Empire City Open 12/28/2013

On Sunday, I played this game in the Empire City Open.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Simon Rubinstein-Salzedo (FIDE 2001) - Jim West (FIDE 2088), Empire City Open 12/28/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 O-O 9.Qd2 Be6 10.O-O-O Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.g5 Nh5 13.Kb1 Nb6

14.Bxb6 Qxb6 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.exd5 Nf4 17.h4 a5 18.Bd3 a4 19.Nc1 b4 20.Ne2 Nxd3 21.Qxd3 Rfb8 22.Rhg1 Qb5 23.Qxb5 Rxb5 24.f4 exf4 25.Nxf4 Bf8 26.Rge1 Rc8 27.Re4 b3 28.cxb3 axb3 29.axb3 Rxb3 30.Rd3 Rb5 31.b4 g6 32.Kb2 Bg7+ 33.Kb3 Be5

34.Ng2 Rc1 35.Ne3 Rb1+ 36.Ka4 Rb8 37.Nc2 Rc1 38.Rc4 Rb1 39.Ne3 Ra1+ 40.Kb3 Rba8 41.Ng4 R8a3+ 42.Kc2 R3a2+, White resigns.

Empire City Open 12/27/2013

On Friday, I won this game in the Empire City Open at the New Yorker Hotel.

Round One: English Opening

Raffi Magarian (USCF 1451) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Empire City Open 12/27/2013

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.b3 Nc6 5.Bb2 Nf6 6.e3 O-O 7.d4 cxd4 8.exd4 d6 9.d5 Nb8 10.Qc2 Na6 11.Ne4 Nxe4 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Qxe4 Qa5+ 14.Nd2 Qc3 15.Rd1 Bf5

16.Qe3 Qxe3 17.fxe3 Nc5 18.Nf3 a5 19.Nd4 Bg4 20.Be2 Bxe2 21.Nxe2 a4 22.b4 Nd7 23.O-O Rfc8 24.Rd4 Ne5 25.Rc1 b6 26.Nf4 Ra7 27.Nd3 Nxd3 28.Rxd3 Rac7 29.Rdc3 f5 30.Kf2 Kf6 31.Ke2 Ke5 32.Kd3 g5 33.h3 h5

34.Re1 h4 35.Rg1 g4 36.hxg4 fxg4 37.Rh1 Rh8 38.Ra3 Ra7 39.b5 h3 40.gxh3 gxh3 41.e4 Rh4 42.Rc3 Ra8 43.Rc2 Rg8 44.Rf2 Rg3+ 45.Kd2 Rxe4 46.Rfh2 Ree3 47.Rf2 Kd4 48.Rf4+ Kc5 49.a3 Rxa3 50.Rh4 Rg2+ 51.Ke1 Ra1#.

Pix from Empire City Open 12/28/2013

During round three of the Empire City Open at the New Yorker Hotel, I snapped these photos.

Pix from Empire City Open 12/27/2013

Look at these pictures that I took, during rounds one and two of the Empire City Open, at the New Yorker Hotel.

Marshall Thursday FIDE Action

Last night, I finished with a score of 2-1-1 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (FIDE 2088) - Anthony Norris (FIDE 2008), Marshall Chess Club 12/26/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Nf6 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.a4 Rb8 9.Re1 e5 10.c3 h6 11.Qc2 Be6

12.Nf1 b5 13.axb5 Rxb5 14.Ra3 Qb6 15.N3d2 Rb8 16.Ne3 Qd8 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Ne7 19.Rxa7 Nexd5 20.Nc4 R5b7 21.Ra3 Rd7 22.Bd2 Nb6 23.Na5 Qc7 24.Nc6 Re8 25.Ra7 Qc8 26.Rxd7 Nfxd7 27.c4 Qa6 28.b4 cxb4 29.Nxb4 Qc8

30.Nd5 Nxd5 31.Bxd5 Nf6 32.Bg2 d5 33.Rc1 d4 34.Re1 Qf5 35.Be4 Qh5 36.f3 Nxe4 37.fxe4 Qf3 38.Rf1 Qe2 39.Rf2 Qg4 40.Kg2 Ra8 41.h3 Qd7 42.Qc1 Kh7 43.g4 Ra2 44.Be1 Rxf2+ 45.Bxf2 Qa4 46.Qd2 Qb3 47.Kf3 Bf8, draw.

Pix from Marshall CC 12/22/2013

These pictures were taken by me at the Marshall Chess Club during round eight of the championship.

Video of Marshall CC Championship

Watch this video, from round one on December 13th, of the Marshall Chess Club championship.

Lenderman Wins Marshall CC Championship

GM Alex Lenderman is the 2013 Marshall Chess Club champion.

O'Connor - West @ "Contre Gambit Philidor"

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier analyzes my recent draw as Black against Michael O'Connor.

Marshall CC Championship 12/21/2013

Yesterday, in a better position, I was awarded a full point under FIDE rules when my opponent's cell phone rang at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Six: Torre Attack

Sam Barsky (FIDE 1989) - Jim West (FIDE 2088), Marshall Chess Club 12/21/2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 c5 5.e3 cxd4 6.exd4 Nc6 7.c3 O-O 8.Bc4 d5 9.Bb3 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 Ne4 12.Bf4 e6 13.O-O b5 14.Qe2 Qb6 15.Rfd1 a5

16.Bc2 Nf6 17.a4 bxa4 18.Bxa4 Rfc8 19.Ne1 Nd7 20.Nd3 Qa6 21.Qe3 Bf8 22.h4 Qa7 23.h5 Nb6 24.Bc2 Nc4 25.Qh3 Qe7 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.b3 Nb6 28.Qg3 Nxd4 29.cxd4 Rxc2 30.Nc5 Nd7 31.Qd3 Rxc5 32.dxc5 Nxc5 33.Qb5 Qb7 34.Qxb7 Nxb7

35.Bd2 Nc5 36.Rdb1 Rb8 37.Rxa5 Rxb3 38.Rf1 Ne4 39.Be3 Ng3 40.Re1 Nf5 41.Bg5 Kg7 42.Ra8 Be7 43.Bxe7 Nxe7 44.Ra7 Nc6 45.Rc7 Nd4 46.f4 Kf6 47.Kh1 Nf5 48.Ra1 Nh6 49.Rf1 Ng4 50.Rd7 Rb2 51.Ra1 Rb6 52.g3 Nf2+ 53.Kg2 Ne4 54.Raa7 Nd6

55.Ra8 Kf5 56.Rad8 Ne4 57.Kh3 f6 58.Re7 g5 59.fxg5 fxg5 60.Rf7+ Ke5 61.Rf3, White forfeits.

Marshall CC Championship Resumes Today

With GM Sergey Kudrin in the lead after five rounds, the Marshall Chess Club championship resumes today.

Pix from Marshall CC 12/15/2013

During rounds four and five of the championship, I snapped these photos at the Marshall Chess Club.

Kindle Book on Four Pawns Attack

Former New Jersey state chess champion, NM Edward Allen, has written a kindle book on the Four Pawns Attack in the Benoni and King's Indian defenses.

The book is composed of 12 annotated games that illustrate the key ideas for both sides in this opening.

My Winter 2014 Teaching Schedule

In the chess program, conducted by Enrich and Grow Academy, my teaching schedule for the winter 2014 session is:

Mondays - Shongum Elementary School;

Wednesdays - Collins Elementary School;

Fridays - Central Avenue Elementary School.

Apart from Enrich and Grow Academy, on Thursdays I will teach an after school enrichment chess class at Essex Fells School.

Marshall CC Championship 12/15/2013

On Sunday, I drew these games at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: King's Indian Defense, Exchange Variation

Richard Tuhrim (FIDE 2278) - Jim West (FIDE 2088), Marshall Chess Club 12/15/2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bg5 Re8 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 c6 12.Bc4 cxd5 13.Bxd5 Nd7

14.Rc1 h6 15.Be3 Nf6 16.Bb3 Nxe4 17.Rc7 Be6 18.Bxe6 Rxe6 19.Rxb7 Ra6 20.a3, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Five: Caro-Kann Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (FIDE 2088) - Angel Hernandez-Camen (FIDE 2000), Marshall Chess Club 12/15/2013

1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Bd6 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O Nbd7 8.c3 Re8 9.Re1 h6 10.a4 a5 11.Qc2 Nf8 12.Nf1 Bd7 13.Bd2 Rc8

14.Ne3 g6 15.h3 Qc7 16.Nh2 dxe4 17.dxe4 Kh7 18.Nc4 Bc5 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Nxe3 Be6 21.Bf1 N8d7 22.Nc4 Rcd8 23.Nf3 Kg7 24.Rad1 Bxc4 25.Bxc4 Nf8 26.Kg2 Rd7 27.Rxd7 N8xd7 28.Nd2 Rd8 29.f3 h5 30.h4 Rb8 31.Nf1 b5

32.axb5 cxb5 33.Ba2 b4 34.Re2 Rc8 35.Qb3 Nc5 36.Qc4 Qb7 37.cxb4 axb4 38.Rc2 Rc7 39.Ne3 Ne6 40.Qb3 Nc5 41.Qc4 Ne6 42.Qb3 Nc5, draw.

Marshall CC Championship 12/14/2013

On Saturday, I won this game at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (FIDE 2088) - Ed Frumkin (FIDE 1904), Marshall Chess Club 12/14/2013

1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d3 c5 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O e6 7.Nbd2 Nge7 8.Re1 O-O 9.c3 b5 10.Qc2 Bb7 11.Nf1 d5 12.e5 Rc8 13.h4 d4 14.a4 b4

15.c4 Qd7 16.b3 Na5 17.Rb1 h6 18.Bf4 Kh7 19.N1h2 Bc6 20.Qe2 Nxb3 21.Rxb3 Bxa4 22.Rb2 Bc6 23.Ng4 Ng8 24.Ra1 Rc7 25.Nd2 Rb8 26.Bxc6 Qxc6 27.Ne4 Qb6 28.Nef6+, Black resigns.

Center Grove School Tourney, Fall 2013

On Thursday, the final class in the fall 2013 session took place at Center Grove Elementary School, in the after school enrichment program on chess that I coach for Enrich and Grow Academy.

The tournament winner was Isabella Hu with 4.5 points, trailed by Matthew Jones with 2.5 points, and by Rayyan Aaban and Mason Ziegler with 2 points apiece.

The 6 students were awarded copies of Chess Life and Chess Life for Kids magazines.

Pix from Westfield Quads 12/8/2013

During the quads in Westfield on Sunday, I took these pictures.