NJKO Slugged by Seattle

Last night, New Jersey got slugged by Seattle, in week six of the U.S. Chess League.

These are the games from boards one, two, three, and four.

Grand Opening of DOCA in Flemington

This week, another Dean of Chess Academy is opening at 334 Route 31 North in Flemington NJ, in the Stop & Shop shopping center.

In honor of the grand opening of the Flemington super center, a quick chess game/10 tournament will be held at 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, October 2nd.

The entry fee is $30 for non-members and $20 for members. You can register at http://www.deanofchess.com/.

The prizes are a flat screen TV [first], a wooden chess set and board [second], and a digital clock [third]. The top scholastic player will receive a tournament bag, set, and board.

There will be free food and drinks.

Jonathan Crumiller's Memorable Week

Earlier this month, Jonathan Crumiller of New Jersey [pictured, shaking hands with GM Magnus Carlsen] had a memorable week of chess.

In London, he was Garry Kasparov's partner in a game that they won.

In New York, he drew a game against Magnus Carlsen in a simultaneous exhibition.

Marshall September Grand Prix, Day 2

On Sunday, I played the following game at the Marshall Chess Club, on day two of the Marshall September Grand Prix.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2104) - Alena Kats (FIDE 2055), Marshall Chess Club 9/26/2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.f4 Qc7 9.Qf3 Nc6 10.Be3 Bd7 11.O-O O-O


12.f5 exf5 13.Nxf5 Bxf5 14.Qxf5 Ne5 15.Bd4 Rad8 16.Rae1 b5 17.a3 Rd7 18.Kh1 Bd8 19.Re3 Nfg4 20.Rg3 Nh6 21.Qh3 Kh8 22.Nd5 Qb7 23.Be3 Ng8 24.Qf5 g6 25.Qf4 f6 26.Bd4 Rg7 27.Qe3 Qd7 28.Qc3 a5 29.Nf4 Re8 30.Bd5 Ne7


31.Ne6 Nxd5 32.exd5 Rf7 33.h3 Qb7 34.Nxd8 Rxd8 35.Qxa5 Ra8 36.Qc3 Qxd5 37.Bxe5, draw.

Marshall September Grand Prix, Day 1

Yesterday I played this game at the Marshall Chess Club, on day one of the Marshall September Grand Prix.

Round One: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2104) - Ed Kopiecki (FIDE 2097), Marshall Chess Club 9/25/2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Bg4 6.h3 h5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Nc4 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Qxf3 11.gxf3 Ng6 12.Kh2 O-O-O 13.Be3 Bd6 14.a4 f5


15.Bg5 Rdf8 16.Ne3 fxe4 17.fxe4 Nf4 18.Nf5 g6 19.Nxd6+ cxd6 20.Be7 Re8 21.Bxd6 g5 22.Rae1 g4 23.h4 Ng6 24.Kg3 b6 25.Bb4 c5 26.Bd2 Ref8 27.Bg5 Rf3+ 28.Kg2 Rhf8 29.Re3 Nf4+ 30.Bxf4 R8xf4 31.Rxf3 Rxf3


32.Re1 Rh3 33.Rh1 Rf3 34.b3 Kd7 35.Rb1 a5 36.Re1 Rh3 37.Rh1 Rf3 38.Rh2 Kc6 39.Kf1 b5 40.Ke2 b4 41.Rh1 Kd6 42.Rh2 Ke6 43.Rh1 Kd6 44.Rh2 Ke6 45.Kf1 Kd6 46.Kg2 Ke6 47.Rh1 Kd6 48.Rf1 Ke6 49.Re1 Rh3 50.Rh1 Rf3 51.Rf1 Kd6 52.Re1 Rh3 53.Rf1 Rf3 54.Rh1 Ke6 55.Rf1 Kd6 56.Rd1 Rh3, draw.

Knockouts Get Blitzed by Boston

On Wednesday, New Jersey got blitzed by Boston, in week five of the U.S. Chess League.

Here are the games from boards one, two, three, and four.

"Deep Blue", the Song

Here is a song "Deep Blue" by Arcade Fire that includes the line "Kasparov, Deep Blue, nineteen ninety-six" in its lyrics.

"Chess Player Magazine"

Sign up here for a free subscription to Chess Player Magazine.

According to editor Eric Citron of Dean Ippolito, LLC, "Our magazine is going to replace the old and boring chess magazines that are out in the market."

You can contact him for a sales representative interview at eric@deanofchess.com.

Nakamura Tries PCG but Loses

In round four of the Battle at the Border tournament, GM Hikaru Nakamura [pictured] tried the Philidor Counter Gambit as Black but lost against GM Pascal Charbonneau.

Instead of Nakamura's 5...Bxf5, worthy of consideration is 5...Nf6 as played by me against IM Justin Sarkar.

Photos and Game from "Chess Mates"

These are pictures that I took during Sunday's game/45 tournament at Chess Mates, as well as the biggest upset.

Rahway Grand Prix 9/19/2010

On Sunday, grandmaster Mark Paragua won the game/45 grand prix Swiss at Chess Mates in Rahway.

Round Five: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2219) - Yaacov Norowitz (USCF 2520), Rahway NJ 9/19/2010

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.Nd2 e6 9.Ngf3 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.O-O O-O 12.Rae1 Nd7


13.Qc2 g6 14.Re3 Rac8 15.Qb1 Rb8 16.Rfe1 Bxf3 17.Nxf3 b5 18.a3 a5 19.Ne5 Ncxe5 20.dxe5 Qe7 21.Qd1 b4 22.axb4 axb4 23.Qg4 bxc3 24.bxc3 Rfc8 25.h4 Rb3 26.h5 Nf8 27.hxg6 fxg6 28.c4 Rb4 29.Rc1 Qc7 30.Bf1 Qc5 31.Rf3 dxc4 32.Qf4 Qe7 33.Rfc3 Kg7


34.Rxc4 Rbxc4 35.Rxc4 Rxc4 36.Qxc4 g5 37.g3 Ng6 38.f4 gxf4 39.gxf4 Qh4 40.Qxe6 Qg3+ 41.Kh1 Qf3+ 42.Kg1 Qe3+ 43.Kh1 Qf3+ 44.Kg1 Qg3+ 45.Kh1 Qh4+ 46.Kg1 Qxf4 47.Qf6+, draw.

Chess Broadcast on BBC World Service

On the BBC World Service, Simon Terrington explores the game of chess in a two-part broadcast.

Cobras Snake Their Way to Drawn Match

In week four of the U.S. Chess League, the Carolina Cobras snaked their way to a drawn match against the New Jersey Knockouts [pictured].

Here are the games from boards one, two, three, and four.

J-E-T-S, Chess, Chess, Chess!

The Marshall Chess Club is proud to announce its presence at the New Meadowlands Stadium for all home games of the New York Jets football team during the 2010-2011 season.

The club will host a chess area, located at the Verizon Gate, as part of the New York Jets pre-game "Fan Fest." Here, from the time the gates open until kickoff, chess-loving football fans have the chance to socialize, play blitz, or challenge a grandmaster to a game of chess.

At the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, 18-year-old grandmaster and Jets fan Robert Hess took on all challengers. Grandmaster Maurice Ashley will be available for chess games at this Sunday's home game against the New England Patriots.

Marshall Chess Club vice-president Larry Price, who was instrumental in creating this exciting partnership, will represent the club and answer questions about the Marshall Chess Club.

"Anything to Win" Video

Four years ago, the Game Show Network aired a program on Bobby Fischer in its Anything to Win series. Here is the video.

Knockouts versus Cobras Tonight in USCL

Tonight in the U.S. Chess League, the New Jersey Knockouts play against the Carolina Cobras.

You can follow the action at the Internet Chess Club.

Photos from NY September Under 2300

On Sunday, during the New York September Under 2300 tournament, I took these pictures from outside and inside the Marshall Chess Club.

Marshall Chess Club Swiss 9/12/2010

Yesterday I played in the one day schedule of a Swiss tournament at the Marshall Chess Club and finished with a score of 2-0-2.

Round Three: King's Indian Defense, Panno Variation

Brian Hulse (USCF 2202) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 9/12/2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.c4 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O Nc6 7.d5 Na5 8.Nfd2 c5 9.Nc3 a6 10.Rb1 Bd7 11.b3 Rb8 12.Bb2 b5 13.e3 bxc4 14.bxc4 e5 15.Qe2 Ne8 16.Rfc1 f5


17.f4 exf4 18.exf4 Nf6 19.Nd1 Re8 20.Qf1 Ng4 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.h3 Ne3 23.Qd3 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Nxd1 25.Rxd1 Qc7 26.Rb1 Kf7 27.h4 Rb8 28.Kf2 Rxb1 29.Qxb1 Qb7 30.Qxb7 Nxb7


31.Ke3 Ke7 32.Bf3 h5 33.Bd1 Nd8 34.Kd3 Nf7 35.Nf1 Kd8 36.Kc3 Kc7 37.Kb3 Kb6 38.Ka3 Be8 39.Ne3 Bd7 40.Bf3, draw.

Magnus Carlsen Defeats the World

On Friday, grandmaster Magnus Carlsen [pictured with actress Liv Tyler] took on the world in a game of chess and won.

NJKO Blown Away by Nor'easters

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Knockouts were blown away by the New England Nor'easters, in week three of the U.S. Chess League.

50 Great Chess Blogs

Matt O'Brien of Online Masters has compiled a list of 50 great chess blogs.

Stoyko Lecture Tonight @ Kenilworth CC

Tonight, FM Steve Stoyko will begin a four-part lecture series on the King's Indian Defense at the Kenilworth Chess Club. Admission to each lecture is $5.

Photo Gallery from NJ Open

During the Labor Day weekend, I snapped these photos at the New Jersey Open.