Monday, March 31, 2014

Westfield Quads 3/30/2014

On Sunday, I drew this PCG at the quads in Westfield.

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Aaron Jacobson (USCF 2147) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Westfield NJ 3/30/2014

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.cxb4 Qf8


17.Qxb7 Nc6 18.a3 Kh8 19.O-O-O Rb8 20.Qc7 Rc8 21.Qf4 Nxb4 22.axb4 Rxc4+ 23.Kb1 Rxb4 24.Qe5 Rxb2+ 25.Kxb2 Qb4+ 26.Ka2 Qa4+ 27.Kb2, draw.


Sunday, March 30, 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Pix from Westfield Swiss 3/23/2014

During Sunday's tournament in Westfield, I snapped these photos.







Friday, March 28, 2014

My ASE Chess Class at Alfred Vail

This afternoon, on behalf of Enrich and Grow Academy, I will coach my first class on chess at Alfred Vail School.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

ASE Chess Class at Hillcrest School

Today I will teach my first after school enrichment class on chess at Hillcrest School, for Enrich and Grow Academy.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Pix from Rahway Swiss 3/22/2014

During Saturday's tournament at Chess Mates, I took these pictures.









Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Shongum School Tourney, Winter 2014

On Monday, the winter 2014 session concluded at Shongum Elementary School in the after school enrichment class on chess, coached by me for Enrich and Grow Academy.

The tournament winner was Brandon Pecca, followed by Jack Ferguson and John Hager in second and third place respectively.  Certificates were awarded to the top three players.

All eleven students received copies of Chess Life for Kids magazine.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Westfield Swiss 3/23/2014

On Sunday, I drew this game in the tournament at Westfield.

Round Four: King's Indian Defense, Saemisch Variation

Boris Privman (USCF 2330) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Westfield NJ 3/23/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Be3 b6 7.Qd2 c5 8.Nge2 Nc6 9.Rd1 e5 10.dxc5 dxc5 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.Rxd8+ Nxd8 13.Nd5 Nc6 14.Kd2 Kf8


15.Nec3 Nd4 16.Be2 Ne8 17.h4 h5 18.Bd1 Be6 19.g4 hxg4 20.fxg4 Nd6 21.b3 Bxd5 22.exd5 Ke7 23.Bc2 Rh8 24.Bxd4 exd4 25.Ne4 Nxe4+ 26.Bxe4 Bf6 27.g5 Be5 28.Ke2 Bg3 29.Kf3 Rxh4 30.Rxh4 Bxh4 31.Kf4 Kd6


32.Bd3 Be1 33.Kg4 Bd2 34.Be4 Ke5 35.Bd3 Bc1 36.Bb1 Ba3 37.Bd3 Bc1, draw.


Sunday, March 23, 2014

Rahway Swiss 3/22/2014

Yesterday I played this game in the tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Three: King's Indian Defense, Exchange Variation

Jeyson Flores (USCF 1916) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Rahway NJ 3/22/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 O-O 6.Nf3 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Bg5 Qxd1+ 9.Rxd1 Nbd7 10.Be2 c6 11.O-O Re8


12.Rd2 Nc5 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.b4 Ne6 15.Rfd1 a5 16.a3 axb4 17.axb4 Nd4 18.Nb1 Nxe2+ 19.Rxe2 Be6 20.c5 Red8 21.Red2 Rxd2 22.Nbxd2 Kf8 23.Nf1 Ke7 24.Ne3 h5 25.g4 hxg4 26.hxg4 Ra3 27.g5 Bg7


28.Kg2 Rb3 29.Nc2 Bg4 30.Ne3 Bxf3+ 31.Kxf3 Rxb4 32.Rd3 Rb5 33.Rc3 Ke6 34.Ng4 Bf8 35.Nf6 Rxc5 36.Rd3 Be7 37.Nd7 Ra5 38.Kg4 Ra1 39.Kf3 Ra3 40.Rxa3 Bxa3 41.Nb6 Be7 42.Kg4 Bc5 43.Nc4 b5 44.Na5 Kd7


45.f4 exf4 46.Kxf4 Bb6 47.Nb3 Ke6 48.Nc1 c5 49.Nd3 c4 50.Nb4 c3 51.Kf3 Bc5 52.Nd3 Ba3 53.Ke2 c2 54.Kd2 c1=Q+, White resigns.


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Pix from Westfield Quads 3/16/2014

During Sunday's quads in Westfield, I photographed the players.











Friday, March 21, 2014

Advice for Barack Obama @ Chess.com

[photo by Alexey Kudenko]

Barack Obama could learn, from Estragon at Chess.com, how to handle an aggressive player like Vladimir Putin.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

O'Connor - Rychkov

Michael O'Connor [pictured] sends this game from Saturday's tournament in Somerset.

Round Two: Ruy Lopez

Michael O'Connor (USCF 1873) - Roman Rychkov (USCF 1965), Somerset NJ 3/15/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.O-O d6 8.c3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Re1 Na5 11.Bc2 c5 12.Nbd2 O-O 


13.Nf1 Nd7 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Nf5 Re8 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Bg5 f6 18.Bh4 Bf7 19.Bg3 Nc6 20.d4 Nb6 21.d5 Nd8 22.Nh4 Qd7 23.Nf5 Bg6 24.Ne3 Nf7 25.h4 Nh6 26.a4 Reb8 27.a5 Nc8 28.h5 Bf7 


29.Nf5 Nxf5 30.exf5 Ne7 31.Qg4 Bxd5 32.Rad1 Bf7 33.Bh4 Kh8 34.h6 g5 35.Bxg5 Bg6 36.Bxf6 Kg8 37.Bxe7, Black resigns.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Pix from Rahway Swiss 3/15/2014

These photos were taken by me during Saturday's tournament at Chess Mates.