Pix from Saturday Game/50 7/28/2018

During Saturday's tournament, I photographed the players at the Marshall Chess Club.

Marshall Sunday Game/50 7/29/2018

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

[photo by Eric Dluhos]

Round Two: Vienna Game

Pedro Espinosa (USCF 1897) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/29/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.d3 Nf6 5.f4 Bg4 6.Nf3 exf4 7.Bxf4 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Ne5 11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.Nd5 c6 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Rf2 Rad8 15.Raf1 Rd7

16.a3 Ne8 17.Bb3 Nd6 18.Qe3 a6 19.Rf3 Kh8 20.g4 h6 21.Qf2 f6 22.h4 Nb5 23.c3 Rfd8 24.Qg3 Qc5+ 25.Kg2 Nxc3 26.bxc3 Qxc3 27.Be6 Rxd3 28.g5 Rxf3 29.Rxf3 Qc2+ 30.Kh3 Rd1

31.gxf6 Rh1+ 32.Kg4 Qxe4+ 33.Kh5 Rxh4+ 34.Qxh4 Qxf3+ 35.Kg6 Qxf6+ 36.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Bf5 b5 38.Kxf6 c5 39.Kxe5 b4 40.a4 c4 41.Kd4 c3 42.a5 Kg7 43.Kc4 Kf6 44.Bd3 Ke5 45.Kb3 Kd4 46.Bxa6 Kc5

47.Bf1 h5 48.Be2 h4 49.Bf3 Kb5 50.a6 Kxa6 51.Kc2 h3 52.Be2+ Ka5 53.Bf3 Ka4 54.Bc6+ Ka3 55.Bd5 h2 56. Be4 Ka4 57.Bc6+ Ka5 58.Kb3 Kb6 59.Be4 Kc5 60.Bg2 Kd4 61.Kc2 Ke3 62.Kb3 Kf2 63.Bh1 Kg1 64.Be4 h1=Q, White resigns.

Marshall Saturday Game/50 7/28/2018

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

Round Two: King's Indian Defense

Wesley Hellner (USCF 1897) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/28/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.f4 exf4 7.Bxf4 O-O 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.Nf3 Nc5 10.O-O Re8 11.Qc2 Ng4 12.h3 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Ne5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Qf3 Bxf4 16.Qxf4 Qe7 17.Rf2 Bd7

18.Raf1 Rf8 19.Qh6 a6 20.Rf6 Bf5 21.R6xf5 gxf5 22.Rxf5 f6 23.Rf4 Kh8 24.Ne2 f5 25.Rh4 Qg7 26.exf5 Qxh6 27.Rxh6 Rxf5 28.Re6 Re5 29.Nf4 Rxe6 30.Nxe6 Rc8 31.b3 c6 32.Nf4 Kg7 33.Kf2 b5 34.dxc6 bxc4 35.c7 cxb3 36.axb3 Kf6

37.Ke3 Ke5 38.Nd3+ Kd5 39.Nf4+ Kc6 40.Ne6 Kd7 41.Ng5 Rxc7 42.Kd3 Kc6 43.g4 Re7 44.Nf3 Kd5 45.Nh4 Rb7 46.Kc3 a5 47.Nf5 Ke5 48.Nd4 Rb6 49.Kd3 d5 50.Ke3 Rh6 51.h4 Ra6 52.Nf3+ Kd6

53.Ng5 a4 54.bxa4 Rxa4 55.Kf3 Ra7 56.Kf4 h6 57.Nf3 Rf7+ 58.Ke3 Kc5 59.Nd4 Re7+ 60.Kd3 Re4 61.g5, White resigns.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 7/26/2018

During Thursday's tournament, I snapped these photos at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 7/26/2018

On Thursday, I finished with a score of 2-0-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

 

Round One: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Bingjie Liu (USCF 1966), Marshall Chess Club 7/26/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 d5 4.Nbd2 Nc6 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 Qc7 10.Qe2 b5 11.Nf1 c4 12.d4 b4 13.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 Qa5 15.Qc2 Rb8 16.h4 h6 17.h5 Nb6 18.a4 Nd7 19.N3d2 f6

20.Nxc4 dxc4 21.Bxc6 fxe5 22.Bxd7 Bxd7 23.Rxe5 Qc7 24.Bxh6 Bf6 25.Rc5 Qb7 26.Bf4 Rbc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.h6 Qd5 29.Ne3 Qh5 30.Qd1 Qg6 31.Qg4 Qf7 32.Be5 Bxe5 33.dxe5 g6 34.Nxc4 Rf8 35.f4 Kh7

36.Nd6 Qe7 37.Rb1 Bc6 38.Kh2 Kxh6 39.Qh4+ Qxh4 40.gxh4 Rxf4 41.Kg3 Rf3+ 42.Kg4 Rxc3 43.Rb8 Ra3 44.Rh8+ Kg7 45.Rc8 Rxa4+ 46.Kg5 Bf3 47.Rc7+ Kf8 48.Rf7+ Kg8 49.Rxf3 Ra5 50.Kxg6 Rxe5 51.Kf6 Rh5 52.Kxe6 Rxh4

53.Ra3 Rh6+ 54.Kd5 Rh7 55.Ra6 Re7 56.Nc8 Rh7 57.Nxa7 Rh5+ 58.Ke4 Rh4+ 59.Kf3 Rh3+ 60.Kg2 Rc3, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: King's Indian Defense

Jose De Villa (USCF 1912) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/26/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nbd2 O-O 5.c4 d6 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.Re1 e4 9.Ng5 Re8 10.f3 exf3 11.Bxf3 Nf8 12.Nge4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 f5 14.Ng3 c6 15.e4 fxe4 16.Nxe4 Bf5 17.Bg5 Qb6

18.Nf6+ Bxf6 19.Bxf6 Qxb2 20.Be7 Ne6 21.Bf6 Kf7 22.Re2 Qb6 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Bh4 Rae8 25.Bf2 Qb4 26.d5 Re5 27.dxc6 bxc6 28.h3 Be4 29.Bd4 Bxf3 30.Qxf3+ Rf5 31.Qxc6 Re1+ 32.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 33.Kh2 Qe7

34.Qc8 Rf4 35.Qh8 Rxd4 36.Qxd4 Qe5+ 37.Qxe5 dxe5 38.Kg3 Ke6 39.Kf3 Kd6 40.Ke4 a5 41.g4 a4 42.g5 a3 43.h4 Kc5 44.Kxe5 Kxc4 45.Kf6 Kc3 46.Kg7 Kb2 47.Kxh7 Kxa2 48.h5 gxh5 49.g6 Kb1 50.g7 a2 51.g8=Q a1=Q

52.Qg1+ Ka2 53.Qh2+ Qb2 54.Qxh5, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Daniel Yassky (USCF 1969), Marshall Chess Club 7/26/2018

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 Bd6 6.Bd3 Nge7 7.O-O Bg4 8.Re1 Qd7 9.Nbd2 O-O-O 10.Qa4 f6 11.b4 a6 12.b5 Na7 13.Ba3 Ng6 14.Bxd6 cxd6 15.Qb3 Nf4 16.Bf1 Nxb5 17.a4 Nc7 18.Rab1 Qc6

19.c4 Bf5 20.cxd5 Qxd5 21.Bc4 Qc6 22.d5 Nfxd5 23.Nd4 Bxb1 24.Nxc6 bxc6 25.Rxb1 Kd7 26.Qh3+ Ke7 27.Re1+ Kf7 28.Bxd5+ Nxd5 29.Qe6+ Kg6 30.Qg4+ Kf7 31.Nc4 Rhe8 32.Rxe8 Kxe8 33.Qe6+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Alapin Variation

Jonathan Corbblah (USCF 2086) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/26/2018

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.cxd4 d6 8.O-O dxe5 9.dxe5 Nb6 10.Bd3 Nb4 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Qe2 Bxb5 15.Qxb5+ Nc6 16.Nc3 O-O

17.Ne4 Qb4 18.Qe2 Rad8 19.Rfd1 Rd5 20.Nc3 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Nc4 22.a3 Qb3 23.Qe4 h6 24.Rb1 Rd8 25.h4 Nd2 26.Nxd2 Rxd2 27.Qe3 Rxb2 28.Rxb2 Qxb2 29.a4 Qb4 30.Nb5 Qxa4 31.Nd6 Qa1+ 32.Kh2 Qxe5+ 33.Qxe5 Nxe5 34.Nxb7 Nc6

35.Kg3 a5 36.Nc5 Kf8 37.Kf4 Ke7 38.Ke4 f5+ 39.Kd3 g5 40.hxg5 hxg5 41.Kc4 Kd6 42.g3 g4 43.Nb7+ Ke5 44.Kc5 Nb4 45.Kc4 Nc6 46.Kc5 Nb4 47.Kc4 Nd5 48.Nxa5 f4 49.Kd3 fxg3 50.fxg3 Nf6 51.Nc6+ Kd5 

52.Ne7+ Kd6 53.Nc8+ Ke5 54.Ke3 Ne4 55.Nb6 Nxg3 56.Nd7+ Kf5 57.Nc5 Nh5 58.Ne4 g3 59.Kf3 g2 60.Nd6+ Ke5 61.Nc4+ Kd4 62.Na3 g1=Q 63.Nb5+ Kc5 64.Nc3 Qg3+ 65.Ke4 Qf4+ 66.Kd3 Qd4+ 67.Kc2 Qxc3+ 68.Kd1 Qb2

69.Ke1 Kd4 70.Kf1 Ke3 71.Kg1 Kf3 72.Kh1 Qg2#.

"Business on the Board": A Reflection

Here is a reflection my CEO at Premier Chess, Evan Rabin, wrote about Jim Egerton's book Business on the Board:

In May, I kicked off a Premier Chess program at a middle school at an impoverished neighborhood in Brownsville, New York by asking “Why play chess?”  I received some typical answers, including “It’s fun,” “It helps you think,” and “Competition is fun.”  They were shocked how I explained the plastic pieces could help them get into high school, college and a good career. Chess has influenced me to become a critical thinker, conduct enterprise sales at Oracle and Rapid7, co-found a sales outsourcing startup Pillar Sales and ultimately form Premier Chess.   Premier Chess teaches life lessons to all ages and levels for organizations ranging from ThistleWaithe Early Learning Center to Grace Church School to the law firm Kramer Levin to the nursing home Village Care.  Jim Egerton’s Business on the Board (2016) illustrates the tactical and strategical lessons business leaders could learn through the game.

"Pawn Sacrifice" on Starz & Starz Cinema

In the next week, you can watch Pawn Sacrifice on Starz and Starz Cinema.

Marshall CC July 2018 News

IM-elect Levy Rozman earned his third and final IM norm.

Westfield Quads 7/22/2018

On Sunday, I drew these games in the quads at Westfield.

Round One: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Boris Privman (USCF 2211), Westfield NJ 7/22/2018

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bf5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O h6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.d4 Bd6 9.a4 a5 10.b3 O-O 11.Ba3 Bxa3 12.Rxa3 Na6 13.Ra1 Qd6 14.Ne5 Nb4 15.Rc1 Rad8 16.Qd2 Rfe8 17.Rfd1 Ne4

18.Nxe4 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 dxe4 20.Nc4 Qd5 21.Qb2 Qh5 22.Ne3 Nd5 23.Rc5 Qh3 24.Nxd5 Rxd5 25.Rxd5 cxd5 26.e3 Rc8 27.Rc1 h5 28.Rxc8+ Qxc8 29.h4 Qc6 30.Qd2 b6 31.Kf1 g6 32.Ke2 Kg7 33.f3 exf3+ 34.Kxf3 Qf6+ 35.Kg2 g5

36.Qf2 gxh4 37.Qxf6+ Kxf6 38.gxh4 Kf5 39.Kf3 f6 40.e4+ dxe4+ 41.Ke3 Ke6 42.Kxe4 f5+ 43.Kf4 Kd5 44.Kxf5 Kxd4 45.Kg5 Kc3 46.Kxh5 Kxb3 47.Kg5 Kxa4 48.h5 b5 49.h6 b4 50.h7 b3 51.h8=Q b2

52.Qb8 Ka3 53.Qb5 a4 54.Qd3+ Ka2 55.Qc4+ Ka3 56.Qc3+ Ka2 57.Qc4+ Ka3 58.Qc2 b1=Q 59.Qxb1, stalemate.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Peter Radomskyj (USCF 2212), Westfield NJ 7/22/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4 f6 7.Na3 Be6 8.Qe2 Ne7 9.Nc4 Qd7 10.d3 Ng6 11.b3 Be7 12.Be3 c5 13.Nfd2 O-O 14.a5 Qc6 

15.f4 exf4 16.Bxf4 Nxf4 17.Rxf4 b5 18.axb6 cxb6 19.Raf1 b5 20.Ne3 Rf7 21.Nf5 Bf8 22.Rh4 g6 23.Ne3 a5 24.Rhf4 Bg7 25.Ng4 Bxg4 26.Qxg4 a4 27.bxa4 bxa4 28.e5 f5 29.Qe2 Re7 30.Nc4 Rae8 31.Qf3 Qxf3 32.R1xf3 a3

33.Rf1 a2 34.Ra1 Ra7 35.Rf2 Bxe5 36.Nxe5 Rxe5 37.c4 Re3 38.Rfxa2 Rxa2 39.Rxa2 Rxd3 40.Ra5 Kf7 41.Rxc5 Rc3 42.Rc7+ Ke6 43.h4 Kd6 44.Rxh7 Rxc4 45.Rh6 Rg4 46.h5 Ke6 47.Rxg6+ Rxg6 48.hxg6 Kf6, draw.