Pal Benko 1928-2019

[photo courtesy of Susan Polgar, pictured right]

Pal Benko [pictured left] defeated four world champions: Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, and Fischer.

FIDE Mondays 8/26/2019

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

Round One: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ely Spears (USCF 1600), Marshall Chess Club 8/26/2019

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.c3 e6 6.Bf4 Be7 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.h3 h6 9.Nbd2 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.O-O O-O 12.Re1 Nd7 13.Qe2 a5 14.a4 b6 15.Nf1 Re8 16.Bb5 Bb7

17.Bxc6 Bxc6 18.Ne5 Nxe5 19.Qxe5 Qxe5 20.Rxe5 b5 21.axb5 Bxb5 22.Nd2 a4 23.f4 Bd3 24.Re3 Bc2 25.Rc1 Bg6 26.Ra1 Reb8 27.b4 axb3 28.Rxa8 Rxa8 29.Nxb3 Ra2 30.Nc5 Kf8 31.Kh2 Ke7 32.Kg3 Rd2 33.Kf3 h5

34.g4 hxg4+ 35.hxg4 Kd6 36.Kg3 Kc6 37.Nxe6 Be4 38.Nd8+ Kc7 39.Nxf7 Rd3 40.Rxd3 Bxd3 41.f5 Bb5 42.Kf4 Kd7 43.Ke5 Ke7 44.Nd6 Bc6 45.g5 Kd7 46.f6 g6 47.Nf7, Black resigns.

"Mikell's Plot" in Houston TX

Class A player Michael O'Connor, lead singer for Mikell's Plot, sends these pictures.

Sunday Game/50, Round 4, 8/25/2019

On Sunday, this game was played in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Jose De Villa (USCF 1980), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2019

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 Bg4 8.Bg5 c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.h3 Be6 11.c3 Qb6 12.Qc2 Nbd7 13.b4 Bd6 14.Be3 Qc7 15.Nd4 a6 16.Nbd2 Rac8 17.Rac1 Ne5 

18.Bf1 Qd7 19.f4 Nc4 20.Nxc4 dxc4 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Rcd1 Qc7 23.Bxc4 Qxc4 24.Rxd6 Ne4 25.Rd4 Qxc3 26.Qxc3 Nxc3 27.Bd2 Rfe8 28.Rd6 Nxa2 29.Rexe6 Rxe6 30.Rxe6 Kf7 31.Rb6 Rc7 32.b5 axb5 33.Rxb5 Nc1

34.Kf2 Nd3+ 35.Ke2 Nc5 36.Ba5 Re7+ 37.Kf3 Ne6 38.Bc3 g6 39.g4 Rd7 40.Be5 Nd8 41.Ke4 Ne6 42.h4 Nd8 43.f5 Nc6 44.fxg6+ Kxg6 45.Bb2 Re7+ 46.Kf4 Nd8 47.Rg5+ Kf7 48.Rf5+ Ke8 49.Bf6 Ne6+ 50.Ke5 Ng7+

51.Bxe7 Nxf5 52.Kxf5 Kxe7 53.g5 b5 54.h5 b4 55.Ke4 Ke6 56.g6 Kf6 57.gxh7 Kg7 58.Kd3, draw.

Sunday Game/50, Round 2, 8/25/2019

On Sunday, I drew this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Nathan Pranaprom (USCF 1737), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2019

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Qb6 7.Qb3 Qxb3 8.axb3 e6 9.Nf3 Nh5 10.Be3 Bd7 11.b4 Bd6 12.b5 Ne7 13.Ne5 Ng6 14.Nxd7 Kxd7 15.g3 Nf6 16.Nd2 Ne7 17.O-O Ng4

18.Rfe1 Nxe3 19.Rxe3 h5 20.Rf3 f6 21.h4 Rhf8 22.Kg2 g5 23.hxg5 fxg5 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Rxa7 Kc7 26.Nf3 g4 27.Nh4 e5 28.Ra1 e4 29.Be2 Nf5 30.Nxf5 Rxf5 31.Ra8 Rf8 32.Rxf8 Bxf8 33.Kf1 Bh6 34.Ke1 Bc1 35.b3 Kd6

36.c4 b6 37.cxd5 Bb2 38.Bc4 Bxd4 39.Ke2 Bc5 40.Kf1 Bb4 41.Ke2 Bc5 42.Ke1 Bb4+ 43.Kf1 Bc5 44.Ke2 Bb4 45.Ke3 Bc5+ 46.Kxe4 Bxf2 47.Kf4 Be1 48.Kg5 Bxg3 49.Kxh5 Be1 50.Kxg4 Bc3 51.Kf5 Bd4

52.Kg6 Bg1 53.Kf7 Bf2 54.Ke8 Be3 55.Kd8 Bf2 56.Kc8 Be3 57.Kb7 Bg1, draw.

Sunday Game/50, Round 1, 8/25/2019

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

Round One: Pirc Defense 

Malcolm Galpern (USCF 1825) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/25/2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3 Nbd7 7.O-O-O Nb6 8.Kb1 b4 9.Nce2 a5 10.Nc1 Be6 11.Nh3 h6 12.Be3 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Bxc4 14.Rhe1 h5 15.Nf4 Bg7

16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Qxd2 18.Rxd2 Nd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.f4 e6 21.Nd3 O-O 22.Nc5 Rfd8 23.Red1 Bf8 24.h3 Be7 25.g4 hxg4 26.hxg4 Bf3 27.Rxd8+ Rxd8 28.Rxd8+ Bxd8 29.g5 Bb6 30.Kc1 Bd5 31.b3 a4

32.Kd2 axb3 33.axb3 Bd8 34.Nd3 Kf8 35.Bc5 Ke8 36.Bxb4 Be4 37.Ke3 Bf5 38.c4 Bb6+ 39.Bc5 Bxd3 40.Bxb6 Bc2 41.b4 Kd7 42.Kd4, draw.

GM Soltis Lecture at Marshall CC on Tuesday

On Tuesday, August 27th, the Marshall Chess Club is honored to have grandmaster Andy Soltis—nine time Marshall CC champion, two time U.S. Open champion, and renowned author—joining us at 7pm for a lecture from his new book Tal, Petrosian, Spassky and Korchnoi: A Chess Multibiography with 207 Games.

This is one lecture you don't want to miss.

FIDE Mondays 8/19/2019

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Closed Variation

Noah Beck (USCF 1759) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/19/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.Nge2 Nf6 7.O-O O-O 8.h3 Rb8 9.Be3 e5 10.Qd2 Nd4 11.f4 b5

12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 exf4 15.Bxf4 Bxb2 16.Rab1 Bd4+ 17.Kh2 f5 18.Qd2 b4 19.h4 Qf6 20.Bg5 Qf7 21.Qe2 Re8 22.Qf3 Bd7 23.Bh3 Bf6 24.Bf4 Be5 25.Bg5 h5 26.Bg2 Qg7 27.Bh3 Rb6

28.Rbe1 Ra6 29.d4 cxd4 30.Qb3 Ra3 31.Qxb4 Rxg3 32.Bf4 Bxf4 33.Rxe8+ Bxe8 34.Rxf4 Re3 35.Qxd6 Bf7 36.Qc6 Qe5 37.Qc8+ Kg7 38.Qc7 Qxc7, White resigns.

Shelby Lyman 1936-2019

[photo by Michael Evans]

In 1972, Shelby Lyman [pictured] hosted public television's show on the Spassky-Fischer world championship match.

Edison Quads, Round 3, 8/17/2019

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 2-0-1 in the quads at Edison.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Errol Singh (USCF 1969) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Edison NJ 8/17/2019

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.a3 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.g5 Nh5 15.Kb1 Nf4 16.h4 Rfd8

17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 a5 19.Bd3 b4 20.a4 g6 21.Bb5 Rdc8 22.Rh2 Rc7 23.Bc6 Rxc6 24.dxc6 Qxc6 25.Nd4 Qxa4 26.Ne2 Nh5 27.f4 exf4 28.Nxf4 b3 29.Qd5 Rc8

30.cxb3 Qxf4 31.Re2 Bf8 32.Re4 Qf5 33.Qd3 Nf4, White resigns.

Edison Quads, Round 2, 8/17/2019

On Saturday, I won this game in the quads at Edison.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Eric Li (USCF 1608) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Edison NJ 8/17/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Bd3 Be6 9.h3 b5 10.O-O Nbd7 11.a3 O-O

12.Nd5 Bxd5 13.exd5 Nb6 14.Bxb6 Qxb6 15.Qf3 Rac8 16.Rfe1 Rfe8 17.Rac1 g6 18.Rcd1 Kg7 19.Qe3 Qxe3 20.fxe3 e4 21.Be2 Rxc2 22.Rb1 Nxd5 23.Nd4 Rcc8 24.Bf1 Bf6 25.Rbd1 Nb6 26.b3 d5 27.a4 Bxd4 28.Rxd4 bxa4 29.Bxa6 Rc5 30.bxa4 Ra5 31.Bb5 Rea8

32.Ra1 Rxb5 33.Rc1 Rxa4 34.Rd2 Nc4 35.Rf2 Ra3 36.Rcf1 f5 37.g4 Nxe3 38.Rc1 Rb7 39.Rc6 Ra1+ 40.Kh2 fxg4 41.Kg3 gxh3 42.Kxh3 Rh1+ 43.Kg3 Nf5+ 44.Kg2 Rhb1 45.Kh3 e3, White resigns.

Edison Quads, Round 1, 8/17/2019

On Saturday, I drew this game in the quads at Edison.

Round One: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Arya Shah (USCF 1975), Edison NJ 8/17/2019

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 Bf5 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.d3 Nb6 7.Qf3 Qd7 8.Nge2 Bg4 9.Qg3 Bxe2 10.Nxe2 Nbxd5 11.O-O e6 12.Nf4 Bd6 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.c4 Nxf4 15.Bxf4 Bxf4 16.Qxf4 O-O-O

17.Rad1 Rhe8 18.Rfe1 f6 19.h3 e5 20.Qg4 Qxg4 21.hxg4 Rd4 22.f3 Red8 23.b3 Rxd3 24.Rxd3 Rxd3 25.Re2 Kd7 26.Kf2 Kd6 27.Ke1 Kc5 28.g5 Rd7 29.gxf6 gxf6 30.g4 Rd3 31.Kf2 Kd4 32.Kg3 Kc3

33.g5 fxg5 34.Rxe5 Rd7 35.Rxg5 Kb2 36.Ra5 a6 37.f4 Rg7+ 38.Kf3 h5 39.Rg5 Rh7 40.Rg2+ Kc3 41.Ke4 h4 42.f5 h3 43.Rh2 Re7+ 44.Kf4 Rh7 45.Ke5 Re7+ 46.Kf6 Re3 47.Kf7 Kd4 48.f6 Ke5 49.Rf2 Kd6

50.Kf8 Rg3 51.f7 Rg2 52.Rxg2 hxg2 53.Ke8 g1=Q, draw.

Thursday Action, Round 4, 8/15/2019

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Thomas Knoff (USCF 1971), Marshall Chess Club 8/15/2019

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 Rb8 11.h5 Na5 12.Bb3 Nxb3 13.axb3 b5 14.hxg6 fxg6 15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 e5 17.Nde2 Rb7 18.O-O-O Be6

19.g4 b4 20.Na4 Qc7 21.Kb1 Bd7 22.g5 Bxa4 23.gxf6 Be8 24.Qg5 Rb6 25.Ng3 Ra6 26.Rd5 Bc6 27.Nf5 Rf7 28.Nh6+ Kf8 29.Nxf7 Bxd5 30.Qh6+ Ke8 31.exd5 Qxf7 32.Qxh7 Qxh7 33.Rxh7 Ra5 34.Rg7 Rxd5

35.Rxg6 Kf7 36.Rg7+ Kxf6 37.Rxa7 Rd4 38.Kc1 Rf4 39.Kd2 Rxf3 40.Ra4 Rf4 41.c3 bxc3+ 42.bxc3 Rf3 43.b4 Ke6 44.b5 Kd7 45.Rb4 Rf8 46.Kd3 d5 47.b6 Kc6 48.c4 Rf3+ 49.Ke2 Rf8 50.Kd3 Rb8 51.cxd5+ Kxd5

52.b7 Kc6 53.Ke4 Rxb7 54.Rxb7, draw.

Thursday Action, Round 3, 8/15/2019

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

Round Three: King's Indian Defense, Orthodox Variation

Michael Hehir (USCF 2054) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/15/2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 O-O 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.Bg5 Re8 11.Nb5 Re7 12.Nc3 Be6

13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.cxd5 Nd4 15.Bc4 h6 16.Bxf6 Nxf3+ 17.gxf3 Bxf6, draw.

Thursday Action, Round 2, 8/15/2019

On Thursday, I drew this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Joel Fagliano (USCF 1994), Marshall Chess Club 8/15/2019

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 Bf5 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 Qd7 10.Bg3 Bxg3 11.hxg3 c6 12.Rxe7 Qxe7 13.Bxf5 Na6 14.c3 Nc7 15.Nbd2 Ne8 16.Bd3 Nd6

17.Qc2 g6 18.Re1 Qf7 19.c4 Rae8 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Qc5 Qe6 23.b3 Rc8 24.Qa3 Rc3 25.Bf1 g5 26.Qa5 Rc1 27.Kh2 Ne4 28.Nxe4 dxe4 29.Bc4 Rxc4 30.bxc4 exf3 31.gxf3 Qxc4 32.Qxa7 Qd5

33.f4 gxf4 34.Qb8+ Kg7 35.Qxf4 Qxa2 36.Qg4+ Kf7 37.Qd7+ Kg6 38.Kg2 Qf7 39.Qg4+ Kh6 40.Qh4+ Kg7 41.Qg4+ Kf8 42.Qc8+ Kg7 43.Qg4+ Kf8, draw.

Thursday Action, Round 1, 8/15/2019

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

Round One: English Opening

Dylan Singer (USCF 1805) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/15/2019

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.O-O e6 6.e3 Nge7 7.d4 cxd4 8.exd4 d5 9.b3 dxc4 10.Bb2 cxb3 11.Qxb3 O-O 12.Rd1 Nd5 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Ne7 15.Bb4 Re8 16.Rac1 Nd5

17.Bc5 b6 18.Ba3 Bb7 19.Ne5 Rac8 20.Nc4 Bf8 21.Bxf8 Rxf8 22.Qa3 a6 23.Qd6 b5 24.Qxd8+ Rfxd8 25.Na5 Ba8 26.Nb3 b4 27.Nc5 Nc3 28.Bxa8 Rxa8 29.Rd2 Rxd4 30.Rxd4 Ne2+ 31.Kg2 Nxd4 32.Rc4 Rc8

33.Rxd4 Rxc5 34.Rxb4 a5 35.Rb2 h5 36.Kf3 Kg7 37.Ke4 Rd5 38.a4 f5+ 39.Ke3 Kf6 40.Rb5 Rxb5 41.axb5 Ke5 42.b6 Kd6 43.b7 Kc7 44.Kd4 Kxb7 45.Kc5 a4 46.Kb4 Kc6 47.Kxa4 Kd5 48.f4 e5 49.fxe5 Kxe5

50.Kb3 Ke4 51.h3 Kf3 52.g4 fxg4 53.hxg4 hxg4, White resigns.