Why "Deep Blue" Played Like a Human

[photo by Stan Honda]

David Auerbach thinks that randomness may be the key to creativity.

Photos from Rahway Swiss 10/25/2014

At the Chess Mates blog, I have posted photos from the Dr. Luzviminda Machan Open.

End Run Around Blitz by NJKO

In week ten of the United States Chess League, the New Jersey Knockouts executed an end run around the Boston Blitz to draw their match and advance to the playoffs.

The play is under review on boards one, two, three, and four!

Kacheishvili Lecture Tonight at Marshall CC

Former Georgian national champion, grandmaster Giorgi Kacheishvili, will lecture tonight at the Marshall Chess Club on a topic of his own choosing.

Born in 1977, Giorgi Kacheishvili became an international master in 1994 and a grandmaster in 1997. He won the national championship of Georgia before emigrating to the United States.  He has also enjoyed great success as a chess coach.  Two of his students, grandmasters Alex Lenderman and Irina Krush, placed first in the most recent U.S. Championship.

Tuesday, October 28th

7pm in the Great Hall

Open to members and their guests

Refreshments will be served.

Marshall Chess Club
23 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone 212-477-3716
Fax 212-995-9281
e-mail admin@marshallchessclub.org 
www.marshallchessclub.org

Marshall Sunday Game/45 10/26/2014

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

Round Three: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ed Kopiecki (USCF 2044), Marshall Chess Club 10/26/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 Bc5 4.g3 d6 5.Bg2 f6 6.c3 Be6 7.b4 Bb6 8.a4 a5 9.b5 Nce7 10.c4 Qd7 11.Nc3 h5 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.cxd5 Bh3 14.Bxh3 Qxh3 15.Qe2 O-O-O 16.Be3 Bc5 17.Bxc5 dxc5 18.O-O-O Nh6

19.Nd2 Nf7 20.b6 cxb6 21.Nc4 Kc7 22.Qb2 Rd6 23.f3 h4 24.Nxd6 Nxd6 25.Qf2 hxg3 26.Qxg3 Qh6+ 27.Kb1 g5 28.Qg2 Qh5 29.Rd2 Qe8 30.Ra2 b5 31.Qc2 b6 32.axb5 Nxb5 33.Rc1 Nd4 34.Qc4 Kb7 35.Rb2 Ka7

36.Rxb6 Kxb6 37.Qxc5+ Ka6 38.Qd6+ Kb5 39.Qc5+ Ka6 40.Qd6+ Kb5 41.Qc5+, draw.

Rahway Swiss 10/25/2014

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 2-1-1 in the tournament at Chess Mates.

Pix from October Under 2300 10/19/2014

On Sunday, I photographed the players during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

"My Thoughts on Movies" Interview

Pawn Sacrifice director Ed Zwick and actor Tobey Maguire are interviewed at My Thoughts on Movies.

Barbosa, Paragua at "Chess Mates" Sunday

On Sunday afternoon, October 26th, grandmasters Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua will give a lesson and simultaneous exhibition at Chess Mates.

Sweepless in Seattle

In week nine of the USCL, the heavyweight bout between the New Jersey Knockouts and the Seattle Sluggers proved to be not much of a contest.

With but a single draw, NJKO nearly got swept on boards one, two, three, and four.

Marshall October Under 2300 10/19/2014

On Sunday, my opponent blundered a piece in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (FIDE 2044) - Paul Rachlin (FIDE 1900), Marshall Chess Club 10/19/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.Nbd2 Nf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 Re8 10.h4 b6 11.Nf1 Bb7 12.Bf4 h6 13.h5 f6 14.Bh3 Nf8

15.N1h2 fxe5 16.Nxe5 Bg5 17.Qg4 Bxf4 18.Qxf4 Qf6 19.Qe3 Nxe5 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 21.Rxe5 d4 22.Rae1 Bd5 23.f4 Kf7 24.f5 exf5 25.Rxf5+ Kg8 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Rxd5, Black resigns.

Marshall October Under 2300 10/18/2014

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jose De Villa (FIDE 1847) - Jim West (FIDE 2044), Marshall Chess Club 10/18/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bd3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Qe2 Nbd7 9.h3 b5 10.Be3 Bb7 11.a3 Rc8 12.Rd1 O-O 13.O-O Re8 14.Nh2 Nc5

15.Bxc5 Rxc5 16.Ng4 Nxg4 17.Qxg4 Qc8 18.Qg3 Qe6 19.Be2 Qg6 20.Qd3 Rec8 21.Bg4 Rxc3 22.bxc3 Bxe4 23.Qg3 f5 24.Bf3 Qxg3 25.fxg3 Rxc3 26.Bxe4 fxe4 27.Rfe1 Rxa3 28.Rxe4 Kf7 29.Kh2 Ke6

30.Re2 d5 31.Red2 d4 32.Rd3 Ra2 33.c3 Bf6 34.cxd4 exd4 35.Rc1 Kd5 36.Rc8 b4 37.Rb3 a5 38.Rf3 a4 39.Rf5+ Ke6 40.Rb5 b3 41.Rc6+ Kf7 42.Rb7+ Kg6 43.h4 h5 44.Rb5 Rc2 45.Ra6 Rc4 46.Rg5+ Kh6

47.Rb5 d3 48.Rd5 b2 49.Rb6 a3 50.Rxd3 a2 51.g4 Rxg4, White resigns.

Camejo - O'Connor

For the first time, Michael O'Connor [pictured] broke 1900 last weekend in a tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Three: French Defense, Tarrasch Variation

Mauricio Camejo (USCF 2061) - Michael O'Connor (USCF 1888), Rahway NJ 10/11/2014

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c4 Nc6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Nb3 d4 10.Nf3 Bb6 11.Bb5 O-O 

12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Nfxd4 Nxe5 14.fxe5 Qh4 15.Kf1 Ba6 16.Kg1 c5 17.Nf3 c4 18.Nbd4 Qe4 19.Kf2 Rad8 20.Be3 f5

21.Qc2 Rxd4 22.Nxd4 Bxd4 23.Qxe4 fxe4 24.Kg3 Bxe3 25.Rhf1 Rxf1 26.Rxf1 c3, White resigns.

Pix from Sunday Game/45 10/12/2014

During Sunday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I took these pictures.

"Pawn Sacrifice" Screening at TIFF

Footage from the screening of Pawn Sacrifice at the Toronto International Film Festival is presented by Red Carpet Diary.

From New Jersey with Lev

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz [pictured] sends this e-mail, regarding the chess column in The New York Times.

To The New York Times:

I have heard from sources that you are considering eliminating the chess column. This is a disgraceful decision, a slap in the face to history and chess players worldwide. Not sure if you know your own history, but there has been a NYT chess column since 1855. 

On the behalf of chess players from Essex and Union counties in New Jersey, I demand that The New York Times keep its chess column. Because, if the column is not preserved, some chess players might stop reading The New York Times. 

Respectfully yours, 

Lev D. Zilbermintz 

Chess Champion of Essex County since 1995 

Chess Champion of Union County 2014

Knights Unshielded against Knockouts

In week eight of the United States Chess League, the New Jersey Knockouts moved into first place in the East by piercing the armor of the New York Knights.

Follow the battles royal on boards one, two, three, and four.

Checkmate for "NY Times" Chess Column

Today I sent this e-mail to danielle.rhoades-ha@nytimes.com.

Danielle: 

I am a national master and chess blogger.  Is it really true that The New York Times is "considering eliminating the chess column in order to keep freelance costs in line," as another blogger has reported?  Please advise. 

 Jim West

[Update from Danielle: "Yes, that is correct.  A final decision has not been made yet, though."]

Marshall Sunday Game/45 10/12/2014

On Sunday, this game was won by me in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two:  Philidor Counter Gambit

Grant Wang (USCF 1926) - Jim West (USCF 2209), Marshall Chess Club 10/12/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O f4 7.d4 Qc7 8.b3 Bg4 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qd3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nbd7 12.a4 O-O-O 13.g3 g5 14.Qe2 Bc5 15.a5 Bd4 16.Bb2 Kb8

17.Rfb1 h5 18.b4 fxg3 19.hxg3 Ng4 20.Nd1 Ndf6 21.c3 Bxf2+ 22.Nxf2 Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Rd2 24.Qxd2 Nxe4+ 25.Ke2 Nxd2 26.Kxd2 e4 27.Rg1 h4 28.gxh4 Rxh4 29.Raf1 Rh2+ 30.Kc1 Qd6 31.Rd1 Qf4+ 32.Kb1 e3

33.Rgf1 Qxc4 34.Rfe1 Qb3, White resigns.

Marshall Saturday Game/60 10/11/2014

Yesterday I played these games in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Pirc Defense, Austrian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2209) - Victor Chen (USCF 1811), Marshall Chess Club 10/11/2014

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 Nc6 9.Be3 Qa5 10.O-O O-O 11.h3 Bd7 12.a3 a6 13.Qf2 Qc7 14.Qh4 b5

15.f5 b4 16.axb4 Nxb4 17.fxg6 hxg6 18.Ng5 Rfb8 19.Nd5 Nbxd5 20.exd5 Rxb2 21.Bd4 Rb4 22.Rxf6 exf6 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Bxf6 Be6 25.Qxg7+ Ke8 26.Qg8+ Kd7 27.dxe6+ fxe6 28.Qxe6+ Kc6 29.Be4+ Kb6 30.Bxa8 Qxc2 31.Qxd6+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Daniel Vasserman (USCF 1911) - Jim West (USCF 2209), Marshall Chess Club 10/11/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.c3 O-O-O 11.Nd2 Ne5

12.Qb5 Qxf2+ 13.Kd1 c6 14.Qa4 e3 15.Be2 exd2 16.Bxd2 Nc4 17.Qb3 Nxd2 18.Kxd2 Nf6 19.Qd1 d4 20.c4 d3 21.Kc1 dxe2 22.Qe1 Qe3+ 23.Kc2 Bf5#.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, O'Kelly Variation

Jim West (USCF 2209) - Yefrem Kats (USCF 1972), Marshall Chess Club 10/11/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Qc7 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.Be3 d6 9.Rc1 Nbd7 10.f3 b6 11.O-O O-O 12.Qd2 Bb7 13.Rfd1 Rac8 14.Bf1 Qb8 15.b3 Rfe8 16.Qf2 d5

17.cxd5 exd5 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bc5 20.Nf5 Qe5 21.Bxc5 Nxc5 22.Ng3 Nd7 23.Rxc8 Bxc8 24.d6 Bb7 25.Qd4 g6 26.Qxe5 Rxe5 27.a4 Kg7 28.Bc4 f5 29.Kf2 Kf6 30.f4 Rc5 31.Re1 Bd5 32.Bxd5 Rxd5 33.Re7 Rxd6 34.Rxh7 Nc5

35.h4 Rd2+ 36.Kg1 Rd3 37.Kh2 Ne4 38.Nf1 Rxb3 39.h5 gxh5 40.Rxh5 Kg6 41.Rh8 b5 42.axb5 axb5 43.Rg8+ Kf7 44.Rb8 b4 45.Rb7+ Ke6 46.Rb6+ Kd7 47.Rb5 Ke6 48.Re5+ Kf6 49.Rb5 Nd6, draw.