The Marshall Gambit Revisited
By 17 Aug 16 on
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Here is a picture of Capablanca on a cigarette card.
I do not have Frank Marshall on a cigarette card but this.
is a picture from Chess World of Frank Marshall smoking.
Now you have been introduced to the players let us bust
the myth about that game they played in New York in 1918.
The story goes that Marshall after losing a Ruy Lopez to Capablanca in
1909 went home and worked out a pawn sacrifice that lead to a strong
Black attack. He kept this line a secret for 7 years and finally in 1918
he played his infamous 8...d5 and Capablanca refuted it over the board
In the 1909 match Capablanca (Capa won 8-1 with 14 draws) there were
seven Lopez’s played by Capablanca with him scoring 4 wins and 3 draws.
It was Marshall’s hammering against this opening that started the legend.
Another picture of Marshall smoking, he must have a been a chain smoker.
Between 1909 and 1918 Capablanca opened 1.e4 six times against Marshall
and Marshall dodged the Capablanca Ruy Lopez Bullet by playing one French
and 5 Petroff defences. So he did not have to wait 7 seven years to play his idea.
Evidence indicates 8...d5 was cooked up in 1917. We have the game Frere - Marshall 1917
where Marshall wrote many years later that he played 8...d5 pacifically to test his ‘new’ idea.
Frere - Marshall New York 1917
Chernev in his ‘1000 Best Short Games of Chess’ prefixes this game with:
“What Marshall lightly dismissed as “swindlers” very often were
based on what Hoffer referred to as ‘The proverbial combination
expected by the stronger player who sees further ahead than his opponent.”
The 1918 Capablanca - Marshall game is too famous to show but I think you
will agree that is the Myth Busted. Lets us move on to more important matters.
Farzad Farsee - greenpawn (Me!) RHP2016
And we see the trap Capablanca mentions and warns us about on move 16
when annotating the 1918 Marshall game in his book ‘My Chess Career.’
er.....well.....er......Yes!
I have been waiting 40 years to catch someone in that trap. Thank you Farzad Farsee.
(I actually tried the same trap v lbthree but he saw through it Game 11823667 I lost.)
A few days before hand I caught another lad in a side variation of the Two Knights.
apsol - greenpawn (Me again) RHP 2016
This week the Theme is Red Hot Pawn 2016 Stalemates.
(and how they could been Checkmates instead of Stalemates.)
This year to date (August 2016) there have been 421 Stalemates on here.
Here are just a few of the horror stories I have unearthed and let loose.
Coops888 - gabacho RHP 2016 (Black to play)
There are quite of a few bare King v 2 Queen stalemates.
Black missed the mate in one and played 68...e3.
redandhot3 - yellowplates RHP 2016 (White to play)
Playing v a bare King then shed some material keeping only what you need.
60. Qf3 was played. Stalemate. 69 .Qh2+ Kxf1 70 Ke3 mate next move.
WWS66 - The Time Has Come RHP 2016 (White play)
When faced with multiple choices make sure you pick the right one.
77. Ra4 or Rb4 or Rc4 all win on the spot with a Rook to the
back rank check coming. 77.Rf4 was played so was 77...Qxf6+
78. Kxf6 (forced) is Stalemate
neil666 - lstcyr RHP 2016 (Black to play)
Promoting with a check is good. Promoting with a mate is even better.
46...Rxe7 Stalemate was played. 46...d1=R! was checkmate.
fecherico - S0AP RHP.2016 (White to play)
If you don’t try it how will ever know it if would have worked.
White has rather cunningly just played 56.Ra1-b1.
The more alert will see Black now has mate in one
Black took the Rook 56....axb1=Q and that is Stalemate.
Ari Liukkonen - caldon65 RHP 2016 (White to play)
All that effort and then with the winning post insight.
White took the Knight. 53.Bxd5 Stalemate.
Alex Foster - Whiteman1897 RHP 2016 (White to play)
Always give a slight pause before promoting.
White played 57.gxf8=Q Stalemate. The simple win is to sac the Queen.
Last one and as usual we end on a high note (or a low note).
kyletoybits - robert reich RHP 2016
Black blunders a Rook then gives the other away on purpose.
