UNDERSTANDING THE MARSHALL ATTACK (David Vigorito)
192
pages (248 mm by 172 mm).
£14.99/$23.95/€20,25
The Marshall Attack is a chess opening like no other. Rather
than subjecting himself to the 'Spanish torture' so typical in the Ruy Lopez,
Black simply gives away a centre pawn. But in return, he gets long-term
attacking chances and activity that can persist well into the endgame.
It is almost a century since Frank Marshall invented his
sensational gambit, but it is still controversial, and more popular than ever
amongst the best players in the world. In their hands, the Marshall Attack
looks remarkably solid - even if White neutralizes Black's attacking chances
and remains a pawn up, Black often achieves full positional compensation.
However, the Marshall appears a forbidding opening to
ordinary club players, who feel that the theory is too difficult to understand
and much too complex to memorize. Many simply avoid it with both colours. That,
argues David Vigorito, is a shame. He shows that many typical Marshall
positions can be broken down into elements that we can all grasp, and so build
up an intuition to guide us. Then we are able to tackle this incredible opening
and develop a feel for why pieces go to the squares that they do, and when
Black has sufficient compensation, and when he does not.
Of course, the Marshall remains a highly sharp and concrete
opening, even to those who are versed in its unique brand of black magic.
Vigorito provides detailed, cutting-edge theoretical coverage of all its main
lines and the most important Anti-Marshall systems.
David Vigorito is an International Master from the
United States. He plays regularly in high-level competitions, including the US
Championship. He has written extensively for a variety of publications and is a
chess teacher. This is his second book for Gambit - see also Chess Explained: the Main-Line Slav.
Download a pdf file with a
sample from the book.
"...a good summary of existing theory, and the author has
taken care to track down often overlooked, but sometimes theoretically crucial
correspondence games, and importantly there is a decent sized section on Anti
Marshall lines that often crop up in practice." - GM Michael Adams, Daily
Telegraph
"Suitable for Marshall players of all levels of skill and
both colours" - IM Hedinn Steingrimsson, www.schach-welt.de
"...comprehensive coverage of both the gambit and White's
various methods of avoiding the gambit on move 8, the so-called Anti-Marshall,
the most important of which, 8 a4 and 8 h3, are each given a chapter of their
own." - Alan Sutton, En Passant
"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. ... highly recommended for
players from 1800 on up to IMs/GMs" - IM John Donaldson
"The book has what it takes to become a reference work.
Absolutely recommended." - Uwe Bekeman, Fernschachpost
"For anyone wishing to enhance their attacking capabilities,
Gambit has a number of interesting books. The Marshall Attack gives Black a
spectacular start by means of a pawn sacrifice. Also covered are the so-called
Anti-Marshall systems. This is a real 'studieboek' on the opening" - Bab
Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad
"The Marshall Attack continues to be popular with top-flight
Grandmasters. This book's introduction name-checks a plethora of very strong
players including Anand, Kramnik, Adams and Aronian. It's easy to see the
appeal; Black sacrifices a pawn in the opening and gets to throw numerous
pieces towards the enemy King. Club players often like to emulate their chess
heroes when it comes to opening choices. ... This book is a worthy guide." -
Sean Marsh, marshtowers.blogspot.com
"...one of those rare objective opening books not aimed at
either Black or White, but just intended to give amateurs a good, solid
overview and practical tips. ...well-written and has a clever setup. I really
liked the 'recommendations' chapter, which contains useful practical advice" -
Arne Moll, Chess Vibes |
