Slav Marshall Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e4

[Event ""] [Site ""] [Date "1987.??.??"] [White "Riedel,Wolfgang"] [Black "Simon,Ralf"] [Round ""] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 c5 7. a3 Ba5 8. Be3 Nf6 9. dxc5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qa5 11. Qb3 O-O 12. Be2 Na6 13. Nf3 Nd7 14. O-O Ndxc5 15. Qc2 Bd7 16. Ng5 f5 17. Bd4 Ba4 18. Qa2 Bb3 19. Qd2 Rae8 20. f4 Qa4 21. Qe3 Nd7 22. Rab1 b6 23. Rxb3 Qxb3 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Rf3 Nf6 26. Rg3 Kh8 27. Qd4 Qxa3 28. Bh5 Re7 29. Bf7 Rexf7 30. Nxf7+ Rxf7 31. Kf1 Qc5 32. Qd3 Rd7 33. Qe2 Ne4 34. Re3 Rd2 35. Qh5 Qf8 36. Rh3 Nf6 37. Qf3 Nc5 38. Qe3 Rd3 39. Qe5 Rxh3 40. gxh3 Qd8 41. Kg2 a5 42. Qe2 a4 43. Qa2 Qd3 44. Qb2 Nfe4 45. Qa1 Qe2+ 46. Kg1 Qf2+ 47. Kh1 Nd3 0-1

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8.Ne2 is a bad move. You don't have to worry about 8...Qxg2. We will show you why later 8.Be2 is best.
7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Ne2

[Event "Suetin Mem"] [Site "Tula RUS"] [Date "2002.??.??"] [White "Kharlov,A"] [Black "Arzumanian,G"] [Round "6"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2638"] [BlackElo "2424"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Ne2 Na6 9. Bf8 Ne7 10. Bxg7 Nb4 11. Qd6 Nc2+ 12. Kd2 Nxa1 13. Bxh8 Qc2+ 14. Ke1 e5 15. f3 Qxb2 16. Bxe5 Qb1+ 17. Kf2 Nf5 18. Qd2 Nc2 19. Bc7 Be6 20. Nc3 Qb2 21. Bd3 Nb4 22. Ke1 Nxd3+ 23. Qxd3 Rc8 24. Be5 Rd8 25. Qe2 Qc1+ 26. Kf2 Qxh1 27. Ne4 Rd1 0-1

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White has too much development 10.Ne2 and 11.Rg1 Attacking the Queen spells disaster. (see game below)
8... Qxg2 9.Bf3

[Event ""] [Site ""] [Date "2005.3.29"] [Round ""] [White "Chessmaster"] [Black "Chessmaster"] [TimeControl "?"] [Result "1-0"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Qxg2 9.Bf3 Qg5 10.Ne2 Nd7 11.Rg1 Qf6 12.Nc3 c5 13.Ne4 Qf4 14.Rg4 Qxh2 15.Rxg7 Nh6 16.Bc3 Nf5 17.Rg5 Rf8 18.Kf1 h6 19.Rxf5 exf5 20.Nf6+ Ke7 21.Qe2+ Kd8 22.Rd1 Rh8 23.Nxd7 Bxd7 24.Bf6+ Kc8 25.Rxd7 Qh3+ 26.Bg2 Qxg2+ 27.Kxg2 Rg8+ 28.Kf3 Kxd7 29.Qe7+ Kc6 30.Be5 Rg3+ 31.fxg3 Kb6 32.Qd6+ Ka5 33.Qxc5+ b5 34.Qxb5# 1-0

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First lets examine three weaker lines on move 8 for Black 8...Nh6, 8...c5 and 8...Ne7

5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Na6 In this line 9. Bd6 looks best

[Event "Aeroflot Open"] [Site "Moscow RUS"] [Date "2005.??.??"] [White "Bacrot,E"] [Black "Filippov,Va"] [Round "8"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2715"] [BlackElo "2621"] [ECO "A13"] 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Na6 9. Bd6 f6 10. Nf3 Bd7 11. O-O O-O-O 12. Bd3 Qg4 13. c5 e5 14. h3 Qe6 15. Qa4 Nc7 16. Bc4 Qf5 17. Qa5 Ne8 18. Bf7 1-0

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5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 c5
Whites plan after 9 Bxc5 is to now take take Whites g2 pawn and when attacked 10. Bf3 move the queen to g5 (10...Qg5) attacking black bishop at c5

[Event "ECC"] [Site "Rethymnon GRE"] [Date "2003.??.??"] [White "Jobava,Ba"] [Black "Portisch,L"] [Round "4"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2596"] [BlackElo "2586"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 c5 9. Bxc5 Qxg2 10. Bf3 Qg5 11. Ba3 Ne7 12. Ne2 Nf5 13. Rg1 Qd8 14. Qxd8+ Kxd8 15. O-O-O+ Kc7 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. Rxd4 Bd7 18. Rxg7 Be8 19. Bd6+ Kc8 20. Rh4 h6 21. Bh5 Nd7 22. Ba3 Nb6 23. Bxf7 Bxf7 24. Rxf7 1-0

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5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Ne7
If you like to bounce around with you knight this is a fun line

[Event "Tch-NED"] [Site "NED"] [Date "2001.??.??"] [White "Roobol,M"] [Black "Thesing,M"] [Round "6"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2258"] [BlackElo "2436"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Ne7 9. Nf3 Nd5 10. Nd2 Qd4 11. Ba3 Nf4 12. O-O Nd7 13. Bf3 f5 14. Re1 Ne5 15. Qb3 Kf7 16. Rad1 Nfd3 17. Re2 Rd8 18. Nf1 Nxc4 19. Re3 Nxe3 20. fxe3 Qb6 21. Qc3 e5 22. Rxd3 Rxd3 23. Qxd3 e4 24. Bh5+ g6 25. Qd6 c5 26. Qxb6 axb6 27. Be2 Be6 28. Nd2 Bxa2 29. Kf2 Ke6 30. Ke1 Kd5 31. Bb5 Ra5 32. Be8 Ke6 0-1

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9.Nf3 b6 !! In this line Black get the queens off obstructs Whites Bishop but gets isolate double King pawns. I don't like it.

[Event "IHEM"] [Site "Hamburg GER"] [Date "2000.??.??"] [White "Mueller,Ka"] [Black "Trabert,B"] [Round "2"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2527"] [BlackElo "2273"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Nf3 b6 10. Qd6 c5 11. Nd2 Qe5 12. Qxe5 Nxe5 13. Bc3 f6 14. Bxe5 fxe5 15. Bf3 Rb8 16. O-O-O Ne7 17. Rhe1 O-O 18. Rxe5 Nf5 19. Bg4 Rb7 20. Nf3 Rd7 21. Rde1 Rd6 22. Ng5 Rd4 23. Be2 Rd6 24. Bg4 Rd4 25. Be2 Rd6 26. f3 h6 27. Ne4 Rdd8 28. Nc3 Nd4 29. Bd1 Ba6 30. b3 Bb7 31. Bc2 Rd6 32. Be4 Bxe4 33. R5xe4 a6 34. Ne2 Nxe2+ 35. R1xe2 Kf7 36. f4 Rfd8 37. Kc2 R8d7 38. g3 Kf6 39. Re5 Rd8 40. h4 R8d7 41. g4 Kf7 42. h5 Rd8 43. g5 hxg5 44. fxg5 Ke7 45. Rf5 Rh8 46. g6 Ke8 47. Rfe5 Ke7 48. Rf2 Rd7 49. Rg5 Ke8 50. Rh2 Kf8 51. Rg3 Ke8 52. Rf3 Kd8 53. Kc3 Ke8 54. Re2 Re7 55. Re5 Rf8 56. Rd3 Rf5 57. Ree3 Rxh5 58. Rd6 Rg5 59. Rdxe6 Rxe6 60. Rxe6+ Kd7 61. Rxb6 a5 62. Rb7+ Ke6 63. Rxg7 Rg3+ 64. Kb2 a4 65. Rc7 axb3 66. axb3 Kd6 67. Ra7 Rg2+ 68. Ka3 Kc6 69. Ra6+ Kb7 70. Rf6 Kc7 71. Ka4 Rg3 72. Kb5 1-0

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Here Black got what he wanted after 10. Bxc5 Black will be able to exchange his knight for White dangerous Bishop.
9. Qd6 c5 10. Bxc5

[Event "TCh-CZE 2002-3"] [Site "Czech Rep CZE"] [Date "2003.??.??"] [White "Meduna,E"] [Black "Jirovsky,M"] [Round "6"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2462"] [BlackElo "2457"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Qd6 c5 10. Bxc5 Nxc5 11. Qxc5 Bd7 12. O-O-O Nf6 13. Bd3 Qf4+ 14. Kb1 b6 15. Ne2 bxc5 16. Nxf4 Bc6 17. f3 g5 18. Ne2 g4 19. Rhf1 gxf3 20. gxf3 Rg8 21. Rf2 Ke7 22. Kc2 Rad8 23. Rg1 Rxg1 24. Nxg1 Rd4 25. Ne2 Rh4 26. Ng3 Rf4 0-1

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When black doesn't take the knight 10...Nxc5 he has a harder game as here
9.Qd6 c5 10.Bxc5 Qxg2 11.Bf3 Qg5
This can be a transposition from the 8...c5 line (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 c5)
Blacks Queen grabs ther g pawn then moving to a g5 attacking the bishop and making sure the queens get off the board .

Best is the way Frank Marshall first played this 9.Nf3 then 10.Bc3 the bishop still menaces
11.Qd6 gives the most trouble to black. White should not let him castle without giving something.
9.Nf3 c5 10.Bc3 Ngf6 11.Qd6

9.Nf3 c5 10.Bc3 Ngf6 11.Qd6

11.Qd6 is the strongest line for White

11..Qc6 Hoping to get the Queens of the board. White should not let this happen. Best is 12.Qg3 attacking the g7 pawn.
Another idea is the variation 1 below 11..Qg6

[Event "?"] [Site "Monaco"] [Date "1902.??.??"] [White "Marshall,Frank J"] [Black "Schlechter,Carl"] [Round "4"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Nf3 c5 10. Bc3 Ngf6 11. Qd6 Qc6 12. Qg3 O-O 13. Rd1 Nh5 14. Qh4 g6 15. Rxd7 Qxd7 16. g4 Qd8 17. gxh5 Qxh4 18. Nxh4 e5 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. Rg1 Re8 21. Nf3 f6 22. Rxg6+ Kf7 23. Rg3 Bd7 24. Nd2 Rh8 25. Ne4 b6 26. Rf3 f5 27. Bxe5 Rh4 28. Nd6+ 1-0

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12. Nd2 prevents 12..Ne4 Weak would br 12. Bd3 because of 12...Ne4 again whites Queen. Why? Because taking the knight with the bishop is not very good.
But Black still gets to castle kingside because of 13. Ra6 but he had to weaken his Queenside for it.
12. Nd2 a5 13. O-O Ra6