Boston IM David Vigorito’s UNDERSTANDING THE MARSHALL ATTACK is the third book to appear on Frank Marshall’s brainchild (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5) in less than a year. Last year there was FIGHTING THE RUY LOPEZ (Everyman Chess) by Milos Pavlovic and ATTACKING THE RUY LOPEZ by Sabino Brunello (Quality Chess), but Vigorito’s work is different. Whereas half of FIGHTING THE RUY LOPEZ was devoted to variations leading up to the Marshall (Exchange variation, Worrall Attack, 5.d4, etc.) and ATTACKING THE RUY LOPEZ also covered the Schliemann and Gajewski variations, Vigorito handles only the Marshall. To be exact his book is only on the main line Marshall – 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6. Those looking for information on sidelines like 9...e4 will need to consult THE MARSHALL ATTACK (Everyman 2003) by Bogdan Lalic (offered below at a special $10.00 price!). The material for this volume breaks down as follows:
Part 1: Main Lines with 8 c3 d5 9 exd5 Nxd5 10 Nxe5 Nxe5
11 Rxe5 c6 12 d4 Bd6 13 Re1 Qh4 14 g3 Qh3
1 Spassky Variation 20
2 Old Main Line: 18...f5/18...bxa4 31
3 15 Be3: Other Lines 51
4 Modern Variation: 15 Re4 74
Part 2: Other Lines after 8 c3 d5 9 exd5 Nxd5
10 Nxe5 Nxe5 11 Rxe5 c6
5 Refined Rook-Lift: 12 d3 92
6 Elite Equalizer: 12 d3 Bd6 13 Re1 Bf5 108
7 Early Deviations 120
Part 3: Anti-Marshall
8 Anti-Marshall: 8 a4 137
9 Anti-Marshall: 8 h3 155
10 Other Anti-Marshall Lines 170
Vigorito has made an excellent name as a writer for his ability to break down complex opening systems and explain the plans and ideas behind them in a way that reaches a wide audience. UNDERSTANDING THE MARSHALL ATTACK is no exception. One of the most popular ways to meet 1.e4 at the highest levels with Anand, Kramnik, Leko, Ivanchuk, Grischuk and especially Aronian having used it the past few years, the Marshall is heavily analyzed but Vigorito shows that in many lines it is more important to have a feel for the position than try to memorize everything. He makes a good case that the Marshall, with its materially and positionally unbalanced positions, is an ideal battleground to appreciate many classical chess themes including the value of material, the power of two bishops and how to attack and how to defend.
This book is highly recommended for players from 1800 on up to IMs/GMs with the one caveat that players below 2200 are much more likely to face a Scotch or Italian game than a Ruy, and should they meet 3.Bb5 White is still more likely than not going to avoid the Marshall.
