It's ... the Andrew Martin Radio ChessBase Show
Two games from the Sicilian Grand Prix Attack show this controversial variation
in contrasting light.
Chandler,M (2540) - Schenk,An (2512) [B23]
4NCL 2006-07 Coventry ENG (3), 11.11.2005
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.0-0 e6 7.d3 Nge7 8.Qe1
0-0 9.a3
White's 9.a3!? works out wonderfully, but perhaps he only
got the chance for this luxury because Black played 2...d6.When Black delays
...d7-d6, the variation is less effective , as we come to understand when we
view
Gantsevich,A (2034) - Nadjezhdin,D (2238) [B23]
Petersburg Autumn St Petersburg RUS (2), 01.11.2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.f5 Nge7 7.fxe6 dxe6
8.0-0 0-0 9.d3 Na5
Black's position after 9...Na5! shows the difference.
Beware the sleeping Petroff, as David Navara finds to his cost against Rabiega.
Navara,D (2725) - Rabiega,R (2529) [C42]
Bundesliga 2006-7 Berlin GER (3), 18.11.2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nc4
4.Nc4 turns out to be less than inspiring.
Then a virtuoso endgame performance from my old friend Bruno Carlier. He starts
with his usual rubbish
Carlier,B (2451) - Retera,J (2281) [A05]
TCh-NED 2006-7 Netherlands NED (1), 23.09.2006
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b6 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.0-0 e6 5.d3 Be7 6.e4 d5 7.e5 Nfd7 8.c4
dxc4 9.dxc4 Nc5 10.Nd4 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 Qc8 12.Qf3 Qb7 13.Qxb7 Nxb7
After 13...Nxb7 it just gets better and better for White.
I seem to recall the puzzle position this week might have been inspired by
another of Carlier's games, but I'll have to check on that.
This is the position after nine moves by both players. All I ask is that you
reconstruct the game. Answers to andrew@andrewmartinchessacademy.com by 19:00h
GMT, Wed 22 November please. You cannot use your engines for this one so I
hope you do not feel exposed.
Solution to last week's puzzle
Florencio Mendes de Morales

White checkmates in seven moves using his trio of queens, but ONLY on the
a-file. You have a choice on the first move, but then all the other six moves
have to be exact.
An offbeat puzzle which is not as easy as it might first appear. The
solution: 1.Qa4 (or 1 Qa3) 1...Kg8 2.Qa1
Kf8 3.Q1a2 Ke8 4.Q2a3 Kd8 5.Q6a4 Kc8 6.Qa8+ Kc7 7.Q4a7#. I am sure
that you will find this exercise useful when you next come to play over the
board.
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Andrew Martin, chess trainer and teacher
He is not some unknown in the world of chess. Andrew Martin was the star commentator
in the 2000 London match between Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik, and he
gained recent international fame and popularity with his live audio commentary
on Playchess.com during the FIDE world
championship in San Luis.
Andrew is also a prolific chess trainer, not just live in British scholastic
circles, but also in a series of training DVDs he has produced for ChessBase,
taking full advantage of our Chess Media System. His lively, entertaining style,
combined with a good dash of humour, makes any lesson with him a delight to
follow.
Andrew Martin is 47 years old and lives in Sandhurst, England, with his wife
and four children. His book King‘s Indian Battle Plans for Thinkers
Press was an international best-seller.
Each week Martin will cast his eye over the contemporary chess scene, presenting
a veritable pot-pourri of interesting topics. We look forward to the pleasure
of your company.
Andrew Martin: The Trompowsky – The easy way

