C89 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack
C89 holds nine named lines, all under the name Ruy Lopez. It leaves C88 (Ruy Lopez: Closed) with 8.c3 d5. Its deepest line, Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation, runs to 18...Qh5, the longest of all 500 codes. Material is no longer level at the end of seven of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in White’s favour, comes in Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line. Both kings have castled by the end of the reference line, White on move 5 and Black on move 7.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Moves only C89 plays
Same as C88 up to 7.Bb3, then:
- 7...O-O Black castles kingside, opening a line for the queen on d8, guarding the pawn on g7.
- 8.c3 The c-pawn advances to c3, covering b4 and d4, opening a line for the queen on d1 and the bishop on b3.
- 8...d5 The d-pawn advances two squares to d5, covering c4 and e4, opening a line for the bishop on c8 and the queen on d8.
Lines filed under C89
All nine share their first 16 plies, the whole reference line.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack | (the shared start itself) | 16 | both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Steiner Variation | 9.exd5 e4 | 18 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.a4 Bb7 | 20 | both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Modern Variation | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 | 22 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Original Marshall Attack | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Nf6 | 22 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 | 23 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Re3 Variation | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.Bxd5 cxd5 13.d4 Bd6 14.Re3 | 27 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Modern Main Line | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 | 28 | White +1, both castled |
| Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation | 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3 Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2 Re6 18.a4 Qh5 | 36 | White +1, both castled |
The road to C89
- 1.e4 … 6...b5eight earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44, C60, C70, C78, C84
- 7.Bb3C88 Closed
- 7...O-OC88 Closed
- 8...d5C89
The position after 8...d5
White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on b3; Black the knight on c6, knight on f6 and bishop on e7. White could capture with Bxd5, Nxe5, exd5. White is to move and has 26 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | two squares: d5, d6 |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Yates Variation | four squares: d2, d4, d5, d6 |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | four squares: h2, h3, d5, d6 |
| C93 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense | six squares: h2, h3, d5, d6, h6, h7 |
| C94 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense | six squares: h2, h3, d5, c6, d6, b8 |
| C97 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense | six squares: h2, h3, a5, d5, c6, d6 |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer | eight squares: d2, h2, h3, d4, d5, c6, d6, b8 |