Many players do not like having to suffer even for the gain of a pawn and thus avoid the Marshall Attack after 7...0-0 by not playing 8.c3. Instead, they choose on move eight one of the Anti-Marshall systems, above all 8.h3 and 8.a4 have often been played, but also 8.d4 and 8.d3 are worth considering. At this point both transpositions to other variations of the Closed Ruy Lopez and also independent lines are possible.
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