Classical Attack, Marshall Variation

The Marshall Variation, 6...Bd6, places Black's bishop on the square matching White's Bd3, where it eyes h2 and prepares quick castling, unlike the more modest 6...Be7. White almost always continues 7. O-O, with 7. c4 an occasional alternative. After 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 (8. Re1 is also possible), White attacks d5 to loosen Black's grip on e4. The most common reply, 8...c6, is the Staunton Variation, named after an 1851 game against Howard Staunton in which White chose 9. Qc2; 9. Re1, 9. Nc3 and 9. cxd5 are the other options. Within it, 9. Re1 Bg4 is the Chinese Gambit.

Frank Marshall, the variation's namesake, preferred 8...Bg4, which can also arise from 7...Bg4 8. c4 O-O. This line contains a well-known trap: after 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Bg4 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1 Bxh2+ 11. Kxh2 Nxf2, White's best is 12. Qe2 Nxd3 13. Qe6+ Kh8 14. Bg5, leaving Black a pawn up with the safer king. Engines assess the starting position as close to balanced, and results on Lichess are fairly even.