Andrew Martin interviews GM Karsten Müller

It's ... the Andrew Martin Radio ChessBase Show

This weeks radio show comes live from the ChessBase studios in Hamburg and features and interview with GM Karsten Muller. Karsten is recognised worldwide as one of the leading endgame specialists and is closely associated with the ChessBase Magazine project. This promises to be fascinating entertainment!

So to celebrate Karsten's participation we start the show with one of his recent wins against GM Konstantin Sakaev! Let's hope he can explain 10...b5!? for us!

Sakaev,K (2641) - Mueller,Kar (2500) [A65]
Bundesliga 2006-7 Hamburg GER (12), 17.03.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.h3 Bg7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Bg5 Bd7 10.Nf3 b5

Moving swiftly to Dresden we check out a win for the Alekhine in Kersten-Grunberg, coincidentally featuring the same line I am recommending in the latest ChessBase DVD.

Kersten,U (2311) - Grunberg,M (2439) [B04]
8th ch-Euro Dresden GER (6), 08.04.2007
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6

Miles' 5..c6 is definitely worth playing!

Finally a game from two old pro's. Lev Gutman always had his own views on operning theory, but he falls down against the merciless Mikhail Gurevich.

Gurevich,M (2635) - Gutman,L (2464) [E70]
8th ch-Euro Dresden GER (1), 03.04.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 0-0 5.Nf3 c6 6.Be2 d5 7.e5 Ne4 8.0-0 Nxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 c5 11.d5

Can White maintain his centre after 11 d5 – that is the question.

This week's puzzle

Send your solutions to andrew@andrewmartinchessacademy.com by 15:00h CET on Wednesday, 11th April.

Solution to last week's puzzle

Solution: Few solvers suspect that Black will be mated in the main line by a lone Knight! 1.Bc6!! Other moves fail, in long or short measure: 1.Qd5 g2–+; 1.Nf4+ Rxf4 2.Bc6 Rf2 3.Bg2+ Rxg2 4.Qf1 Bg1 5.Qxf5 Bf2+ 6.Kd1 Rg1+ 7.Kc2 Rf1 8.Qh5+ Kg2 9.Qxg4 Kg1 10.Kd2 g2 wins for Black in the end.] 1...Rb1+ 2.Ke2 Rxh1 3.Bg2+!! A devastating move! 3...Kxg2 4.Nf4+ Kg1 5.Ke1 g2 6.Ne2#. What can one say? [Click to replay]. Alexander Areschenko from Russia won the competition last week;

This week's show comes live from Hamburg at 15:00h CET, with video, and will feature an interview with GM Krasten Muller.

The Andrew Martin Chess Academy offers a personal game annotation service; a regular newsletter written by AMCA staff; the best online tuition in terms of value and quality; a series of tournaments for children aged under 14; all aspects of chess training, including specific opening preparation; an AMCA room at PlayChess.com, where lessons may be held in complete privacy with our expert tutors – all at a time that is best for you at any time of day or night, anywhere in the world. The motto: "Join us, Improve and enjoy your chess!"

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