Hero of the Month
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Andrew Martin
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England's
43-year-old IM Andrew Martin was born in Forest Gate, East London, on
Saturday 18 May 1957 (i.e. 18.5.57, and as a wee curiosity, combining
the first two parts together gives 23.57, which is the exact time of night
when our hero was born!). By the way, Pope John Paul II also has a May
18 birthday, and since St Andrew is officially the Patron Saint of Scotland,
it seems only fair to point out that Andrew Martin really deserves an
extra title like "Patron of Creative Chess"!Seriously, for starters just take a look at the constant flow of tremendously imaginative ideas on his King's Indian site here at ChessPublishing.com and then you'll also want to see Andrew's numerous original books, Foxy Openings videos, and regular monthly articles in "Chess" magazine (linked to www.chess.co.uk). You're sure to pick up numerous theoretical novelties ("TNs"), and not just because the 12 letters in ANDREW MARTIN can be rearranged to make MAIN TN REWARD!!
Nowadays Andrew still resides in the West London area, where he lives with his wife and children. He works extremely hard on coaching lots of lucky chess pupils, and his highly entertaining commentaries on the top games at the annual British Championships are also very instructive too. Now and then you'll still see Andrew in action playing over-the-board, and whenever that happens, always expect the unexpected- because he's a master of surprise! Many opponents get floored quickly, and the demolition job in game G13.36 is a typical example. A nifty bonus appears in the first message within this month's Reflection Zone.
Finally, for a wee bit extra fun with Andrew, try the July 2000 Hero Puzzle.