Andrew Martin: First Steps in Chess Technique

by Priyadarshan Banjan
2/25/2015 – To improve your chess it helps to learn about pawn structures, the ideas behind the openings, the openings themselves, solve tactical tasks, and learn the basic and not so basic endgames. But it also helps to work on your thinking habits, to find and practice ways how to think properly and efficiently about chess positions. Andrew Martin shows you how.

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Andrew Martin: First Steps in Chess Technique - A review

For chess-players at club-level, playing good chess is often a question of proper thinking habits. Faulty thinking habits lead to faulty moves, faulty moves lead to losses. With his ‘First Steps in Chess Technique’ middlegame Fritztrainer IM Andrew Martin helps you to think better and improve.

Typically, the ‘First Steps series…’ hosted by IM Andrew Martin is aimed at club players. It empowers them by bridging the gap between theoretical postulates and practical examples, thus building the right foundation for progressing.

As any top sportsman will tell you, possessing the right mindset is the key to performing better during the game. When I began working with this DVD, I expected it to be similar to most chess books that talk about strategy and tactics. I was in for a pleasant surprise. IM Andrew Martin understands that chess is more than just controlling the centre or occupying an outpost. In practical games, right thinking habits can pay rich dividends. As an experienced coach, IM Martin knows precisely what the student needs.

Eloquent: IM Andrew Martin

In twenty instructive videos IM Martin discusses different chess techniques. He starts with consistency, and explains that the quality of moves an amateur makes tends to be volatile. It is impressive how IM Martin shows how important the vague concept of consistency is and how it crops up in many games.

 
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12.Nde2?! 12.Nd5 12...b5 13.Bd4?! # A very odd and slow plan. White should just try to lash his kingside pawns forward. Nc6! 14.Be3 a5 # Black is motoring and White is not yet out of the blocks. As I said, the penalty for hesitation or lack of knowledge is death. 15.Nd5 Ne8 16.c3 e6 17.Ndf4 a4 18.Bc2 b4 Very straightforward. Black prises open the long diagonal 19.Bc5?! bxc3 20.bxc3 dxc5 21.Qxd7 Qb6 22.Rd2 Nf6 It is goodbye to the White Queen. So we can see immediately the attraction. Black gets to smash White up from time to time and who doesn't like that? 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Draganic,V2286Sedlak,N25560–12011B78Tivat Vukmanovic Memorial op3

Martin also stresses the importance of short-term plans, and points out how enjoyable and useful it is – especially if you are an amateur – to know the typical in a position because you will know how to proceed and what to calculate.

 
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The Centre Game is as different as can be to the Centre-Counter and the game has a much more open quality to it. As is typical in the Open Game ,tactics can abound. 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3!? # This is how they play it these days. White's plan is simple ( if he can pull it off) : 1) Get the queenside developed with Bd2, Nc3 and 0-0-0 2) Hope to launch a Kingside pawn storm with moves such as f3,g4,h4-h5 etc. There are similarities to the Scotch, but it is not quite a Scotch. Is the White queen well-placed or not;that is the million dollar question? g6 Let's first of all see a game where Black fails to appreciate the danger. Miniatures like the following game have attracted a lot of attention. 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Bd2 Nf6 7.0-0-0 0-0 8.Bc4 Na5?! Rather weak. When faced with play of this type Black must be very concrete in his counterplay. He must understand the possibilities of the opponent and react accurately. Thus 8...Re8! 9.Nf3 Na5 10.Bd3 d5! Santos,M (2365)-Perdomo,L (2389)/Sao Paolo 2011 # is much more to the point, with good counterplay. 9.Be2 Re8 10.Qf4 d6 11.g4 Be6 12.g5 Nd7 13.h4 # Very straightforward and very brutal. Nc4 14.Bxc4 Eliminting the only well-placed enemy piece. Bxc4 15.h5 b5 16.hxg6 hxg6 17.Nf3 b4 18.Nd5 c5 19.Rh7 Qa5 20.Nf6+ Nxf6 21.Rxg7+ Kf8 21...Kxg7 22.gxf6+ 22.Qxd6+ Whether 100% sound or not, this is scarcely the point. White is playing a system that can be absorbed easily and carried out at club level without the need for too much midnight oil. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lejarre,L2400Franklin,S21851–02011C22Cappelle op 27th7

Martin then addresses a notorious problem that plagues players of all levels but is hardly ever discussed: winning won positions. He emphasizes the importance of solidity and simplicity in positions with a clear advantage, and stresses how important it is to control the opponent’s options. Instead of having to calculate unclear tactics it is much easier to sit comfortably in the driver’s seat and drive the point home.

After that Martin switches roles and shows what to do in a worse position. For me, his tips were something of a revelation. Usually, I simply lose once I get a bad position. Martin does not deny that every player can get into trouble but he knows what to do when this happens. He recommends to identify the positive features of your position and to search for moves that best emphasize these features. Sure, a simple concept, but nevertheless, something extremely useful to keep in mind.

Another useful thinking technique Martin talks about is the way in which masters identify their positional advantages to underline them, for instance, a pawn-majority or a bishop which has no counterpart, which gives you better control of the squares this bishop moves on.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 4.Qe2 avoids the queenless middlegame and like 4 d3, which could equally be played, aims for a less technical struggle. Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.d3 Re8 7.h3 d5 8.Ba4 a6 9.Nbd2 b5 10.Bc2 Bb6 11.Nf1 b4 12.Ng3 bxc3 13.bxc3 d4 14.Ba4 Bd7 15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.c4 Ba5+ 17.Bd2 Bxd2+ 18.Qxd2 Nd7 19.Qa5 Qe7 20.0-0 Qc5 21.Qd2 Rab8 22.Nf5 f6 23.Nh2 Nf8 24.f4 Ng6 25.fxe5 Nxe5 26.Qf2 Re6 27.Ng4 Nxg4 28.hxg4 Rd8 29.g5 Qe5 30.Qh4 Rf8 31.Rf3 Be8 32.Raf1 Kh8 33.Nxg7 Kxg7 34.Qh6+ Kg8 35.gxf6 Rf7 36.Rf5 Qd6 37.Rg5+ Kh8 38.Rg7 1-0 Gashimov,V (2760)-Nielsen,P (2681)/ Khanty Mansiysk 2011 4...Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 # I will look at this position optimistically from White's point of view. I have a kingside pawn majority, which I hope to make the main feature of the position with a gradual advance. I can perhaps make it inconvenient for the Black King stuck in the centre. Turning the board round I see patience will be needed. The Black King can hold his own in the middle,so Black's first task will be to create counterplay, maybe on the queenside, maybe against the slowly advancing kingside pawns. But all this must come slowly. Altogether I think this is a system suitable as Black ONLY for masters. I don't see average players enjoying Black's defensive task at all. h6 10.h3 Bd7 10...Ne7 has been preferred by Magnus Carlsen: 11.Be3 11.Bf4 Ng6 12.Bh2 Bb4 13.Ne4 Bf5 14.Ng3 Bd7 15.Nh5 Rg8 16.g4 Ke8 17.Bg3 Be6 18.Nd4 Bc4 19.Rfd1 Ne7 20.a3 Ba5 21.Nb3 Bxb3 22.cxb3 Bb6 23.Kh2 Nd5 24.f4 Rd8 25.f5 1/2-1/2 Jakovenko,D (2716) -Sargissian,G (2658)/Rogaska Slatina 2011 11...Ke8 12.Rad1 Bd7 13.a3 Rd8 14.Rfe1 a6 15.Ne4 Bf5 16.Nc5 Rxd1 17.Rxd1 Bc8 18.Nd3 Ng6 19.Nf4 Nxf4 20.Bxf4 Be7 21.Nd4 Bc5 22.Be3 Bxd4 23.Rxd4 # Anand has done most of what is expected of him, but the position is very dry. Ke7 24.f3 Rd8 25.Rxd8 Kxd8 26.g4 h5 27.Kf2 g6 28.Bg5+ Ke8 1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2817)-Carlsen,M (2823)/Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2011 This sort of game is acceptable at the highest level, but of course, it is utterly dull. 11.b3 c5 12.Rd1 Kc8 13.Nd5 a5 14.a4 I like White's position. he has blocked the queenside, to a degree closed down the Black Bishops and is getting ready slowly for the eventual advance of those pawns. The game will not win a beauty prize, but Bologan will say ' so what'? Ne7 14...g5 15.Bb2 Be6 16.c4 b6 17.Kh2 Ne7 18.g4 Ng6 19.Kg3 Be7 is still a bit better for White,yet he contrived to lose in a few more moves: 20.Nf6 Kb7 21.Nh5 Rhg8 22.Ng1 Rad8 23.Ne2 Bd7 24.Rd2?? Unprotected pieces cause problems.....even for the greatest. Bxa4 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 0-1 Svidler,P (2735)-Ponomariov,R (2733)/Astrakhan 2010 Black's Rook is about to appear on d2. 15.c4 Bf5 16.Ra2 Ra6! 17.Ne3 Be4 18.Nd2 Bh7 19.f4 Nc6 20.g4 There is no doubt about it: Black has counterplay. To advance the kingside pawns at this time is a bit loose, but Bologan's courage is rewarded on this occasion. 20.Nf3 Be4 21.Kf2 was more circumspect,but Black is well in the game after g5!? 20...Nb4 21.Ra1 h5 Surely 21...Nd3! was better: 22.f5 Nxe5 23.Ne4 Rb6 23...Nf3+ 24.Kf2 Nd4 24.Ra3 Nf3+ 25.Kf2 Nd4 26.Nd5 Rc6∞ 26...Rxb3 27.Rxb3 Nxb3 28.Bf4± 22.f5 The point is to shut in the Bishop on h7 for good. hxg4 23.hxg4 f6 24.exf6 Bologan might have preferred 24.e6 g6 25.Ba3 but Black has plenty of counterplay after gxf5 26.gxf5 Nd3 27.Nf3 Rg8+ 28.Kf1 Rd6 24...Rxf6 25.Ne4 Rh6 26.Bb2 Rh3 # The game is flaring up, but Black is fighting with his hands tied whilst the Bishop on h7 is getting in the way. 27.Kf2 Bg8 28.f6 Rh2+ 29.Ng2 R8h3 29...Bh7 30.fxg7 Bxg7 31.Bxg7 Rg8 32.Nf6 Rxg7 33.Rh1! Rxh1 34.Rxh1± 30.Be5! Bh7 31.Bxh2 Bxe4 32.Bg3 The smoke clears and White has emerged material ahead. gxf6 33.Nf4 Rh8 34.Re1 Bc6 35.Rad1 Nc2 The struggle in the queenless middlegame is heavy duty and not suitable for the average player at all from either side of the board. I prefer 4 d3 or 4 Qe2 from White's perspective, which offer chances of a full-blooded game, with all the pieces on the board. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bologan,V2656Naiditsch,A27071–02011C67CRO-chT1A 20th7.5

The DVD is filled with innumerable pearls of useful advice which IM Andrew Martin conveys clearly and that is rarely found in chess books. The games Martin presents are from modern master practice – often you see how a master outplays a weaker opponent. However, Martin also includes heavyweight clashes which leads to an ideal mixture to serve the purpose of this DVD.

Annotations: transcripts of what IM Martin teaches in the DVD

A fine feature of this DVD are the annotated games. In his annotations Martin confirms what he speaks about in the videos and allows you to take another, serious look at the games to understand the concepts Martin puts forward better.

Club players will benefit a lot from this DVD. With a running time of approximately three and a half hours, ‘First steps in chess technique’ gives full value for the money invested and is recommended for its originality and instructional value.

Sample video

 

Andrew Martin: First Steps in Chess Technique

Language: English
Level: Beginner, Advanced

€19.90
€16.72 without VAT (for Customers outside the EU)
$18.98 (without VAT)

This DVD can be purchased as a hard copy or it can be downloaded directly from the Internet.

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Priyadarshan Banjan is a 23-year-old club player from India. He works as an editor for ChessBase News and ChessBase India. He is a chess fanatic and an avid fan of Vishy Anand. He also maintains a blog on a variety of topics.

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