Friday, August 31, 2012

Thursday Night Action 8/30/2012

Last night, I drew this game at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2202) - Charles McMillan (USCF 2057), Marshall Chess Club 8/30/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.f4 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qf3 Bd7 11.O-O Rc8


12.f5 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 e5 14.Bf2 Bc6 15.g4 h6 16.h4 Nh7 17.Qg3 b5 18.a3 Bb7 19.Bd5 Bxd5 20.Nxd5 Rxc2 21.Rac1 Rc4 22.Rxc4 bxc4 23.Rc1 Nf6 24.Rxc4 Nxd5 25.exd5 Qa8 26.Rc6 Rb8 27.Qc3 Bf8 28.g5 Rb5


29.gxh6 Rxd5 30.hxg7 Kxg7 31.f6+ Kxf6 32.Qf3+ Ke6 33.Qg4+ f5 34.Qg8+ Kd7 35.Qxd5 Qxc6 36.Qf7+ Be7 37.Qxf5+ Ke8 38.Qg6+ Kf8 39.Be3 Bd8 40.Bh6+ Ke7 41.Bg5+ Kd7 42.Qf7+ Kc8 43.Qe6+ Kc7 44.Qf7+ Kc8 45.Qe6+ Kc7 46.Qf7+ Kc8 47.Qe6+, draw.


Thursday, August 30, 2012

2012 Roster for NJ Knockouts

The 2012 roster for the New Jersey Knockouts, in the United States Chess League, includes three grandmasters: Alex Stripunsky, Joel Benjamin, and Boris Gulko,

New Jersey's first match is on Tuesday, September 4th, versus New England.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

"Mikell's Plot" at Bandfest 2K12

Michael O'Connor is moving from the coffeehouse to the roadhouse!

Michael has recently begun playing the Philidor Counter Gambit, often criticized as "coffeehouse chess" even though it is usually White who initiates the tactics.

On Saturday, September 8th, his band Mikell's Plot will appear during Bandfest 2K12, at Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse/745 Bound Brook Road/Dunellen NJ.  They are scheduled to perform this song at 3pm on the indoor stage.  Doors open at 2pm.  Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children, who must be accompanied by an adult.

I plan on being in attendance to take pictures.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Fournier Analyzes PCG Games by Zilbermintz

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier analyzes Lev Zilbermintz's recent victories against GM Enrique Rodriguez Guerrero and Christopher Moravek.

Fournier also provides a link to Lev's draw against GM Nigel Davies.

Monday, August 27, 2012

New York State Senior Championship

On Sunday, I won a minor piece endgame at the Marshall Chess Club, in the New York State Senior Championship tournament.

Round Four: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2202) - Wesley Hellner (USCF 1971), Marshall Chess Club 8/26/2012

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bg4 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 O-O 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 Re8 10.c3 Bh5 11.Qc2 Bg6


12.Bxg6 hxg6 13.Re2 Bd6 14.Rxe8+ Qxe8 15.Re1 Qf8 16.Kf1 Re8 17.Qb1 Re7 18.Rxe7 Qxe7 19.Qe1 Kf8 20.Qxe7+ Kxe7 21.Ke2 Ke6 22.h3 Nh5 23.Ne1 Nhf6 24.f3 Nh5 25.Nd3 f6 26.Be3 f5 27.g4 f4 28.Bf2 Nhf6 29.h4 g5


30.hxg5 Nh7 31.Bg1 Ndf8 32.Nc5+ Bxc5 33.dxc5 Nxg5 34.Nb3 Kd7 35.Nd4 Nfe6 36.c6+ bxc6 37.Nxe6 Nxe6 38.Bxa7 c5 39.b4 cxb4 40.cxb4 Kc6 41.a4 Kb7 42.Bf2 c6 43.Kd3 Ka6 44.Bd4 g6 45.Bf6 Kb6 46.Be7 Ka6 47.Bd6 g5


48.Be7 Kb6 49.Bd6 Ka6 50.Be5 Kb6 51.Bd4+ Ka6 52.Kc3 Nd8 53.Bc5 Ne6 54.Bf2 Kb7 55.b5 c5 56.a5 d4+ 57.Kc4 Kc7 58.Be1 Kd6 59.a6 Nc7 60.Ba5 d3 61.Bxc7+ Kxc7 62.Kxd3 Kb6 63.Kc4 Kc7 64.Kxc5, Black resigns.


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Videos of My PCG Lecture at Marshall CC

Watch these videos of my lecture, on August 14th, at the Marshall Chess Club!

Here are parts one, two, and three.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Free Chess Class at Caldwell College

This autumn, Columbia Academy will be offering chess classes every Tuesday. A first free chess class will meet on September 11, 2012, from 7:05pm. to 8:05pm. All classes are held at Caldwell College.

Columbia Academy has been undertaking marketing efforts and hopes to extend its chess program to Saturdays, if there is sufficient enrollment.

You can contact Alex Iovel at the following e-mail address info@columbiaacademyus.com, if you are interested in attending. Or you can reach Alex by phone at 973-599-0221.

Friday, August 24, 2012

August Game/90, Round 4

On Wednesday, I finished the game/90 tournament at Chess Mates with a score of 3-0-1.

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Paulsen Variation

Jim West (USCF 2202) - Serge Adelson (USCF 1896), Rahway NJ 8/22/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.O-O Nc6 7.Nxc6 dxc6 8.Nd2 Qc7 9.a4 Bc5 10.a5 O-O 11.Nc4 Bd7 12.Bg5 Be7


13.e5 Nd5 14.Bxe7 Nxe7 15.Qh5 Nf5 16.Bxf5 exf5 17.Ra3 f4 18.Nb6 Rae8 19.Rd3 g6 20.Rxd7 Qxd7 21.Nxd7 gxh5 22.Re1 f5 23.Kf1 Re6 24.Nxf8 Kxf8 25.b4 Kf7 26.f3 Re7 27.g3 fxg3 28.hxg3 f4 29.gxf4 Ke6 30.Kf2 c5


31.bxc5 Rc7 32.Rb1 Rxc5 33.Rb6+ Kd5 34.Rd6+ Kc4 35.e6 Kb4 36.e7 Rxc2+ 37.Ke1, Black resigns.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Pix from Red Bank Open 8/19/2012

On Sunday, I took these pictures at the Monmouth Chess School and Club, during the Red Bank Open tournament.

















Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Pix from Rahway Grand Prix 8/18/2012

During Saturday's grand prix tournament at Chess Mates, I snapped these photos.











Tuesday, August 21, 2012

FIDE Mondays 8/20/2012

Magnus Carlsen made an appearance at the Marshall Chess Club, during last night's FIDE Mondays tournament.

In this game, both players blundered in time trouble.

Round Five: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2116) - Alexander Fabbri (FIDE 2071), Marshall Chess Club 8/20/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4 f6 7.Na3 Be6 8.Qe2 O-O-O 9.Nc4 Qd7 10.d3 g5 11.Be3 h5 12.Rfb1 c5 13.Nfd2 Nh6


14.Nb3 b6 15.Ncd2 a5 16.Nc4 Qc6 17.Nbd2 g4 18.b3 h4 19.Rf1 Be7 20.Bxh6 Rxh6 21.Ne3 Qd7 22.f3 Rg8 23.Nxg4 Bxg4 24.fxg4 Rxg4 25.Kh1 Rhg6 26.Rf2 c4 27.Nxc4 Qd4 28.Re1 Bb4 29.Ref1 Bc5


30.Qf3 Rf4 31.Qh3+ Kb7 32.Rxf4 exf4 33.Qf5 Rg5 34.Qxf4 h3 35.g3 Qc3 36.Qd2 Qd4 37.c3 Qd7 38.Rxf6 Rd5 39.Rf3 Qg4 40.Qe2 Rd7 41.Ne5 Qe6 42.Nxd7 Qxd7 43.d4 Be7 44.e5 Qd5 45.g4 Qxb3 46.Rxh3 Qxa4


47.Qe4+ Ka7 48.Qe2 Qa1+ 49.Kg2 a4 50.Qe4 Ka6 51.Qa8+ Kb5 52.Qd5+ Ka6 53.Qa8+ Kb5 54.Qd5+ Ka6 55.Qa8+ Kb5 56.Qd5+, draw.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Red Bank Open Championship

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-1-1 in the game/30 Swiss, at the Monmouth Chess School and Club.

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz won this PCG.

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Christopher Moravek (USCF 1727) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2055), Red Bank NJ 8/19/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Nfd2 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bxf5 7.Nb3 d5 8.a3 c6 9.Bf4 Bd6 10.Qd2 O-O 11.O-O-O b5 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Nc5 a5 14.Na2 Nbd7


15.Nxd7 Bxd7 16.Be2 b4 17.a4 c5 18.b3 Rfc8 19.Kb2 c4 20.Qe3 Rab8 21.h3 Bxa4 22.bxa4 b3 23.Nc3 bxc2+ 24.Kxc2 Qa3 25.Rb1 Rb3 26.Rxb3 cxb3+ 27.Kd1 Qa1+ 28.Kd2 Qb2+ 29.Kd1 Qc2+ 30.Ke1 Rxc3


31.Qf4 b2 32.f3 b1=Q+ 33.Kf2 e3+ 34.Kg3 Nh5+, White resigns.


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Rahway Grand Prix 8/18/2012

26 players showed up for yesterday's grand prix tournament at Chess Mates.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Michael O'Connor (USCF 1803) - Jim West (USCF 2202), Rahway NJ 8/18/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Bc4+ Kg7 11.Bh6+ Kxh6 12.Nxh8 Bb4+ 13.c3 Qxh8 14.h4 Kg7 15.Qxc7+ Bd7 16.Qg3+ Bg4 17.Be6 Qf8


18.O-O Bd6 19.f4 exf3 20.Bxg4 Bxg3, White resigns.