[Event "Opening Traps in the Petrov's Defence: #1 Marshall Trap"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/1Aacwjel/jJYaVaG4"]
[Date "1912"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Janowski, Dawid Markelowicz"]
[Black "Marshall, Frank James"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Jonnyx"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Opening "Russian Game: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap"]
[UTCDate "2020.06.12"]
[UTCTime "12:12:31"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ You can watch the analyse of the game as a video aswell: https://youtu.be/lQEc96JNbKs The Marshall Trap is the most common trap that you will see in the Petrov Defense. It is named after Frank James Marshall one of the world's strongest chess players in the early part of the 20th century and U.S. Chess Champion from 1909 to 1936. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { The starting position of the Petrov's Defence. } 3. Nxe5 { This is known as the Classical Variation of the Petrov's Defence. Both players will show now some developing moves, that are well known in theory. } 3... d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Bg4 ( 8... c6 { was the main move for black and was played by Fabiano Caruana, one of the strongest players in the world, in many games. If you want to know more about this variation click on the book symbol and check out his games against Vachier Lagrave or Anand. } ) 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1 $2 { This logical looking move is actually a blunder that turns the favor for black. } ( 10. Nc3 { would have been a better move for white. Game could continue } 10... Nd7 11. h3 Bh5 12. Nxe4 fxe4 13. Bxe4 Nf6 14. Bf5 Kh8 { and black is down two pawns for the moment. Of course he will win back the d5 pawn and white has to defend the isolated d4 pawn the entire game, but I think beeing up a pawn should still be enough for an advantage for white. Funny enough Marshall himself got this position as black at least 6 times in his career, scoring 4.5 / 6 without defeat, but thats probably because he was the better player. } ) 10... Bxh2+ $1 11. Kxh2 ( 11. Nxh2 { looses the queen to } 11... Bxd1 ) ( 11. Kh1 $4 { looses the queen to } 11... Nxf2+ ) ( 11. Kf1 $5 { would probably be an alternative for white. } 11... Qe8 12. Nc3 ( 12. g3 $4 Qh5 $1 { and black is totaly winning. For example } 13. Re3 Bxg3 14. fxg3 Qh3+ 15. Ke1 Qxg3+ 16. Ke2 Qf2# ) 12... Qh5 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Rxe4 ( 14. Bxe4 { is a mistake because after } 14... Nd7 { it's allready pretty tough for white to find good moves. For example } 15. Bd2 { fails to } 15... Bd6 { [%cal Gh5h1] } 16. Qb3 Rae8 { and black is winning. [%cal Gh5h1,Ge8e4] } ) 14... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Nd7 { and black should have at least an equal game. White has two isolated, doubled pawns that are easy targets for black and whites king is still in danger. Black will mostlikely play moves like Bd6, Nb6 and then he will bring his rook on a8 into the game. At a certain point he will grap the d5 pawn. [%cal Gh2d6,Gd7b6,Ga8d8,Ga8e8,Ga8f8,Gf8f6] } ) 11... Nxf2 12. Qe2 Nxd3 13. Qxd3 ( 13. Qe6+ { was actually played in the game, but after the moves } 13... Kh8 14. Bg5 Qd6+ 15. Qxd6 cxd6 16. Re7 { black could have played } 16... h6 17. Bd2 b6 18. Ne1 Nxe1 19. Bxe1 Na6 20. Na3 { [%cal Ga3c4,Ga3b5] } 20... Rfe8 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 22. Nb5 Re2 { and black remains with a slight advantage because he's up a pawn, has an active rook and he's threatening Bf3. Just in case you're a scared about losing the d6 pawn and whites d pawns running up the board, here is an example line. Please don't try to momorize the whole line, it's allerady to long anyway. [%cal Gg4f3] } 23. Kg1 ( 23. Nxd6 $6 Bf3 24. Nxf5 Bxd5 25. Bc3 Rxg2+ 26. Kh3 Re2 { and black is better. } ) 23... Kg8 24. Rc1 { stopping our knight to come to c7 after white captures the pawn on d6. [%cal Gc1c8,Ra6c7,Gb5d6] } 24... Rxb2 25. Nxd6 Nb4 { [%cal Gb4d5] } 26. Bxb4 Rxb4 27. Rc8+ Kh7 28. Rc7 { [%cal Gc7a7,Gc7g7,Gd6e8] } 28... Rxd4 29. Ne8 h5 30. Rxg7+ Kh6 31. Rxa7 Rxd5 32. Rb7 Rb5 { and it's only black who can play for the win. } ) 13... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 ( 14. Kg1 { was probably whites best try, but even here black remains with a material advantage after } 14... Bxd5 15. Nc3 Nc6 { [%csl Gf8,Gf5,Rc1] } ) 14... Qh4+ { [%cal Gh4h2,Gh4e1] } 15. Qh3 Qxe1 16. Bd2 Qf2 { and at the moment black is up a rook and a pawn against a bishop, so he's allready clearly better. } 0-1