1st thematic tournament Semi Slav Marshall Gambit

1st thematic tournament Semi Slav Marshall Gambit - main tournament

The opening moves 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 c6 (Semi Slav or Triangle) lead to the Marshall Gambit after 4.e4 de, 5.Nxe4 Bb4+, 6.Bd2 Qxd4, 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+. The position is highly asymmetric and therefore very complex: Black is a pawn up, but lacks his important dark-squared bishop. White has the bishop pair and controls the dark squares in the black camp. Opening statistics seem to speak in White’s favor, but risk-loving top players like Alexei Shirov or Alexander Morozevich proved this line to be adequate to Black’s winning ambitions. This gambit was first played by one of best players ever of the United States, Frank Marshall, in 1902 at Monte Carlo, Monaco, against Carl Schlechter. Marshall won after 28 moves. Two other opening lines are named after him: The Marshall-Attack in the Ruy-López and the Marshall-Defense in the Queens Gambit.

The tournament is separated into two rating classes:

• Main tournament < 1515
• Master class ≥ 1515

It is part of a set of daily thematic tournaments dedicated to opening lines with asymmetric positions, more details see in my profile.