FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 1

Andrew Martin:
Game analysis

Of all the different types of session I have
conducted over the years, game analysis of
one kind or another remains the most
popular.I've noted many of the excellent
surveys in the FIDE manuals are pretty long
and might take a day or days to cover,
whereas you can analyze a game in a couple
of hours and then move to the next topic.So I
present a varied selection for you to dissect
with your own methods. Don't forget when
you are training that your purpose is to
encourage and guide, not to lecture. Good
teaching is all about the self-reliance of the
student. We all learn most quickly when we
do things for ourselves.

Sulava : Colakic, Zagreb 2013

Hero worship is very common in the chess
world and so when someone of the stature of
Alexander Morozevich starts to play and win
with the Albin Counter-Gambit, everyone
wants to jump on board and do the same.
The club player will soon find that this is not
at all easy, as precise theoretical knowledge
and good decision-making is required from
Black to even survive the opening! There are
reasons why the Albin is not as popular
among Grandmasters as the Slav or the more
othodox line of the Queen's Gambit. Yes, the
Albin forces White to fight on tactical rather
than strategical ground, but the results are
swinging very much in White's favour over
the last couple of years.Observe the
following game,which is pretty
representative. White plays like a
machine,taking everything on offer and
wraps up in style.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.de5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3
Be6?!
Even at this early stage, Black has to be
accurate. Maybe at lower levels you can get
away with moves like 5...Be6 or even

5...f6!? 6 exf6 Qxf6, but Grandmasters tend
to know a lot. I think 5...Nge7! is Black's
best and may nullify the idea of 5 a3. The
problem as I see it, is that Black has to put
immediate pressure on the e5 pawn in this
line and 5…Be6 does not contribute to this
process.
6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.b4 f6 8.ef6 gf6 9.Bb2 0–0–0
10.b5 Ne5

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11.Nd4!±
All White has done is to go through with the
main plan of 5 a3; to expand on the
queenside and undermine the d4 pawn and
he will find that is enough to win the game,
as Black has no cheapos in the centre!
11...Bg4
11...Nc4 leads to mass liquidation, the
results of which can hardly favour Black:
12.Nc4 Bc4 13.Qa4 Bc5 14.Qc4 Bd4 15.Bd4
Qd4 16.Qd4 Rd4 17.e3 White is a pawn up
for nothing.
12.Qc2 Bh6 13.e3
Attacking lines are quickly shut down.
13...Ne7 14.c5 c6
An uncomfortable necessity.
15.Nc4 Qd5 16.Nd6 Kb8 17.Rb1 Rd6
With the b7 square creaking, Black gets
desperate, but there was nothing else:
17...cb5 18.N4b5 Bc8 19.Be5! Qe5 20.Nf7
Bf5 21.Qb2+–; 17...Rhf8 18.h3 Bh5
(18...Bc8 19.Qh7! Rh8 20.Qe7+–) 19.Ba1+
18.cd6 Qd6 19.bc6 N7c6 20.Nc6 Nc6
21.Be2

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 2

White makes it look very easy.
21...Qd5 22.e4 Qg5
The trick 22...Bd2 23.Qd2 Qe4 fails to
24.Qd3! Qg2 25.Qg3.
23.Bg4 Qg4 24.0–0 Rg8 25.g3 Qe6 26.Rfd1
Rc8 27.Qc3 Rd8 28.Qf3 Rf8 29.Qf5 Qa2
30.Qh7 Bd2 31.Be5 Ne5 32.Qb7# 1:0.
Games like this one provide the precise
reason the Albin lay in a coffin until
Morozevich revived the corpse. Black made
the wrong choice as early as move five and
got clobbered. You have to choose your lines
with great care!

Mitura : Novosadova, Czechia 2013

Let's take a look now at an incredible recent
game, where the cheapo lands, or to put it
another way, Black confuses the hell out of
White with some baffling tactics. This is a
roller coaster ride, so don't expect
Grandmaster perfection.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.de5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3
Nge7!
A Morozevitch special. Black simply intends
to regain the pawn by playing ...Ng6 and
...Nge5. This simple approach is best against
5 g3, as far as I can see.
6.Bg2 Be6
Black changes her mind and adopts a much
more aggressive approach, involving a
caveman kingside attack. The stable 6...Ng6!
is better.
7.Nbd2 Qd7 8.a3 Ng6
As we saw in the last game, once White tees
up the threat of b4–b5, it's crucial for Black
to attack e5 immediately.
9.0–0 0–0–0 10.b4
10.Qa4 Kb8 11.Rd1 Nce5 leads to a very
reasonable position for Black: 12.Qd7 Rd7
13.b3 f6 14.h3 Be7 15.Ne1 Rhd8 16.f4 Nf7
17.Ndf3 h5 18.e4 de3 19.Rd7 Rd7 20.Be3
Nh6 21.Nd4 Nf5 22.Nf5 Bf5 23.Bf3 Bh3
24.Bh5 Bf5=, Asgeirsson : Raetsky,
Reykjavik 1996.

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10...h5!?
She cannot resist it! Yet there is nothing
wrong with 10...Nce5 for instance: 11.Ne5
(11.Bb2 h5 12.Bd4 h4) 11...Ne5 12.Qc2
(12.c5 Bh3 13.Bb2 Be7 14.Nf3 Nf3 15.ef3
Bg2 16.Kg2 h5 17.h4 g5 looks extremely
dangerous.) 12...d3 13.ed3 h5! and Black has
excellent chances.
11.Bb2 h4 12.Qa4
12.b5 is one pawn move too many and Black
puts the boot in after 12...Nce5 13.Nd4 Bh3!
14.N2f3 hg3 15.fg3 Bg2 16.Kg2 Qh3
17.Kg1 Nf3 .White's roof caved in very
quickly, didnt it?
12...hg3 13.fg3 a6?!
Ugly. This weakening of the queenside is
quite unnecessary. Of course 13...Kb8!
should have been played, with 14.Rad1 d3
15.ed3 Qd3 16.Rfe1 Be7, leading to a very
unclear situation.
14.b5 Nce5 15.Bd4 Bc4?
The best shot was certainly 15...Bh3 after
which White has to show some care: 16.Bh3
Rh3 17.Rfd1 Rh5 18.Ne4 Qe8 19.Kg2 Ng4
20.Nc3± but still messy.
16.Be5?
One mistake deserves another. 16.Nc4! wins
right away as far as I can see. White simply
has to be able to count the pieces, which
clearly in the game, Mitura was unable to
do: 16...Nf3 (16...Qb5 17.Qb5 ab5
18.Nce5+–) 17.Bf3 Qd4 18.e3 Qa7
19.Rab1+–.

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 3

16...Bc5 17.Kh1 Ne5
Now it's Black who should be winning.
18.Qc2 ab5
18...Qg4! is extremely strong, transferring
the queen into a direct position of attack.
19.a4 Ng4?!
19...b4.
20.ab5 Kb8 21.Qa4 c6 22.bc6 Qd2 23.Qa8
Kc7 24.Qb7 Kd6 25.h4
25.c7! Rde8 26.Nh4!+–.
25...Qb4 26.Rad1

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Have you ever seen anything like this? I
could have sworn Black had a big attack a
few moves ago and then suddenly her King
starts to wander all over the board!
26...Bd5 27.Rd5 Kd5 28.Rd1 Ke4 29.Ng5
29.Nd4+– Ke5 30.Qc7 Bd6 31.Qf7 game
over.
29...Ke3
I did tell you that this was a fairground ride!
Now White finishes things off, but not quite
in the expected way.
30.Rd8??
I can't find a symbol for three question
marks in my version of Chessbase. what a
terrible move. 30.Rc1 Nf2 31.Kg1 Rd1
32.Rd1 Qb7 33.cb7 Nd1 34.Nf7 Ke2 should
of course win for Black, just not quite so
quickly.
30...Qe1

But of course this is the type of tactical
melee the Albin Gambiteer wants to
encourage and especially at lower levels. I
doubt this game will be reported to the FIDE
Commission for chess cheating. 0:1.

Carlsen : Kamsky, Saint Louis 2013

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3
If 4...a6 is options-preserving, then 5 e3 is a
like-for-like move. White just keeps it solid.
5...Bf5
Obviously Black can play 5...b5 or 5...e6,
intending ...c6–c5! Kamsky sticks to the
Slav recipe of activating the queens bishop
early.
6.Bd3
6.Qb3 b5 7.c5 a5! goes nowhere for White.
6...Bd3 7.Qd3 e6 8.0–0 Bb4
It's either this or 8...Be7. It looks like Black
is trying to provoke a2–a3.
9.Bd2
9.a3 went nowhere in a recent game
Karjakin : Anand, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012.
9...Bc3 10.Bc3 0–0 11.a4
A new move, which plans Bb4 after a4–a5,
but whatever white plays (11.Nd2; 11.Bb4),
one forms the impression that Black is solid
and has a position which is difficult to
breach.
11...Nbd7 12.a5 Ne4 13.Bb4 Re8 14.Rac1
So White's plan is basically to arrange f2–f3
and hope this takes him somewhere.
14...h5!?
Kamsky sharpens the play! There were
other approaches. The Stonewall set-up with
14...f5 15.Rc2 Qf6 certainly seems playable;
but maybe 14...Rc8! was best of all, just
aiming for a coordinated position: 15.Ne1
(15.Nd2 Nd2 16.Qd2 Nf6 17.f3 Qc7 18.Rfe1
Rcd8 19.Bc5 Nd7 20.Bb4 Nf6) 15...c5.
15.Ne5 Qc7
15...Ne5 16.de5 strands the knight on e4 and
is therefore inaccurate.
16.Nd7 Qd7 17.Qe2
It's hard to say why Carlsen didn't choose
17.f3 Nf6 18.Be1!, with a slight edge, as this

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 4

is the sort of thing he has been playing for.
Moreover, the move ...h7–h5 looks out of
place now. Very odd.
17...Nf6 18.Rfd1 Qc7 19.h3 Rad8 20.b3
Rd7 21.Rc2!
The Rook is useful on the second rank, both
for defensive and offensive purposes. White
is still trying to fashion a pawn break, with
either f2–f3 and e3–e4 or g2–g4 as the
ultimate plan.
21...Qd8 22.Rcc1 h4 23.Be1 Ne4 24.Qg4
g5!?
24...f5 25.Qh5 Rf7 26.f3 Ng3 27.Bg3 hg3
leaves both players with a mutually weak
pawn.
25.cd5 f5 26.Qf3 cd5
I like 26...Rd5! now, to keep the c file
closed, but as both recaptures are equal, this
is a question of taste.
27.Rc2 Rg7 28.Rdc1 Nf6
28...g4!? forces the pace, but Kamsky was
getting short of time and with the c file open,
probably didnt want to go all in just yet.
29.Qf4 Qg5! Best, I think, but hard to play
when you thinking of the attack (29...gh3?!
30.f3! I'm sure this is the move that put
Kamsky off the whole line. 30...Ng3 31.Kh2
hg2 32.Rg2 Qb8 33.Qb8 Rb8 34.Bg3 hg3
35.Rg3±) 30.Qg5 Ng5 31.Rc7 Rf8 a move
which would also have been difficult to
judge with little time. 32.Bb4 Rff7=.
29.Qd1 g4 30.f3!
Strong. Carlsen turns the tables. With the fall
of hte h4 pawn and the open c file at his
mercy, White assumes a powerful initiative.
30...gh3 31.Bh4 Kf7?
Perhaps he had to try 31...hg2 32.Qe1 Qe7
33.Rc7 Qf8 34.Rg7 Qg7 35.Rc2 Kf7
36.Qg3! Qg3 37.Bg3 Re7 38.Kg2 Rd7 but
this could be unpleasant for a long time.
32.Qe1!
White's queen joins the attacking party.
32...hg2?
32...Rgg8 was maybe the only try: 33.g3
Kg6 34.Qb4 Rg7 35.Kh2 Qe7 36.Qb6 Rd8
37.Rc7 Rd7 38.Rc8 keeps up the strong
pressure, but with no clear win for White.

33.Rc7 Re7 34.Rc8! Qd6 35.Bf6 Kf6
36.Qh4 Kf7 37.Qh5 Rg6

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38.f4!
Very nice. Black's major pieces run out of
space and good moves. Carlsen now moves
in for the kill.
38...Qa3 39.Qh8 Rg7 40.Qh5 Rg6 41.Qh8
Rg7 42.Qf8 Kg6 43.Kg2!
With the idea of Rg1 and then a deadly
discovered check from the King!
43...Rgf7 44.Qd8 Rh7
44...Qb2 45.R8c2.
45.Rg1 Qa2 46.Kf3 Kf6 47.Qg8 Rh3
48.Rg3 Rg3 49.Qg3 1:0.

Pardo Simon : Kamsky, Gibraltar 2014

I now present a game from the Tradewise
Gibralter Masters, an event which has been
growing in stature and strength since 2003.
Much of this success is down to the excellent
organizational skills of GM Stuart Conquest,
who assembles a world-class field and then
makes sure everyione has a great time! We
pick up play in Round Eight and find Gata
Kamsky pressing for the win with Black.
1.d4 f5
The Dutch Defence, much favoured by those
wanting to win at all costs. And, of course,
Gibraltar commentator GM Simon Williams.
2.Bg5
A very popular anti-Dutch system,although
the line that Kamsky plays is OK for Black.

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 5

2...g6! 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4
4.h4 can be met by 4...h6! 5.Bf4 Nf6 after
which very sharp play can arise: 6.Qd3 d6
7.e4 fe4 8.Ne4 Bf5!
4...fe4 5.Ne4 d5 6.Nc3
White has a couple of other locations for this
Knight (6.Nc5; 6.Ng3), but in each case
Black obtains counterplay.
6...Nh6!

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A characteristic manouevre in this variation.
From f7, the Black Knight helps to prepare
e7–e5 and keeps the White Bishop out of h6.
7.Nf3 Nf7 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qd2 Bf5 10.Be2
Qd7 11.0–0–0 0–0–0 12.Kb1 Kb8
Both sides marshall their forces. White has
no advantage at all. Black probably
considered the probing 12...Nb4, but after
13.Rc1 Nd6 14.a3 Nc6 15.Rcd1 the
adventure has not achieved very much.
13.a3
White can also probe 13.Na4 b6 14.Nc3, but
Black keeps it very tight after 14...Nd6 15.a3
h6 with once again, good counterplay
(15...Na5).
13...h6 14.h3 g5 15.g4 Be6 16.Rhe1 Rhf8
17.Nh2?!
Around here White starts to lose the thread.
Kamsky has what he wants; a complicated
middlegame with all the pieces on and his
tactics start to pay off as White doesn't seem
to know what to do and misplaces his pieces.

A possible improvement lies in 17.Na4 b6
18.Qd3, but Black's Knight comes to d6 and
holds everything together: 18...Nd6! 19.Qg6
(19.Qa6 Ne4; 19.Nc3 is safest, with only a
small edge to Black.) 19...Bf6! 20.Qd3
(20.Qh6 Rh8 21.Qg6 Ne4–+) 20...Nc4.
17...Nd6 18.f3?!
He wants to keep Black out of e4, but
now...e7–e5 becomes very strong.
18...Bg8! 19.Nb5 a6 20.Nd6 Qd6 21.Nf1 e5

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Paradise for a Dutch exponent.
22.de5
22.c3 attempts to hold the centre together,
but Black has a grip on the initiative:
22...Bh7 23.Ka2 Bg6! (23...ed4 24.cd4
Rde8µ) 24.Bf2 Rd7 25.Bg3 Qe6 26.Bd3 Rf3
27.Bg6 Qg6 28.de5 Qe6 29.Qe2 Rdf7.
22...Qe5 23.c3?!
He probably could not bear to to play
23.Qc1 d4 24.Bg1 but it may last
longer,although after 24...Qe6! 25.b3 Qf6!
26.Ka2 Qd6 27.Nd2 Qg3 Black makes four
successive Queen moves and is pressing
White's position very hard.
23...d4 24.cd4 Qd5
White does not want to see his King taken
apart.Larsen once said that he liked to play
the Dutch against timid players, because
then it became a really good opening. We
see exactly what he meant by playing over
this game. 0:1.

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 6

Rodshtein : Karpov, Germany 2014

Anatoly Karpov retains a keen interest in
playing chess and he recently turned out in
the Bundesliga for SV 1930 Hockenheim.
Here we see a great example of Karpovian
technique.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2
0–0 6.0–0 dc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qc4 b5 9.Qc2
Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Bb7
Having driven the queen to a poor square,
the bishop retreats, asking White to declare
his intentions. The assessment of this
position depends on Black's ability to force
through...c7–c5. If he can play this freeing
break at the right moment, then all his
positional problems will disappear.
Meanwhile 11...Qc8 also looks reasonable,
although White may be able to retain an
edge with 12.Bg5!
12.a3
Or 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.Ba5 Nc6 14.Bc3 Rd8
(Wang Y : Carlsen M., Leon 2009).
12...Qc8 13.b4
White certainly prevented c7–c5, so
counterplay must come from elsewhere,
possibly via ...a6–a5. Central to Black's
survival now must be his ability to keep
control over the central light squares or to be
able to contain the White pawn center if it
ever becomes mobile.
13...Nbd7 14.Bc3 Ne4 15.Qc2

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15…a5!

A typical jab and with it, equality.
16.Nbd2 Nc3 17.Qc3 Nb6 18.Ne5?!
I think White fails to appreciate the
resources of the Black position around these
parts. He should take on a5: 18.ba5 Nd5
(18...Na4 19.Qd3 Ra5 20.Nb3 Ra6
21.Rfc1=) 19.Qd3 Ra5 20.Nb3 Ra8
21.Nc5=. The difference between these lines
and the game is that Black doesn't have a
target on b4 to attack.
18...ab4 19.ab4 Bg2 20.Kg2 Nd5 21.Qc6
Bb4 22.Ndf3 Bc3 23.Ra8 Qa8 24.Qb5 Bd4!
With advantage to Black, albeit slight,as the
extra pawn is going to be difficult to realise.
25.Nc6 Bb6 26.Rc1
White has some positional pressure to
compensate him for the pawn, so Karpov has
to find a way of negotiating his grip on the c
file before anything else.
26...Qa3! 27.Rc4 Ra8 28.Nce5 h6 29.Nd3
Possibly 29.Qd7 was an improvement here.
Black can easily cope with the threats, but
the extra pawn remains extremely difficult to
realise: 29...Qe7 30.e4 Qd7 31.Nd7 Nf6
32.Nb6 cb6 33.Ne5 b5 34.Rb4 Ra5
How easy is this to win? I am not absolutely
sure.
29...Qa6 30.Qc6 Ne7 31.Qe4 Rd8 32.Qh4
Rf8 33.Ra4 Qb5 34.Rb4 Qe8 35.Nde5 f6
36.Nd3 e5
Finally, Black starts to feel a bit of freedom.
37.Qe4 Qc6! 38.g4
38.Qc6 Nc6 39.Ra4 Rd8 40.Rc4 Ne7 starts
to look like a solid pawn up, whereas before,
Black was jammed up.
38...Ra8 39.Qc6 Nc6 40.Rc4 Ne7 41.e3 Kf7
42.Nfe1 Nc8 43.Nb2 Nd6 44.Rc2 Ke6
Black's edge grows to substantial. The White
Knights have no real outposts in the centre
and with ...g7–g6, Black can prepare to
improve his pawn structure.
45.Ned3
45.Nc4 offering an exchange,escapes the
coming pin, but runs into the simple
45...Nc4 46.Rc4 Kd5.
45...Ra2! 46.Nb4 Ra3 47.Nc6 g6 48.h3 h5!

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 7

Black opens up a second front,which in time,
will highlight the power of his Bishop.
49.gh5 gh5 50.Kg3 Ra8 51.Kf3 Ra2
52.Nb4
White cannot stay in the pin.
52...Ra5 53.Kg3 Nf5 54.Kf3 c5
At last and with this advance, problems in
the White ranks.
55.N4d3 Nd6 56.Ke2 Kd5 57.f3 Ra2
58.Rd2 Kc6 59.Rc2 Kb5 60.Nc1 Ra3
61.Rd2 Bc7 62.Nd1 Kc6 63.Rc2 c4
It must have been really horrible to play this
endgame out against one of the greatest
technicians of all-time. Despite his veteran
status, Karpov is completely in his element.
64.e4 Bb6 65.Na2 Bd4 66.Nb4 Kc5 67.Nd5
f5! 68.N1c3 fe4 69.fe4 h4
White is out of good moves. Black threatens
...Ne4 and there is not a great deal that can
be done about it. 0:1.

Bacrot : Mamedov, Shamkir 2014

1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.c4
0–0 6.0–0 d6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.d5 Na5!?
8...Ne5 is regarded as dubious these
days,which may be a reason to have another
look at that line. 8...Na5 is sharp of course,
not to everyone's taste.
9.Qa4! c5 10.dc6 Nc6
10...bc6 isn't played too often, presumably
because 11 c5! is a good move: 11.c5 dc5
12.Ne5! looks distinctly awkward for Black.
Perhaps the best he can do is 12...Rb8
13.Rd1 Qb6 but after 14.Bf4 his position is
unappealing.
11.Rd1
Results have been very good for White in
this clearcut line, where he keeps the better
structure and sets up the immediate threat of
c4–c5!
11...Qb6
There is no clear way for Black to get a
position with fully equal chances.
12.Qc2
There is no need to give Black the b2 pawn.
12...Ng4 13.e3 Nf6 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.b3

This is a very nice position for White to
play. Bb2, Rook to c1, look for Nd5. Black
does not really have a corresponding risk-
free plan.
15...Kh8 16.Bb2 Rac8
Trading on d4 merely gives Black concerns
about his pawn on e7: 16...Nd4 17.ed4 Rac8
18.Re1! e6 (18...Qd4? 19.Nd5) 19.Rad1
Rfe8 20.Re2±.
17.Qe2 Rce8 18.Rac1 Ne5

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19.Nd5!
The plan is carried out!
19...Nd5 20.Bd5
20.cd5 Rc8 21.h3 Nf7 22.Qd2 also looks
nice for White as well, although after
22...Ng5 Black has some chance to muddy
the water.
20...e6 21.Bg2 Nf7?
He didnt see Bacrot's next move,which
admittedly, is well-hidden. 21...Rc8 is
probably best, with an ongoing edge for
White after 22.Qd2 Nf7 23.Ne2, but nothing
100% clear.
22.c5!
Right to the heart of the matter. Black's loose
position is exposed with this thematic pawn
lever.
22...Qa5
If 22...Qd8 23.cd6 e5. Then 24.Nb5! is more
or less winning for White: 24...Re6
(24...Qb6 25.Nc7 Rd8 26.Qd2 Bc8 27.Ba3

FIDE Surveys – Andrew Martin 8

e4 28.Bf1+–) 25.Bd5 Bb5 26.Qb5 Rd6
(26...Nd6 27.Qc5 Re7 28.Ba3) 27.Ba3 Rb6
28.Qe2+–.
23.Bb7 e5
23...dc5 24.Nf5 ef5 25.Rd7+–.
24.c6! ed4
24...Bc8 25.Bc8 Rc8 26.Ne6 is no good at
all for Black.
25.cd7 Rb8 26.Bc6
Resigning is not too early. Black is paralysed
by the pawn on d7 and if he plays 26...Ne5,
simply 27 Bd4 will do. Black has questions
to answer in this line. 1:0.