The band is back together! – Nigel Davies and Andrew Martin start Master Chess Web Show

by ChessBase
3/3/2022 – IM Andrew Martin and GM Nigel Davies are a good team of experienced trainers. In the 1990s, they formed the "Master Chess Roadshow" and toured England to help players all over the country to get better and to have fun with chess. Now, the band is back together: with the Chess Web Show, three weekly shows on Twitch and a YouTube channel!

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Back in the 1990s, the Master Chess Roadshow was formed by GM Nigel Davies and IM Andrew Martin. We toured England, giving training weekends and in order to create an elite experience for our customers, even making lunches for them! The Master Chess Roadshow sandwich was certainly something to behold. Nobody got poisoned, as far as I am aware.

Some 30 years later, the project has been reborn as the Master Chess Web Show. During that time Nigel and I have both acquired the FIDE Senior Trainer title. We have three weekly shows on Twitch TV and a newly-formed YouTube channel. The band is back together!

Our shows are a mixture of instruction, fun, current news and answering questions from our listeners, as long as they are submitted in advance. We plan live commentaries on major events.

You are most welcome to follow us on Twitch and become one of our YouTube subscribers. We have also created a website for your enjoyment, which will flesh out as time goes by.

Nigel Davies and Andrew Martin have produced well over 50 DVDs for ChessBase. Some more information about us follows, along with a couple of annotated games by each of us, to show that we can actually play good chess!

Andrew Martin

Most of my working life these days is involved in teaching chess to kids, in schools or with individuals and groups. I write books and make DVDs as well. Family reasons have not permitted me to play chess on a regular basis over the past 15 years or so, but I do play online and enjoy the contest. I was the commentator at the British Chess Championships for 20 years and intend to carry over that experience into this new era. It's a great pleasure to get the Master Chess Web Show project underway with my old friend Nigel Davies and we plan to have a lot of fun doing so. For us, it important that the show doesn't scream 'old'. We want to keep up with the times and make some new moves ourselves.

 
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1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Be3 Quite an unusual move but there is nothing wrong with it. White deliberately delays Nc3 giving himself the option of c2-c4 should a good opportunity arise. I had to slow down and try to find a good plan. d6 The first ( and obvious) line to be considered is 3...c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qd2 I stared at this position for a while and decided that this wasn't the right way. White's centre is securely protected. 3...d5! attracted more and I think this is what I'll play next time. The point is to expose the position of the Bishop on e3. Thus 4.e5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.c3 Nf6 seems quite OK too. 4...Nh6! is logical,with ...c7-c5 to come. But I guess in the end I wanted to stick with the spirit of the Modern and besides, I was happy to take on the Nc3,Be3,Qd2,Nf3 stuff. 4.f3 a6
Elastic. Black is waiting for Nc3. He gives himself options on both sides of the board. 5.Qd2 Nc6! There is no need to be too passive. Black intends to play ...e7-e5 and why not ! 6.Ne2 e5 7.d5 7.Nbc3 Nf6 is just fine for Black, who will answer 8.0-0-0 with the cold-blooded 0-0 7...Nce7 8.c4 So,the critical moment. We go into a King's Indian-type position where Black has to be very careful not to slip into an inferior version of the Classical system. Importantly,he must not make any premature kingside commitments whilst the White King can still go long. f5! However,it's important to put pressure on e4. This does not contradict the last remark,because it's ...f5-f4 that really gums up the works. 9.Nbc3 Nf6 10.h3 0-0 11.g4 Kh8 'In this type of position one always has to consider the fate on the Knight on e7. Thus 11.. Kh8! is a good,flexible move,not only removing the King from any danger on the g file,but also preparing...Neg8,should the need arise. I am very happy with the Black position here. He has enough space to play with and there's also ... c6 and ...b5 if White castles long. 12.0-0-0? Showing little or no concern for his King. White is obsessed with Kingside play and ignores the other flank. b5! Or maybe even straightaway! We now see the usefulness of hitting e4. 13.cxb5 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.Rg1 f4 15.Bf2 bxc4 leaves White in a bit of a mess. 13...axb5 14.a3 I expected 14.b4 which I felt was more or less necessary. However Bd7! 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.Rg1 f4 17.Bf2 Qb8 quite clearly gives Black superior chances,thanks to his safer King. In the game Gordon seems right off-colour and permits Black to muster a crushing attack. 14...Bd7 15.g5 Nh5 16.Rg1 b4! Opening up lines is par for the course. 17.axb4 17.Nb1 bxa3 18.Nxa3 Qb8 19.Nc3 Nf4 is too disgusting for words but the text move might even be worse! 17...Qb8 18.b5 fxe4! When one is ready to commence a direct attack it is very important to bring as many units into play as possible. I couldn't exactly see when and now,but I felt that the options of ...Rxf1 and/or ...Nf4 could be useful at a later stage ( if White survived that long.) 19.fxe4 Bxb5 20.Nxb5 Qxb5 21.Nc3 Qb4 No ...Rxf1 then, but the latter idea is put into immediate effect. 22.Be2 Nf4 23.Qc2 c6! 23...Rfb8 was the original intention,but with White's Queen and King on the same file 23...c6 is much stronger. I think White's lost now. 24.h4 cxd5 25.h5 Nxe2+ 26.Qxe2 Rfc8-+ 27.Bd2 d4 28.h6 dxc3 29.hxg7+ Kxg7 30.Bxc3 Rxc3+ 31.bxc3 Qxc3+ 32.Qc2 Ra1# White's opening idea of delaying Nc3 certainly has merit and Black must beware an unfavourable transposition back into a poor King's Indian. However,with flexible play as displayed here,he should emerge from the opening in good shape. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gordon,S-Martin,A-0–12005B064NCL West Bromwich
 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 c6!?
An old idea,dating from the era from Geller and Boleslavsky and still very playable today. Play could transpose back into the . ..Na6 or ...Nbd7 variations or take an independant course. ..c7-c6 is a useful move in all cases Willie Watson, who later became a GM, liked the line and played it a lot around that time. To me, it came as a surprise. 8.Re1 We must again convince ourselves that the capture on e5 leads to nothing: 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.h3 10.Nxe5 Nxe4! 11.Nxe4 11.Nxf7 Nxc3 12.Nxd8 Nxe2+ 13.Kh1 Nxc1 11...Bxe5 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Rad1 13.Bf3 Be6! 14.Nf6+ 14.Bf6 Bxc4 15.Rfe1 Kf8!= 14...Bxf6 15.Bxf6 Nd7 16.Bc3 Bxc4 13...Nd7 14.b3 Bxh2+ 15.Kxh2 Rxe4 16.Rfe1 f6= Showing these lines is important, as this is the type of stuff that could often happen at club level, when a player knows nothing about the line and seeks simplification. In all these exchange lines, Black must be careful for a few moves and beware ideas with Nf6+ 10...Nh5 11.Be3 Nf4 12.Rfd1 Nxe2+ 13.Nxe2 Re8 14.Rac1 Na6 15.Nc3 f5
Watson has already established a slight edge. 16.Rc2 f4 17.Bc1 Bf6 18.b3 g5 19.Ba3 h5 20.Ne1 Be6 21.Nd3 g4 22.hxg4 hxg4 23.Na4 b6 24.Bb2 Rad8 25.Rcd2 Bf7 26.f3 g3 27.Kf1 Nb8 28.Ke2 Kg7 29.Bc3 c5 30.Ne1 Rc8 31.Bb2 Nc6 32.Nc3 Nd4+ Black's strategic play has been almost perfect. 33.Kd3 b5 34.Nd5 Bxd5 34...Rh8! 35.exd5 Nf5 36.Nc2? 36.Re2 36...Nd6 37.Na3 b4 38.Nb5 e4+ 39.fxe4 Nxe4 40.Bxf6+ Kxf6 41.Rf1 Nxd2 42.Kxd2 Re4 0-1 Videki,S (2445)-Watson,W (2500) Kecskemet 1988 A recent example involving Grischuk continued 8.Qc2 exd4!? I think black should be prepared to transpose with 8...Nbd7! 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.Bg5 Qe7 11.Rad1 Na6 The white queen looks a little misplaced. 12.f3 h6 13.Be3 Kh7 14.Rfe1 d5!? 15.cxd5 Nb4 16.Qd2 Nbxd5 17.Nxd5 17.exd5 Qxe3+ 18.Qxe3 Rxe3 19.dxc6 seems more to the point. 17...Nxd5 18.Bf2 Nc7 19.Bc4 c5 20.Nb5 Nxb5 21.Bxb5 Rf8 22.Bc4 b6 23.b3 Be6 24.Bxe6 fxe6 25.Qd7 Rf7 26.Qxe7 Rxe7 27.Rd3 Kg8 28.Kf1 Kf7 29.Ke2 Rc8 30.Rc1 Ke8 31.a4 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 33.a5 Kc6 34.axb6 axb6 35.b4 Ra8 36.bxc5 Ra2+ 37.Kf1 b5 38.e5 Bxe5 39.Re1 Ra1 40.Rxa1 Bxa1 41.Ke2 Bf6 42.Kd3 Kd5 43.Be3 h5 44.h3 Be7 45.Kc3 Bxc5 46.Bd2 b4+ 0-1 Roiz,M (2605)-Grischuk,A (2771) St Petersburg 2018 8...Qb6!?
I think this move stems from Geller and is a way to spice things up. 8...Nbd7 8...Na6 9.c5!? After long thought. I genuinely did not know how to meet the black idea and wanted the annoying queen to move. A key point is 9.dxe5 Ng4! 10.Rf1 dxe5 11.h3 Nf6 and black has tempted white into taking on e5 too early. 9...dxc5 10.Na4 Qc7 11.dxc5 Nxe4 11...b5! is more to the point and gives black active play after 12.cxb6 12.Nc3?! Nbd7! 13.b4 a5 12...axb6 12.Bc4 Nf6 After 12...b5!? I think I intended 13.cxb6 axb6 14.Nxb6 Qxb6 15.Rxe4 13.Nxe5 Nd5 14.Nd3 Bf5 15.Bg5 At the time, I thought white might hold an edge here, with his better development. Now I just think it's about equal. The knight on a4 isn't great and black can get his knight on b8 and the rooks into play quickly enough. I've had some exciting tussles with Willie Watson over the years and in all the games, Watson liked to take his time. He was one of those players who revelled in time trouble. I remember him spending oceans of time on these opening moves and this gave me extra hope. Nd7 Maybe 15...h6 16.Bh4 Qa5 pointing at the knight on a4, may have been better. 16.Bxd5! cxd5 17.Nb4 d4 18.Nd5 White's initiative starts to build. Qa5 19.b4 Qb5 20.Nb2! I did not like 20.Nc7 Qxb4 21.Nxa8 Rxa8
and with good reason, as it is now black who has assumed the initiative: 20...Ne5? Black was already in time trouble and makes a mistake.. However, his position was unenviable. 20...Nxc5 21.a4!± 20...Rfe8 21.Nc7 Qxb4 22.Nxe8 Qxb2 23.Nxg7± 21.Bf6 Nd3 22.Ne7+ Kh8 23.Bxg7+ Kxg7 24.Nxf5+ gxf5 25.Nxd3 Rfe8 26.Qf3 A piece is a piece. Qd7 27.h4 Kh8 28.Ne5 Qe6 29.Qf4 Rad8 30.Nf3 Qf6 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.Qxd4 Qxd4 33.Nxd4 Re4 34.Rd1 Despite the result of this game, I still have a liking for 7...c6. So did Willie Watson , who went on to score very well in master play with his speciality. 1–0
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Martin,A-Watson,W23301–01982E94British CF-69 Championship5

Nigel Davies

Nigel has been an International Grandmaster since 1993 and is a former British Open Quickplay and U21 Champion. Besides his playing accomplishments he is an experienced chess coach with a unique understanding of club level chess. Accordingly he knows just what is likely to succeed.

 
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As with many other players this was my first tournament back after the strange Covid period we had had in the previous 16 months. It was also my first 4NCL Congress as a player, though I have taken my son to many of these events in the past. This was my first round game and it was my best effort: 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0-0 Nf6 5.c4 c6 6.b3 Ne4 7.d4 0-0 8.Bb2 Nd7 Probably not the best. The most popular choices are 8...Bf5 and 8...a5 . 9.e3 Nb6 The knight does not belong here and Black subsequently struggles to find a plan. 9...a5 seems like a better idea, seeking counterplay on the queenside. Even so I prefer White after 10.Nc3 . 10.Na3 Developing the knight, protecting c4 and not allowing Black's ...Ne4 to exchange itself, which would help free Black's position. Bg4 11.h3 Be6 12.Rc1 Qd7 13.Kh2 Rac8 14.Qe2 Rfd8 15.Rfd1 Ultimately White is looking to play for e3-e4, taking the centre, but there is no real hurry with this because Black is struggling to find something to do. Qe8 16.Ne1 f5 17.Nd3 The first threat appears; White wants to drive Black's knight from e4 with f2-f3 and then play Nd3-c5, hitting e6 and b7. Nd7 18.cxd5 The first key moment, White is changing the nature of the position. Bxd5 I thought this was an error because White can now take the centre with his pawns. 18...cxd5 was what I had expected when my intention was 19.Nb5 Nb6 20.Nc7 Qd7 21.Nxe6 Qxe6 22.Nc5 Nxc5 23.dxc5 with much the better game. It seems that White can also play just 20.a4 in this line, keeping a lot of pressure. 19.f3 Nef6 20.e4 Be6 Opening the f-file with 20...fxe4 would benefit White. Note that 20...Bf7 would lose a piece to 21.e5 threatening the knight on f6 and a fork with e5-e6. 21.Nf4 Qf7 22.Re1 fxe4 Another move that I was happy to see. I was expecting 22...Bh6 when White has options such as 23.Nxe6 Qxe6 24.d5 cxd5 25.Rxc8 Rxc8 26.exf5 Qxe2 27.Rxe2 gxf5 28.Rxe7 , with much the better endgame. But this would have been a much better line for Black than the game. 23.fxe4 Nb6 24.Rf1 Shadowing Black's queen down the newly opened f-file. Black's position is critical now. g5 25.Nd3 I was also considering 25.Nxe6 Qxe6 26.Rc5 , but completely missed that Black could then play Nbd5 . Even so this looks very good for White after just 27.Bf3 , protecting the queen. 25...Qh5 26.Qxh5 Nxh5 27.Nc5 Bf7 28.e5 Shutting the bishop on g7 out of play but a bit too cautious. I was concerned that 28.Nxb7 could be met by Rxd4 but my concerns seem to be unfounded after 28...Bxd4 29.Nxd8 Bxb2 30.Nxf7 Bxa3 31.Rc2 just wins for White. 29.Bxd4 Bxd4 30.Rc2 Be5 31.Rf3 , just leaving White the exchange up. 28...Nd5 Black was drifting into time trouble and decided to activate at any cost. After 28...Rb8 I had been considering an exchange sacrifice with 29.Rxf7 Kxf7 30.Bf3 but had not considered the engine recommendation of Kg6 31.Rc2 stopping tricks based on ...Bxe5 followed by .. .Rd2+ and just leaving Black tied up. This appears to be very good for White, despite the lack of an immediate coup de grace. 31.Be4+ Kf7 29.Nxb7 Rf8 30.Nc4 Nb4 31.Nc5 Preventing a knight incursion on d3. Bd5 After 31...Nxa2 I was intending the mundane 32.Ra1 Nb4 33.Rxa7 , staying a pawn up with a strong bind on the position. 32.Ne3 Bxg2 33.Kxg2 Nd5 34.Nxd5 cxd5 35.Ne6 White will win a second pawn whilst maintaining a strong grip on the position. I was intending to meet 35.Ne6 Rxc1 with 36.Rxf8+ Bxf8 37.Bxc1 h6 38.Nc7 etc.. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Davies,N2483Arnott,J21281–02021D7825th 4NCL Congress1.1
 
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This game was played in a tournament in which my son was also participating, for him this was his first international tournament. Here I got to play an even younger player, and one of the top players in the World for his age. 1.g3 As per my Chessbase DVD on this opening. We soon reach a position from another DVD I recorded for Chessbase on the King's Indian Attack. d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 Committing to a King's Indian Attack. The alternative approach would be to angle for a Reti or Catalan via 5.c4 . 5...c5 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4 b6 8.Re1 It's important for White to delay 8.e5 as after Nd7 9.Re1 Qc7 10.Qe2 Black can play g5 , both threatening the immediate ...g5-g4 and looking to make this part of a pawn storm together with castling queenside. 8...Bb7 9.c3 Qc7 10.Qe2 h6 11.a3 b5 12.h3 The last waiting move in this cat and mouse game. My young opponent finally commits his king and I finally play e4-e5. 0-0 13.e5 Nd7 14.Nf1 b4 A rather commital move because it gives White the e4 square. One alternative was 14...Rfd8 , which among other things gives Black the f8 square for a minor piece. Another way was 14...a5 , expanding on the queenside but without an immediate commitment. 15.N1h2 bxc3 16.bxc3 d4 17.c4 Rfb8 18.Ng4 The storm clouds are gathering around Black's king, the danger being that White can sacrifice on h6 at some point. Bf8 19.Bf4 Qd8 20.Rab1 Na5 21.h4 h5?! The first major mistake by Black, when his kingside becomes too weak. 21...Bc6 would have been better, seeking exchanges. 22.Ngh2 The engine says I could have played 22.Rxb7 Nxb7 23.Ng5 , though such pyrotechnics seem risky and unnecessary. 22...Bc6 23.Ng5 g6 24.g4 Levering open Black's kingside, when there's little hope of defence. hxg4 25.Qxg4 Rxb1 26.Rxb1 Bxg2 27.Kxg2 Bg7 28.Nhf3 Nf8 29.Ne4 Nd7 30.h5 gxh5 31.Qxh5 f6 32.Rh1 Nxe5 33.Bxe5 fxe5 34.Nfg5 Qe7 35.Rh3 There's no good defence to the threat of Qh7+ and Rf3+. 1–0
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Davies,N2484Siddharth,J24101–02019C0016th South Wales Int 20197.3

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