Edison Quad, Round 1, 9/28/2019

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Errol Singh (USCF 1900) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Edison NJ 9/28/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.h3 b5 10.a3 Bb7 11.Bf3 Nbd7 12.Be3 Rc8

13.Rc1 Rxc3 14.bxc3 Bxe4 15.Nd2 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 d5 17.Ra1 Qc7 18.Bg5 Rc8 19.Nb1 e4 20.Qe2 Bd6 21.a4 Qa5 22.Bd2 Rc4 23.Qe3 Bc5 24.Qg3 bxa4

25.Na3 Bxa3 26.Rxa3 Qc5 27.Rfa1 Qc6, draw.

"Mikell's Plot" on Bridgeside Network

Mikell's Plot, with lead singer and class A player Michael O'Connor [pictured], is featured in this video.

Video from National Elementary Chess

Watch this video from the National Elementary Chess Championship.

Grape Punch

Jack White stomps on Jimmy Fallon in a game of grape chess.

Marshall CC Back-to-School News

In November, the Marshall Chess Club will hold a closed club championship.

Chess Hunger

You are what you eat.

FIDE Mondays 9/23/2019

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Miguel Garcia (USCF 1940), Marshall Chess Club 9/23/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 d6 7.f3 Nf6 8.Qd2 h5 9.h4 Bd7 10.Bc4 Rc8 11.Bb3 a6 12.O-O-O Na5 13.Bg5 Nc4 14.Qe2 b5 15.Kb1 O-O

16.Qf2 Qa5 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Kg7 19.Nxf6 exf6 20.Rhg1 Rc5 21.g4 Rfc8 22.gxh5 Rxh5 23.f4 Rch8 24.Bxc4 bxc4 25.f5 Rxh4 26.fxg6 fxg6 27.Qg3 Bg4 28.Qxd6 Bxd1 29.Nf5+, Black resigns.

Under 2400, Round 4, 9/22/2019

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-1-0 plus two half point byes in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Roger Zhang (USCF 1948), Marshall Chess Club 9/22/2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 Nf6 4.g3 Bc5 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O d6 7.Nbd2 Bd7 8.a4 a5 9.Nc4 Re8 10.Be3 b6 11.Bxc5 bxc5 12.b3 Ne7 13.Qd2 Nc6 14.h3 Qc8 15.Kh2 Qa6

16.Ne3 Nd4 17.Nxd4 cxd4 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.exf5 Rad8 20.b4 axb4 21.Qxb4 Rb8 22.Qa3 e4 23.dxe4 Nxe4 24.Bxe4 Rxe4 25.Qd3 Qxd3 26.cxd3 Ree8 27.a5 Kf8 28.a6 Ke7 29.a7 Ra8 30.Rfb1 c5 31.Rb7+ Kf6

32.g4 g5 33.Ra6 Re7 34.Rxd6+ Ke5 35.Rdd7, Black forfeits.

Under 2400, Round 3, 9/21/2019

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Sozin Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - John Walton (USCF 1692), Marshall Chess Club 9/21/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 a6 8.O-O Be7 9.Be3 Bd7 10.f4 b5 11.a3 O-O 12.Qf3 Na5 13.Ba2 Nc4

14.Bxc4 bxc4 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Ne8 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Qxc6 Qc8 19.Qxc8 Rxc8 20.Ne4 f6 21.exf6 Nxf6 22.Nxf6+ gxf6 23.Rad1 Rc6 24.Rd7 Re8 25.Rf3 h5 26.Rh3 Bc5 27.Rg3+ Kh8 28.Bxc5 Rxc5 29.Rgg7 a5

30.Rh7+ Kg8 31.Rdg7+ Kf8 32.Rb7 Kg8 33.Rhg7+ Kh8 34.h4 a4 35.Rh7+ Kg8 36.Rbg7+ Kf8 37.Ra7 c3 38.Rh8#.

Thursday Open 9/19/2019

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

Round Two: Owen Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - John Brendel (USCF 1824), Marshall Chess Club 9/19/2019

1.e4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.d3 d6 4.g3 Nd7 5.Bg2 e6 6.O-O Ne7 7.Nbd2 g6 8.a4 a6 9.c3 c5 10.Re1 Bg7 11.Nc4 Qc7 12.Bf4 e5 13.Bd2 O-O

14.h4 b5 15.axb4 axb4 16.Na3 Bc6 17.h5 Rfb8 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Ng5 Nf8 20.Qf3 f6 21.Nh3 Ne6 22.Qg4 Bd7 23.Nxb5 Qc6 24.Rxa8 Rxa8 25.c4 Nf4 26.Qh4 Nxd3 27.Rb1 Kf7 28.g4 Qb6 29.Qg3 Nb4 30.Bxb4 cxb4 31.Qb3 Qc5

32.Rd1 Bxg4 33.Nxd6+ Kf8 34.Rd2 Bh6 35.Rd3 Be2 36.Nb5 Bxd3 37.Qxd3 Rc8 38.b3 Nc6 39.Qd7 Nd4 40.Nd6 Qc7 41.Qxc8+ Qxc8 42.Nxc8 Nxb3 43.Nb6 Nc5 44.Nd5 b3 45.Nc3 Ke7 46.Kf1 Kd6 47.Ke2 Ne6

48.Kd1 Kc5 49.Ng1, draw.

FIDE Mondays 9/16/2019

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Juan Herrero Estrada (USCF 2019) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 9/16/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be2 Be6 9.O-O Nbd7 10.f4 Qc7 11.Qd2 O-O 12.Rad1 b5 13.f5 Bc4

14.Bxc4 Qxc4 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Qxd5 17.exd5 Rfc8 18.c3 a5 19.Nd2 h6 20.Ne4 Nf6 21.Nxf6+ Bxf6 22.a3 a4 23.Rf3 Rc4 24.Rg3 Kf8 25.h3 Ke7 26.Rg4 Rac8 27.Rxc4 Rxc4 28.Kf2 Bg5 29.Bb6 Rf4+ 30.Ke2 Rxf5

31.g3 Kd7 32.h4 Bd8 33.Bxd8 Kxd8 34.c4 bxc4 35.Rc1 e4 36.Rxc4 Rxd5 37.Rxa4 Rb5 38.b4 Kc7 39.Ke3 d5 40.Ra7+ Rb7 41.Ra6 Rb6 42.Ra7+ Rb7 43.Ra6 Rb6 44.Ra7+ Kd6 45.Rxf7 Ra6 46.Rxg7 Rxa3+ 47.Ke2 Rb3

48.h5 Rxb4 49.Rg6+ Ke5 50.Rxh6 Rb2+ 51.Ke1 Kd4 52.Ra6 Rb3 53.h6 Rxg3 54.h7 Rh3 55.Ra7 e3 56.Ke2 Rh2+ 57.Kf3 Rf2+ 58.Kg3 Rf8 59.Ra4+ Kd3 60.Rh4 e2 61.Rh1 Kd2, White resigns.

Sunday Game/50, Round 3, 9/15/2019

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Alapin Variation

Ian Chen (USCF 1734) - Jim West (USCF 2205), Marshall Chess Club 9/15/2019

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 e6 7.Bc4 d6 8.O-O dxe5 9.dxe5 Be7 10.Qe2 Nb6 11.Bb5 Bd7 12.Rd1 Qc7 13.Nc3 a6 14.Bxc6 Bxc6 15.Be3 Nd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rac1 Qa5 18.a3 O-O

19.Nd2 Rfd8 20.h3 Rac8 21.Nb1 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Bc6 23.Nc3 Qxe5 24.Qc4 Qf5 25.Ne2 Qe4 26.Qxe4 Bxe4 27.Nc3 Bc6 28.f3 h6 29.Ne2 Bf6 30.Nc3 Bd4 31.Kf2 Bxe3+ 32.Kxe3 Kf8 33.g3 Ke7 34.Ne4 Bxe4 35.fxe4 e5

36.g4 Rd7 37.Ke2 Kd8 38.Rc5 f6 39.Rc4 Rc7 40.Rb4 b5 41.Kd2 Kd7 42.Rb3 Rc4 43.Re3 Kc6 44.b3 Rd4+ 45.Kc2 a5 46.Re2 a4 47.b4 Kd6 48.Re3 g6 49.Re2 Ke6 50.Re3 h5 51.Re2 hxg4 52.hxg4 f5 53.gxf5+ gxf5 54.exf5+ Kxf5

55.Kc3 Rc4+ 56.Kd3 e4+ 57.Kd2 Rd4+ 58.Kc2 Rd3 59.Rf2+ Ke5 60.Rh2 Rf3 61.Rh5+ Rf5 62.Rh3 Kd4 63.Rh2 Kc4 64.Re2 Kd4 65.Rg2 Re5 66.Re2 e3 67.Kd1 Kd3, White resigns.

Sunday Game/50, Round 2, 9/15/2019

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

Round Two: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2205) - Wesley Hellner (USCF 1928), Marshall Chess Club 9/15/2019

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 d5 3.e3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bg4 7.h3 Bd7 8.O-O O-O 9.a4 Nb8 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Na3 a6 12.Qc1 Nh5

13.Bxg7 Nxg7 14.Qb2 Nf5 15.Kh2 e6 16.g4 Nd6 17.g5 f5 18.d3 Qe7 19.h4 Qg7 20.Qxg7+ Kxg7 21.Kg2, draw.

Sunday Game/50, Round 1, 9/15/2019

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

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Mark Rydzewski (USCF 1694) - Jim West (USCF 2205), Marshall Chess Club 9/15/2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Ng5 Nf6 6.g4 h5 7.Bg2 d5 8.h3 hxg4 9.hxg4 Rxh1+ 10.Bxh1 Nc6 11.Nh3 Ng8 12.Nc3 Bb4 13.a3 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Qh4 15.Bg2 Nf6

16.Bg5 Qxg4 17.Bxf6 Qxd1+ 18.Rxd1 gxf6 19.Nf4 Ne7 20.Ke2 Bxf5 21.Rh1 O-O-O 22.Rh6 Rf8 23.Bh3 Bxh3 24.Rxh3 Rf7 25.Ne6 b6 26.Rh8+ Kd7 27.Nf4 Rg7

28.Nh5 Rf7 29.Rh6 Ke6 30.Nf4+ Kd7 31.Nh5 Ke6 32.Nf4+ Kd7, draw.

From Don Carrelli Memorial with Lev

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz [pictured] sends the following game with notes.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Yesterday I played in the Don Carrelli Memorial tournament in Westfield.  I began by defeating Errol Singh (USCF 1904) and drawing NM Sameer Mujumdar.  Then I defeated NM Mark Kernighan (USCF 2206) after he repeatedly refused draw offers. The last game was against Merric Hu, who is a master these days.

The game was reminiscent of Graif - Zilbermintz, Westfield 2014.  It was another Philidor Counter Gambit, del Rio Attack. The combat lasted 42 moves.

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Merric Hu (USCF 2212) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2045), Westfield NJ 9/15/2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5  4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5! 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 

The database gives three games with this line. They are James Mason - Otis Field, Jr., New York 1868, 0-1/27;  Pessi-Popescu, Bucharest 1995, 1-0/47; and Kocsis - Aladics, 33rd Harkany Tenkes Cup, Hungary 2009, draw/10. 

8...Nc6

Mason - Field, New York 1868, continued 8...Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.c3 O-O-O 11.Be3 d4 12.cxd4 Nb4  13.Qd2 Bxd4 14.Qxb4 Bxb2 15.Be2 Nh6 16.Qa4 Bc3+ 17.Kf1 Ng4 18.Qxa7 Nxe3+ 19.Qxe3 Bxa1 20.Qa7 Bd4 21.Qa8+ Kd7  22.Bb5+ Ke7 23.Qa3+ c5 24.f3 Bg4 25.Nd2 exf3 26.Nxf3 Bxf3 27.gxf3 Qh4, 0-1.  

Pessi - Popescu, Bucharest 1995 saw 8...a6? 9.Nxh8 Bxe6 10.c3 Nc6 11.Be3 d4? 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxc5 dxe3 14.Qxe3 O-O-O, 1-0/47.

9.Nxh8 

Kocsis - Aladics, Hungary 2009 continued 9.c3 Bxe6 10.Nxh8 O-O-O, drawn.

9...Bxe6  10.c3 O-O-O 11.Nd2 Ne5! 12.Nb3 Nd3+ 13.Kd2 Bxf2 14.Kc2

Here I thought long over my next move.  The problem is that so many candidate moves are playable. What attracted my attention was 14...Ne1+ 15.Kb1, but then how to continue the attack?  After spending 12 minutes on the analyses, I came up with the solution.

14...Ne1+ 15.Kb1 e3!

This prevents the bishop on c1 from coming out. Now White's forces are divided in two.

16.a4 d4!

The game is over at this point, since 17.Nxd4 Rxd4! 18.cxd4 Qf5+ wins for Black.

17.Qb5 c6! 18.Qb4 Qf5+ 19.Ka2 Nc2!! 

Annihilation!  White pieces never really got into the game.

20.Bd3 Nxb4+, White resigns.

After winning the game, I thought that I might have qualified for the Under 2200 prize.  Next thing I knew, NM Roman Malyshev was congratulating me on winning the tournament altogether!!  This was a total surprise for me, as there were at least 10 masters in the tournament.  These included Boris Privman, Yefim Treger, Sameer Mujumdar, Sam Barsky, Mauricio Camejo, just to name a few.

Winning this tournament with clear first place, 3.5/4 points, had to be my biggest success in years.  I won the first place prize of $225.  

Chess Enthusiast: Le'Veon Bell of NY Jets

Running back Le'Veon Bell says the lessons he has learned on the chessboard have helped him on the football field.

End of Golden Era

Read the article by Peter Nicholas.

Thursday Open 9/12/2019

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense

Jeffrey Tannenbaum (USCF 1900) - Jim West (USCF 2205), Marshall Chess Club 9/12/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nge2 a6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 g6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.O-O Bg7 9.Nde2 Nf6 10.h3 O-O 11.Kh2 Rc8 12.a4 Qa5

13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Ne5 15.Ra2 Qc5 16.b3 Bf5 17.Be3 Bxc2 18.Qd2 Nc4 19.bxc4 Qxc4 20.Nc1 Bxa4 21.Bh6 Bb5, draw.

My Fall 2019 Teaching Schedule

In the fall 2019 session of after school enrichment classes on chess, I will be teaching at the following schools:

Mondays - Washington School [AlphaBEST];
Tuesdays - Millington Elementary School [Premier Chess];
Wednesdays - Hudson Montessori School [101 Discoveries];
Thursdays - Hamilton Park Montessori School [101 Discoveries].

Westfield Quads, Round 2, 9/8/2019

On Sunday, I played this game at the quads in Westfield.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Justin Lee (USCF 2176), Westfield NJ 9/8/2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 d5 4.Nbd2 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 g6 7.O-O Bg7 8.Re1 O-O 9.a4 b6 10.c3 a5 11.Qc2 Ba6 12.Bf1 Qc7 13.b3 Rac8 14.Bb2 Rfd8 15.Rad1 b5 16.axb5 Bxb5

17.e5 Nd7 18.d4 Bxf1 19.Rxf1 cxd4 20.cxd4 Nxd4 21.Qxc7 Nxf3+ 22.Nxf3 Rxc7 23.Ra1 Rb8 24.Nd4 Nxe5 25.Rxa5 Nf3+ 26.Nxf3 Bxb2 27.Rb1 Rxb3 28.Nd4 Rbb7 29.Nb5 Rc1+ 30.Rxc1 Bxc1 31.Ra8+ Kg7

32.Nd6 Rb1 33.Kg2 d4 34.Ra7 Kf6 35.Rxf7+ Ke5 36.Rd7 Rb4 37.f4+ Kd5 38.Ne8+ Ke4 39.Nf6+ Kd3 40.Ng4 Ke2 41.Rd6 d3 42.Rxe6+ Kd1 43.Nf2+ Kc2 44.Rc6+ Kd2 45.Rxc1 Rd4 46.Rd1+ Ke2 47.Rxd3 Rxd3 48.Nxd3 Kxd3 49.Kf3 Kd4

50.g4 h6 51.h3 Kd5 52.Ke3 Ke6 53.Ke4 Kf6 54.h4 Ke6 55.g5 hxg5 56.hxg5 Ke7 57.Ke5 Kf7 58.Kd6 Kf8 59.Ke6 Kg7 60.Ke7 Kh7 61.Kf7 Kh8 62.Kxg6 Kg8 63.f5 Kf8 64.Kh7 Kf7 65.g6+ Kf6 66.g7 Kxf5 67.g8=Q Ke5 68.Qg4, and White wins in ? moves.

                                       Final Position