Video, study adviser and replayable game analysis

How to tame the dreaded Marshall Gambit ?! Fabiano Caruana vs Levon Aronian : Zurich 2014

Watch the video for the main explanation, then use the Chess Video Study Adviser to choose what to notice and how deeply to analyse it. When a PGN is available, open the Replayable Chess Video PGN Board to test the moves yourself.

If you register and login to ChessWorld, you can access advanced features like the replayable PGN board below.

Chess Video Study Adviser

Move through four short steps. The adviser recommends one named study route and a concrete action using the video, description or replay board.

Understand the main lesson → Whole game → Quick overview → 10 minutes

Core Lesson Route

99% study fit
Explanation value5/5
Calculation value3/5
Strategic value4/5
Replay value4/5
Time efficiency5/5

Focus Plan: Watch once for the main story, then write down the position or idea that changed the game.

Discovery Tip: A second viewing is most useful when you pause before the key decision rather than watching passively again.

About this Video

Instructive game tags: Ruy Lopez, Marshall Gambit, taming a gambit, playing against a gambit, reducing counterplay, allowing marshall gambit, 12.d3 vs marshall gambit, d3 pawn sac, centralising bishop... (Show Full Description)
Instructive game tags: Ruy Lopez, Marshall Gambit, taming a gambit, playing against a gambit, reducing counterplay, allowing marshall gambit, 12.d3 vs marshall gambit, d3 pawn sac, centralising bishop on d4, central square grip, central square battle, opening a file, exchanging off queens, exchanging off knight on d5, RBN vs RBB endgame, rook probing on a file, weak d5 pawn, rook on 7th rank torture, slowly but safely winning a center pawn, making steady progress on king side, centralising knight, RN vs RB endgame transition, exploiting an extra pawn in endgame, slowly squeezing opponent, decisive rook on 7th rank, rook and knight coordination, fragmenting pawns, king infiltration, king going up to h6, two pawns up [Event "Zurich Chess Challenge"] [Site "Zurich SUI"] [Date "2014.02.03"] [Round "5.2"] [White "Fabiano Caruana"] [Black "Levon Aronian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C89"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2812"] [PlyCount "131"] [EventDate "2014.01.30"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d3 Bd6 13. Re1 Bf5 (13... Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Re4 Qf5 (15... f5 16. Rh4) 16. Nd2 Qg6 17. Re1 f5 (17... Qxd3 18. Bc2) 18. f4 Bxf4 19. Qf3 Bb8 20. Bxd5+ cxd5 21. Nb3 Qf7 22. Bf4 d4 23. Nc5 Bxf4 ) 14. Qf3 Qh4 (14... Bg6) 15. g3 (15. Qxf5 Qxh2+ 16. Kf1 Rae8 17. Re4 Qh1+ 18. Ke2 Qxc1) 15... Qh3 16. Be3 {Innovation! Usually Bxd5 or Nd2 played here. But Houdini 4 likes this move too!} (16. Nd2 Rae8 17. Ne4 Bg4 18. Qg2 Qxg2+ 19. Kxg2 f5 20. h3 Bh5 21. Bf4 Bxf4 22. gxf4 fxe4 23. dxe4 Bf3+ 24. Kxf3 Rxf4+ 25. Kg2 Rfxe4) (16. Bxd5 cxd5 17. Qxd5 Rad8 18. Qg2 Qxg2+ 19. Kxg2 Bxd3) 16... Bxd3 (16... Nxe3 17. Rxe3 Rae8 18. Nd2 Rxe3 19. Qxe3 Bg6 20. Ne4) 17. Nd2 Qf5 18. Bd4 Rfe8 19. a4 h6 (19... Rxe1+ 20. Rxe1 Bf8) 20. Kg2 Kf8 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 (21... Kxe8 22. Qxf5 Bxf5 23. axb5) 22. axb5 axb5 23. Qxf5 Bxf5 24. Bxd5 cxd5 25. Ra6 Be7 (25... Rd8 26. Rb6) 26. Nf1 (26. Rb6 Bd3) 26... b4 27. Ne3 Bd3 28. Ra5 bxc3 29. bxc3 Bd8 30. Ra8 (30. Rxd5 Be4+) 30... f6 31. f3 Be7 32. Ra7 (32. Rxe8+ Kxe8 33. Nxd5 Ba3) 32... Bd6 (32... Bc4 33. Nf5 Bd8 34. Bc5+ Kg8 35. Rxg7+) 33. Rd7 (33. Nxd5 Re2+ 34. Kg1 Re1+ 35. Kf2 Re2+ 36. Kg1 Re1+ 37. Kg2 Re2+ 38. Kh3 Bf5+ 39. g4 Rxh2#) 33... Ba3 34. Rxd5 Kg8 (34... Rb8 35. Bxf6 Rb2+ 36. Kh3) 35. h4 (35. Bxf6 Rxe3 36. Kf2 Re2+) 35... Bc1 36. Ng4 Bc4 (36... Re2+ 37. Nf2) 37. Rc5 Be6 38. Nf2 Ra8 39. g4 Ra2 40. Kg3 Ra6 41. Rc7 Bd2 42. Ne4 Be1+ (42... Ra2 43. Nxd2 Rxd2 44. g5) 43. Bf2 Bxf2+ 44. Kxf2 Ra2+ 45. Kg3 Rc2 46. Kf4 Ra2 47. h5 Ra5 48. Nc5 Bd5 49. Rc8+ Kf7 50. c4 Ba8 (50... Bxc4 51. Nb7 Ra7 52. Nd8+ Ke7 53. Nc6+) 51. Rc7+ Kg8 52. Ne6 Ra3 53. Rxg7+ Kh8 54. Kf5 Bxf3 55. Rg6 Be2 56. Rxh6+ Kg8 57. Rg6+ Kh8 58. Rxf6 Rf3+ 59. Nf4 (59. Kg6) 59... Bxc4 60. Kg5 Kg8 61. Kh6 Ra3 62. g5 Ra7 63. g6 Rc7 64. Nh3 Rc8 65. Ng5 Rd8 66. Nh7 1-0 â–ºSupport the channel by donating via PayPal: http://goo.gl/7HJcDq â–ºPlaylists: http://goo.gl/FxpqEH â–ºKingscrusher's Greatest Hit Videos! : http://goo.gl/447QLb â–ºFREE online chess at http://osk03.chesshorsey.com/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=1053 or realtime at http://www.chessclub.com/from/kingscrusher Thumbnail: Caruana vs Aronian Caruana By This photo was taken by Przemyslaw Jahr Autorem zdjecia jest Przemyslaw Jahr Wykorzystujac zdjecie prosze podac jako autora: Przemyslaw Jahr / Wikimedia Commons (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons Aronian By Andreas Kontokanis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/karpidis/6319418131/) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Replayable Chess Video PGN Board

This video includes an annotated PGN. Replay it directly below or open the larger analysis board in a new tab.

Open larger analysis board
🎥 Chess Videos Guide – Watch, Learn & Train
This page is part of the Chess Videos Guide – Watch, Learn & Train — Browse our chess video library by theme, player, and playlist — including instructive games, openings, brilliancies, and practical improvement topics.
Continue your Chess Videos – Watch, Learn & Train study in real gamesReading the guide is useful, but relaxed daily games help the ideas stick.

or create a ChessWorld username