of the Morisson – Marshall game were already in his match meeting with Sittenfeld, what was published in 1901 in the French magazine "Strategies".]
19.f419...Bxf4 20.f3 Qxh2+ 21.Kf1 Nf5 22.Ne4 gxf6 23.Qd3 Kh8 24.Qc3 Rg8 25.Qxf6+ Rg7 0-1.
