Marshall Trap
Encyclopedia
The Marshall Trap is a chess opening
trap in Petrov's Defence
named after Frank Marshall.
The trap begins with the moves
Black plays Petrov's Defence.
(See diagram.) White should play 10.Nc3 instead.
An unexpected blow.
Black fork
s the white queen
and bishop
, forcing the queen to move.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
trap in Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
named after Frank Marshall.
The trap begins with the moves
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nf6
Black plays Petrov's Defence.
- 3. Nxe5 d6
- 4. Nf3 Nxe4
- 5. d4 d5
- 6. Bd3 Bd6
- 7. O-O O-O
- 8. c4 Bg4
- 9. cxd5 f5
- 10. Re1?
(See diagram.) White should play 10.Nc3 instead.
- 10. ... Bxh2+!
An unexpected blow.
- 11. Kxh2 Nxf2
Black fork
Fork (chess)
In chess, a fork is a tactic that uses a single piece to attack multiple pieces at the same time. The attacker usually hopes to gain material by capturing one of the opponent's pieces. The defender often finds himself in a difficult position in which he cannot counter all threats. The attacking...
s the white queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
and bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
, forcing the queen to move.
- 12. Qe2 Nxd3
- 13. Qxd3 Bxf3
- 14. Qxf3 Qh4+ followed by Qxe1 winning a rookRook (chess)A rook is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. Formerly the piece was called the castle, tower, marquess, rector, and comes...
.