Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack
Also known as Marshall Gambit
The Marshall Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5) is an aggressive line in the Ruy Lopez. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
700,570 games: White 41.3% / Draw 5.4% / Black 53.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 624,450624K | ||
| 34,44734K | ||
| 30,31430K | ||
| 5,2145,214 | ||
| 2,6952,695 | ||
| 1,5641,564 | ||
| 1,1341,134 | ||
| 337337 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.30 White is slightly better
Best play: 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 Bb7 12. d4 Bf6 13. Re1 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 51% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 48% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 8,114 | |
| 1400–1799 | 136K | |
| 1800–2199 | 493K | |
| 2200 and up | 101K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,538 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Ding Liren
- Anand, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Carlsen, M.
- Karjakin, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – Aronian, L.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Description
The Marshall Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5) is an aggressive line in the Ruy Lopez. Black sacrifices a pawn to gain the initiative and a kingside attack. Between two well-prepared players the usual result is a draw.
Origins
Its most famous game is Capablanca–Marshall, played at the Manhattan Chess Club in New York in 1918. Frank Marshall introduced the attack there and lost, but the idea became popular afterwards. It had been played before: in a game in Havana in 1893, four Cuban amateurs in consultation used it against the visiting Carl Walbrodt, and Marshall himself may have tried it in 1917. Boris Spassky developed it in his 1965 match against Mikhail Tal. Modern top players who use it include Levon Aronian and Ding Liren.
The idea
After 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3, White's kingside has lost the f3-knight as a defender, and Black has the initiative. Black's ideas include ...Bg4 with tempo, or ...f5 followed by ...f4. White is a pawn up and hopes to neutralise the initiative and reach an endgame with the extra pawn.
Main lines
- Modern main line up to 14...Qh3, the heart of the opening, including the Spassky Variation.
- The Original Marshall 11...Nf6, Marshall's move from 1918. Modern practice prefers 11...c6.
- Steiner Variation 9...e4, which is not considered sound.
- Anti-Marshall lines: White avoids the gambit on move eight. For many years the most popular was 8.a4, but once 8...b4 proved viable, 8.h3 gained in popularity. Other options are 8.d4, 8.d3 and 8.a3.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Excellent compensation for the pawn: a lasting initiative against White's king.
- At top level it is a reliable way for Black to reach a safe position.
- At club level, unprepared White players can be overwhelmed quickly.
Weaknesses
- A lot of concrete theory, much of it going deep into the middlegame.
- White can avoid it with Anti-Marshall lines, so Black still needs to know the Closed Ruy Lopez.
- At the top, many lines end in a draw, so it is not ideal when Black must win.
Who should play it
The Marshall suits well-prepared 1...e5 players who like the initiative and don't mind giving up material. It is excellent against opponents who are not ready for its theory. It is less useful against White players who always play the Anti-Marshall.
The numbers
On Lichess between 1400 and 2200, Black wins 53.6–55.4% and White 41%. Above 2200, Black still leads, 49% against 43.6%. Among masters over the board 76% of games are drawn, White wins 14% and Black 10%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
Popularity by year
The Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack has lost ground since 2016: 0.02% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.039% (its peak: 0.045% in 2017).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.039% | 13,882 |
| 2017 | 0.045% | 24,993 |
| 2018 | 0.045% | 35,342 |
| 2019 | 0.038% | 46,832 |
| 2020 | 0.033% | 97,236 |
| 2021 | 0.026% | 102,692 |
| 2022 | 0.026% | 99,336 |
| 2023 | 0.025% | 94,281 |
| 2024 | 0.022% | 78,061 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 70,659 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 23,473 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (3)
All 7 named lines that continue from here
- C89 Modern Variation 11 moves
- C89 Original Marshall Attack 11 moves
- C89 Steiner Variation 9 moves
- C89 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line 12 moves
- C89 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Re3 Variation 14 moves
- C89 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Modern Main Line 14 moves
- C89 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation 18 moves
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Marshall Attack, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack (C89)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-marshall-attack