Ruy Lopez

35. Anti-Marshall with 8.a4 (the Grandmasters' Choice)

The move 8.a4! is the favourite weapon of Kasparov, Kramnik and Carlsen against those who try the Marshall. Instead of playing 8.c3 and allowing 8...d5, White hits b5 at once, forcing Black to weaken itself.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Be6 11.Nc4

Move by move

  1. 1.e4 – White takes the centre and opens the diagonals for the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Ruy Lopez this pawn will often be at the heart of the fight: Black will attack it with ...Nf6 and, in the Open Variation, will even capture it with ...Nxe4.
  2. 1...e5 – Black answers symmetrically: it contests d4 and f4, prevents e4-e5 and frees the f8-bishop. From here White will build the whole Ruy Lopez on pressure against this pawn.
  3. 2.Nf3 – Develops the knight with a direct attack on the e5 pawn, which now has to be defended. The knight also prepares kingside castling and supports a future d2-d4 push.
  4. 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing a piece and controlling d4. This very knight, the only defender of e5, will be the target of White's next move.
  5. 3.Bb5 – The Ruy Lopez: the bishop attacks the c6-knight, the defender of e5. There is no immediate threat yet (Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Qd4 regains the pawn), but the pressure on c6 will last throughout the opening.
  6. 3...a6 – Morphy's move: it asks the bishop to decide right away. After 4.Ba4 Black can break the pin with ...b5 whenever it likes; after 4.Bxc6 it gets the bishop pair.
  7. 4.Ba4 – The bishop retreats but keeps the pressure on c6: the threat of Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 will come back once White has castled. Black can break the diagonal with ...b5 whenever it wants.
  8. 4...Nf6 – Develops the knight attacking e4. This is the main move: it leads to the Closed Ruy Lopez with ...Be7 or to the Open Variation with ...Nxe4.
  9. 5.O-O – Castles without defending e4: if Black takes it with ...Nxe4, White regains it with Re1 or d4, exploiting the black king still in the centre.
  10. 5...Be7 – The Closed Ruy Lopez: Black does not take e4 and develops the bishop to castle. From e7 it protects the king and leaves the f6 square free for the knight.
  11. 6.Re1 – The rook defends e4. Now White really threatens Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5, because the recovery ...Qd4 no longer works with e4 protected.
  12. 6...b5 – Black drives the bishop away from a4 and solves the threat on c6. It gains space on the queenside, but the b5 pawn will become a target for a2-a4.
  13. 7.Bb3 – The bishop retreats to the a2-g8 diagonal, from where it aims at f7 and supports a future d4 push. It is the natural square in the Closed Ruy Lopez.
  14. 7...O-O – Black castles before deciding the centre: if White plays 8.c3, Black can answer 8...d5, the Marshall Attack. That is why White has the Anti-Marshall moves available.
  15. 8.a4 – The most used Anti-Marshall: instead of c3 White attacks b5 at once. If Black plays 8...d5, the tension on the queenside makes the gambit less effective.
  16. 8...b4 – Black pushes the pawn so as not to give up the a-file, but leaves White the c4 square.
  17. 9.d3 – Defends e4 solidly and prepares Nbd2-c4. White plays a manoeuvring game without c3.
  18. 9...d6 – With the pawn on b4, ...d6 reinforces e5 and opens the c8-bishop, which will go to e6 to contest the c4 square.
  19. 10.Nbd2 – The knight heads for the c4 square, weakened by the ...b4 push.
  20. 10...Be6 – Black offers the exchange of the light-squared bishops and controls c4.
  21. 11.Nc4 – The knight arrives on c4: it hits d6 and e5 and cannot be driven away by a pawn.

How to exploit the position

White has avoided the Marshall and has a well-placed knight on c4; Black has space with the b4 pawn.

Master tips

Defusing the Marshall at birth

With 8.a4 you do not allow Black to play 8...d5 successfully. Black must defend b5 with ...b4 or ...Bb7.

Model games