Chess is an easy game

by ChessBase
3/15/2006 – That is the title of a Fred Reinfeld book. Bronstein once said that it is individual personality that makes chess difficult; in reality the game was quite simple! Our Wednesday Playchess lecturer Andrew Martin doesn't fully agree. How about you?

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

Fred Reinfeld once famously wrote a book with the title "Chess is an easy game". I cannot say that I agree with him. I once had a conversation with Bronstein who claimed that the individual personality makes chess difficult; in reality the game is quite simple!

In the same conversation I believe he said that the World Championship would eventually be decided by a long series of five minute games, but that is another topic. In that case we are all in training on PlayChess daily!

However, Leko-Aronian from Linares is perhaps what Reinfeld had in mind, where Black shows impressive control and technique to beat the most formidable of opponents. We examine two games, the first after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.a5 Be6 in the Anti-Marshall and ask

Is this the answer to Black's problems?

We then move to a swashbuckling Modern Defence which is pure entertainment all the way: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 c6. The older move. What is wrong with it and why is 4...a6 preferred almost exclusively these days? Perhaps the answer lies after 5.Qd2 b5 6.Nf3, although I remain to be convinced that Black's chances are in any way inferior there. 5.Qd2 b5 6.0-0-0

Fearless or stupid? How could it be anything else?

And we finish with the usual competition, which has grown greatly in popularity as the weeks have gone by.

A Chameleon Echo


White to play and draw

That is the way study composers describe what happens in this week's competition. Aside from that no further clues.

Solution to last week's puzzle

Jacobsen,B-Christiansen,J, 1990

White played 1.Bxa7. Why was this a mistake?

1.Bxa7? was a big mistake, since 1...Qf1+ 2.Bg1 Kh3 3.a7 [3.b8Q Qf3+ 4.Bxf3] 3...Qf3+ 4.Bxf3 leads to stalemate. The correct move in the above position was 1.Bd5! marking time. Eventually White will win.

The AM Radio Show starts this week at 11pm GMT/12 midnight CET . See you there !

The Andrew Martin Radio ChessBase lecture begins on Wednesdays at 20:30h CEST (European Central time = server time, which translates to 19:30h London, 2:30 p.m. New York, 04:30 a.m. Sydney (on Thursday). You can use Fritz or any Fritz-compatible program (Shredder, Junior, Tiger, Hiarcs) to follow the lectures, or download a free trial client.

The Andrew Martin Chess Academy opens today, March 1st 2006. The site 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


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