May Game/90, Round 3

On Wednesday, I won a good knight versus bad bishop endgame at Chess Mates.

Round Three: Modern Defense

Jim West (USCF 2207) - Roger Pedersen (USCF 1906), Rahway NJ 5/16/2012

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 e6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qd2 O-O 8.O-O-O a6 9.h3 b5 10.Bd3 Nb4 11.Kb1 Nxd3 12.cxd3 Bb7 13.Rdf1 Rc8 14.g4 c5

15.g5 Nh5 16.Ne2 c4 17.Rhg1 cxd3 18.Qxd3 Qa5 19.Rc1 Rc4 20.Nd2 Rxc1+ 21.Rxc1 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Bxc8 23.Qc3 Qxc3 24.bxc3 f5 25.e5 d5 26.Nb3 Bf8 27.Kc2 Kf7 28.Bc1 h6 29.h4 hxg5 30.hxg5 Ng7 31.Na5 Ke8 32.Kb3 Kd7 33.Ba3 Bxa3 34.Kxa3 Kc7 35.Kb4 Kb6 36.Nb3 Nh5 37.Nc5 Ng7

38.a3 Nh5 39.Kb3 Ng7 40.Kc2 Nh5 41.Kd3 Ng7 42.Ke3 a5 43.Ng1 Nh5 44.Nf3 Ng3 45.Nh4 Nf1+ 46.Kd3 Ng3 47.Nxg6 Ne4 48.Ne7 Ba6 49.Nxa6 Kxa6 50.g6 Nf2+ 51.Kc2 Ng4 52.g7 Nh6 53.g8=Q Nxg8 54.Nxg8 a4 55.Nf6 Kb7 56.Nd7 Kc8 57.Nc5 Kd8 58.Nxe6+ Kd7 59.Ng7, Black resigns.

FIDE Mondays 5/14/2012

On Monday evening, my opponent blundered a piece at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Five: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (FIDE 2112) - Juan Sena (FIDE 2140), Marshall Chess Club 5/14/2012

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 a6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Be2 Nc6 7.O-O Bf5 8.Be3 e6 9.Qd2 O-O-O 10.a3 Ne4 11.Nxe4 Bxe4 12.Rad1 Be7 13.c3 Rhg8

14.Ng5 Bxg5 15.Bxg5 f6 16.Bf4 Qd5 17.f3 Bf5 18.Bd3 Nxd4 19.Be4 Bxe4 20.fxe4 Nf3+ 21.gxf3, Black resigns.

Pix from Cherry Hill Spring Open

These photos were taken by me on Sunday, during the Cherry Hill Spring Open tournament.

Memorial Weekend Camp at "Chess Mates"

On Memorial Day weekend, Chess Mates will be running a camp from May 26th to May 28th.

Cherry Hill Spring Open

On Sunday, I won this game in the Cherry Hill Spring Open at the Wyndham Hotel.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Sicilian Counter Attack

Jim West (USCF 2207) - George Leonard (USCF 1840), Mount Laurel NJ 5/13/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Ndb5 O-O 7.a3 Be7 8.e5 Ne8 9.Bd3 a6 10.Nd6 Bxd6 11.exd6 f5 12.h4 Nxd6 13.Qh5 Nf7 14.Bg5 Qb6 15.O-O-O g6 16.Qe2 Nc6 17.Be3 Qc7

18.h5 g5 19.h6 Nce5 20.Qh5 f4 21.Bd4 Nxd3+ 22.Rxd3 e5 23.Nd5 Qd6 24.Bc3 Qe6 25.Nc7 Qf5 26.Nxa8 e4 27.Rd4 e3 28.fxe3 fxe3 29.Nb6 Ne5 30.Nd5 Qf2 31.Qxg5+ Ng6 32.Ne7+ Kh8 33.Rf4+, Black resigns.

Rahway Quad 5/12/2012

Yesterday I drew this game at Chess Mates.

Round One: Modern Defense

Jim West (USCF 2207) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2104), Rahway NJ 5/12/2012

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 b6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 Bb7 6.Bd3 e6 7.Be3 Ne7 8.O-O Nd7 9.Qd2 O-O 10.Rae1 a6 11.a4 c5 12.h3 Nf6

13.dxc5 dxc5 14.e5 Nfd5 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Bc4 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Qc7 18.Rd1 Rad8, draw.

Chess Article in "The Atlantic"

Santiago Wills writes "How America Forgot About Chess" in The Atlantic.