Ruy Lopez

38. Anti-Marshall with the Prophylaxis 8.h3!

8.h3! is the second great Anti-Marshall system. It prevents black pieces from landing on g4 and takes the force out of any attempt at a central push with ...d5.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Na5 11.Ba2

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.h3 – Another Anti-Marshall system: h3 prevents ...Bg4, one of the key pieces of the gambit. This way 8...d5 loses much of its strength.
  16. 8...Bb7 – Black develops the bishop on the long diagonal and presses on e4.
  17. 9.d3 – After h3 White defends e4 with the pawn: no Marshall gambit and a slow game, with d4 postponed.
  18. 9...d6 – Against 8.h3 Black supports e5 and frees the c8-bishop for a Closed Ruy Lopez structure.
  19. 10.a3 – Prepares the Ba2 retreat against ...Na5 and prevents ...b4.
  20. 10...Na5 – With a3 already played, the knight goes to a5 anyway: it attacks the b3-bishop, which has the retreat ready on a2.
  21. 11.Ba2 – The bishop uses the a2 square prepared by a3: it keeps the a2-g8 diagonal towards f7 and avoids the exchange with the knight.

How to exploit the position

Manoeuvring structure: White has the bishop on a2 aimed at f7, Black the knight on a5 and the bishop on b7.

Master tips

The prophylaxis that frustrates Black's plans

With 8.h3, if Black plays 8...Bb7, answer with 9.d3 d6 10.a3! leaving the black bishop on b7 completely blunted.

Model games