Thursday Night Action 8/30/2018

On Thursday, I finished with a score of 3-1-0 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Edward Hai (USCF 1706), Marshall Chess Club 8/30/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6

6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Qh5+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Harris Lencz (USCF 1918), Marshall Chess Club 8/30/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 h5 11.O-O-O Rc8 12.Bb3 Ne5 13.Bg5 a6 14.Kb1 b5

15.g4 hxg4 16.h5 Nxh5 17.Nd5 Re8 18.Rxh5 gxh5 19.Qh2 gxf3 20.Qxh5 Rc4 21.Bxc4 bxc4 22.Rh1 Ng6 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Bh6 Bxh6 25.Qxh6+ Kg8 26.Nf5 Bxf5 27.exf5, Black forfeits.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Jesse Nicholas (USCF 2000) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Marshall Chess Club  8/30/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.exf5 Bxf5 5.O-O Nf6 6.d4 e4 7.Nh4 Qd7 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Nc3 c6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Nxf5 Qxf5 12.Nxe4 Be7 13.Re1 Kd8 14.Ng3 Qf8 15.Qg4 d5 16.Nf5 Bf6 17.Bb3 g6 18.Ne3 Nd7

19.c4 Nb6 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.Bxd5 Qd6 22.Bxb7 Rb8 23.Bf3 Re8 24.Rac1 Rc8 25.Rxc8+ Nxc8 26.Rc1 Ne7 27.Bb7 h5 28.Rc8+ Nxc8 29.Qxc8+ Ke7 30.Nd5+ Kf8 31.Qc3 Bxd4 32.Qf3+ Kg7

33.Ne3 Bxe3 34.fxe3 Qb6 35.Bd5 Qxe3+ 36.Qxe3 Rxe3 37.b3 Rd3 38.Bc4 Rd1+ 39.Kf2 Rd2+ 40.Kf3 Rxa2 41.h3 a5 42.Kg3 Ra3 43.Kh4 Kh6 44.g4 g5+ 45.Kg3 a4 46.gxh5 Rxb3+, White resigns.

Pix from Saturday Game/50 8/25/2018

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

FIDE Mondays 8/27/2018

On Monday, I played this game at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Matthew Tripodi (USCF 1950) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Marshall Chess Club 8/27/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 O-O 9.O-O Nbd7 10.Re1 Qc7 11.Bb3 b5

12.a4 b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Bb7 15.Bxb7 Qxb7 16.Qd3 a5 17.c3 bxc3 18.bxc3 Rfc8 19.Rab1 Qc6 20.Rb5 Nf6 21.Bd2 Qc4 22.Qb1 h6 23.Nh4 Bf8 24.Nf5 d5

25.exd5 Nxd5 26.Re4 Qc6 27.Rg4 Kh8 28.c4 Nf6 29.Rh4 Nd7 30.Bxa5 Ra6 31.Bb4 Rxa4 32.Bxf8 Nxf8 33.Rb4 Rxb4 34.Qxb4 Qf6 35.h3, White resigns.

GM Steingrimsson at Marshall CC Tonight

Tonight at 7pm, grandmaster Hedinn Steingrimsson [pictured] will return to the Marshall Chess Club to present SciChess, a new chess training software he has developed.  It features several innovations for training, including a pattern based method to learning the game.

The software is for youth and adults alike and suitable for all levels from beginners, learning how to move the pieces, up to professional players.  It can even be used with an optional eye tracker—another novelty.  Interested attendees can sign up for pilot testing!

GM Steingrimsson is a U.S. permanent resident who lived for several years in Manhattan.  Hedinn is the top player of his native country Iceland, ELO 2580 and USCF 2650.  He has a passion for chess, training, cognitive psychology, software, and technology.

This event is for members only and refreshments will be provided.

Intellectual Property in Chess

Is chess strategy "someone else's intellectual property?"

Marshall Saturday Game/50 8/25/2018

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

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Jonathan Lang (USCF 1843) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.Be2 Bc5 7.Bh5+ g6 8.e6 Nf6 9.Nf7 Qe7 10.Nxh8 gxh5 11.Nf7 Bxe6 12.Ne5 Ng4 13.Nxg4 hxg4 14.O-O Nd7 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bf4 O-O-O

17.Na4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Nc3 Nf6 20.Qd4 Nh5 21.Qxa7 Nf4 22.Rad1 Qb4 23.a3 Qe7 24.Na4 Kc7 25.Nc5 Bc8 26.Rfe1 Rf8 27.Rxe4 Qf6 28.Na6+ Kd7 29.c4 Qf5 30.Nb8+ Kc7 31.Re7+ Kd6

32.Nxc6 Kxc6 33.b4 dxc4 34.Qd4 Qd5 35.Qxd5+ Nxd5 36.Rxh7 Nf6 37.Rh6 Kb5 38.h3 gxh3 39.gxh3 Ka4 40.h4 Kxa3 41.b5 c3 42.Kf1 Kb2 43.Re1 c2 44.Re2 Kb1 45.Rxc2 Kxc2 46.f4 b6 47.h5 Nxh5 48.Rxh5 Rxf4+, and Black wins in ? moves.

                                          Final Position

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Victor Chen (USCF 2082), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.f4 Be7 9.O-O O-O 10.Be3 Qc7 11.a3 Nbd7 12.Qf3 Bb7 13.f5 e5 14.Nde2 Nb6 15.Bxb6 Qxb6+ 16.Kh1 a5

17.Ng3 b4 18.axb4 axb4 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.exd5 Rac8 21.Ne4 Qd4 22.Rfe1 Qxb2 23.Ra7 Nxe4 24.Qxe4 Bg5 25.Qg4 Qc3 26.Rf1 Bf6 27.h3 Ra8 28.Rb7 Rfb8 29.Rxb8+ Rxb8 30.Qe4 Ra8

31.Qc4 Qxc4 32.Bxc4 e4 33.Re1 Re8 34.g4 e3 35.Re2 Bd4 36.Kg2 Rc8 37.Bb3 Kf8 38.Kf3 Ke7 39.Ke4 Bc5 40.Kf4 Ra8 41.Re1 h6 42.h4 g6 43.g5 hxg5+ 44.hxg5 gxf5 45.Kxf5 Rh8 46.Re2 Rh4 47.Rg2 Rh1

48.Ke4 Ra1 49.Bc4 Rc1 50.Bb3 Rd1 51.Kf3 Rd2 52.Rxd2 exd2 53.Ke2 Be3 54.c3 Bxg5 55.cxb4 Kd7 56.Kd3 Kc7 57.Kc4 Kb6 58.Bd1 f5 59.Be2 Be3 60.Bf3 f4 61.Bh5, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *


Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Delayed Alapin

Jason Li (USCF 2044) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.Re1 O-O 7.Bf1 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nc6 10.d3 Rb8 11.Be3 Nd7 12.Nd2 b5 13.Rac1 b4

14.Nc4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Nde5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Qg3 Nc6 18.f4 Qa5 19.Bd2 Qxa2 20.Red1 Rb2 21.Be3 Rfb8 22.d4 cxd4 23.cxd4 Rb1 24.Bc4 Rxc1 25,Bxa2 Rxd1+ 26.Kh2 Nxd4 27.Bxd4 Bxd4 28.Qf3 Rd2 29.Bc4 Rbb2

30.Bf1 Bc5 31.e5 Rf2 32.Qd3 Rxf4 33.Be2 Rd4 34.Qa6 Rxe2 35.Qxe2 dxe5 36.Qb5 Bd6 37.g4 e4+ 38.Kg2 Rd2+ 39.Kf1 e3 40.Qg5 e2+ 41.Ke1 Bg3+ 42.Kxd2 e1=Q+ 43.Kc2 Qe5

44.Qd2 Qc5+ 45.Kb3 Qb6+ 46.Kc4 Bd6 47.Qg2 Qc5+ 48.Kb3 Qa3+ 49.Kc4 Qb4+ 50.Kd3 Qb3+ 51.Kd4 e5+, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Sumit Dhar (USCF 2130), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 h5 11.O-O-O Rc8 12.Bb3 Ne5 13.Bg5 Rc5 14.Kb1 b5

15.g4 hxg4 16.h5 Nxh5 17.Nd5 Re8 18.Rxh5 gxh5 19.Qh2 Rxd5 20.Bxd5 Qc7 21.Qxh5 e6 22.Bb3 Rc8 23.Rh1 Ng6 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Bh6 Bxh6+ 26.Qxh6+ Ke7 27.Qg5+ Kf8 28.Qh6+ Ke7 29.Qg5+ Kf8, draw.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 8/23/2018

Look at these pictures that I took during Thursday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 8/23/2018

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

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Noah Fawer (USCF 1709) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/23/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Be2 Bb4 9.Bd2 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 O-O 11.O-O Nbd7

12.Ng4 Nxg4 13.Bxg4 Nf6 14.Be2 Be6 15.Bb4 Rf7 16.b3 Qd7 17.c4 c6 18.Qd2 Re8 19.Rad1 Bg4 20.h3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qf5 22.Qe3 Qg6 23.Bd2 Nh5 24.Qg5 Qxg5 25.Bxg5 h6 26.Be3 Nf4 27.Rfe1 Ref8

28.Rd2 Rf6 29.Rc1 Nd3 30.Rcc2 Rg6 31.cxd5 cxd5 32.Rc7 Rf7 33.Rdc2 Rgf6 34.Rxf7 Rxf7 35.Rc8+ Rf8 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 37.Kh2 Nb4 38.Bd2 Nc2 39.Be3 Kf7 40.Kg3 Ke6 41.Kf4 Kf6 42.h4 g6

43.Kg4 h5+ 44.Kf4 b5 45.Bd2 b4 46.Be3 a5 47.g3 Ne1 48.g4 Nd3+, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Nkosi Nkululeko (USCF 1875), Marshall Chess Club 8/23/2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Qb6 7.Qc2 Bg4 8.Nd2 e6 9.Ngf3 Rc8 10.Qb3 Be7 11.Qxb6 axb6 12.O-O O-O 13.Rfe1 Rfd8

14.h3 Bh5 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5 Nd7 17.Bh2 Bg6 18.Bxg6 hxg6 19.Nf3 b5 20.a3 Nb6 21.Re2 Nc4 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Rc6 24.Rae1 Bd6 25.Bxd6 Rcxd6 26.f4 Kf8 27.Kf2 Ke7 28.Ke3 Kd7 29.Kd3 Kc6

30.Kc2 Rh8 31.Rf1 Rh4 32.Rf3 Rd8 33.g4 Rdh8 34.Ree3 Kd6 35.Kb3 Rc8 36.f5 gxf5 37.gxf5 Re4 38.fxe6 Rxe3 39.Rxe3 fxe6 40.Rg3 Rc7 41.Rg6 Re7 42.Kb4 Rf7 43.Kxb5 Rf2 44.b3 Rf3 45.Kb4 Rf7 46.a4 b6

47.h4 Ra7 48.h5 Rf7 49.Kb5 Rf3 50.Rxg7 Rxc3 51.b4 Rb3 52.h6 Rh3 53.Kxb6 Rxh6 54.Rg4 Rh8 55.b5 Rh2 56.a5 Ra2 57.a6 Ra4 58.Kb7 e5, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Mark Dedona (USCF 1989), Marshall Chess Club 8/23/2018

1.b3 e6 2.Bb2 b6 3.e3 Bb7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Be2 g6 6.O-O Bg7 7.a4 a5 8.Na3 O-O 9.Nc4 d6 10.d3 Nbd7 11.Qc1 Nc5 12.e4 e5 13.Re1 Qd7

14.Ba3 Ne6 15.Ncxe5 dxe5 16.Bxf8 Nxf8 17.Nxe5 Qe6 18.Nc4 N6d7 19.Rb1 Bc3 20.Rf1 Nc5, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: King's Indian Defense

Daniel Yassky (USCF 2003) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/23/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 O-O 5.e4 d6 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Be3 Na6 10.Nd2 Nh5 11.g3 Qf6 12.Nb3 b6 13.Be2 Bd7 14.Bxh5 gxh5 15.Qxh5 a4 16.Nc1 Nb4 17.Qe2 a3

18.bxa3 Na6 19.Nb5 Qg6 20.Bd2 f5 21.Nb3 fxe4 22.Nc3 Nc5 23.Nxc5 bxc5 24.a4 Bxa4 25.Nxa4 Rxa4 26.O-O Rfa8 27.Bc3 Qf5 28.Kg2 Qf3+ 29.Qxf3 exf3+ 30.Kh2 Rxc4 31.Rfc1 Rxc3 32.Rxc3 e4 33.Rcc1 Bxa1 34.Rxa1 Ra3

35.g4 Kf7 36.Kg3 Kf6 37.Kf4 Ra4 38.h4 e3+ 39.Kxf3 exf2 40.Kxf2 Rxg4 41.a4 Rxh4 42.a5 Ke5 43.a6 Rf4+ 44.Ke3 Rf8 45.a7 Ra8, White resigns.