Marshall July Grand Prix 7/20/2014

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

Round Four: King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation

Jonathan Maxwell (USCF 2030) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Marshall Chess Club 7/20/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.Qc2 c6 9.b3 Re8 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.e4 Qc7 12.h3 a5 13.Be3 Bf8

14.Na4 b6 15.Rfd1 Nc5 16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Bg5 Nh5 18.Rd2 Ng7 19.Bf6 Nh5 20.Bg5 h6 21.Be3 Kh7 22.Rad1 Ng7 23.Qc3 f6 24.Ne1 Ne6 25.Nd3 Nd4 26.f4 Qe7 27.Rf2 Bg7 28.fxe5 fxe5 29.Qd2 Be6 30.Rdf1 a4

31.Nc1 axb3 32.axb3 Reb8 33.Bxd4 cxd4 34.Kh2 h5 35.Qc2 h4 36.Bf3 hxg3+ 37.Kxg3 Bh6 38.Bg4 Bf4+ 39.Rxf4 exf4+ 40.Rxf4 Rf8 41.Nd3 Rxf4 42.Nxf4 Bxg4 43.hxg4 Qe5 44.Qh2+ Kg7 45.Kf3 Rf8 46.g5 Qxg5 47.Qg3 Qxg3+ 48.Kxg3 Kf6

49.e5+ Kf5 50.e6 Rb8 51.Ne2 Rxb3+ 52.Kf2 c5 53.e7 Rb8 54.Ng3+ Ke5 55.Kf3 Re8 56.Ne4 Rxe7 57.Nxc5 Kf5 58.Kf2 Rc7 59.Nb3 Rxc4 60.Ke2 Ke5, White resigns.

Marshall July Grand Prix 7/19/2014

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

Round Two: King's Indian Defense, Orthodox Variation

William Hu (FIDE 1991) - Jim West (FIDE 2045), Marshall Chess Club 7/19/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5

13.Rc1 Ng6 14.c5 Nf6 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nb5 g4 17.Nc7 g3 18.hxg3 fxg3 19.Bxg3 Rb8 20.Ne6 Bxe6 21.dxe6 Bh6 22.Rc3 Kh8 23.Bf2 Nf4 24.Bc4 a6 25.Nd3 N6h5 26.Nxf4 Nxf4 27.Be3 Qe7 28.Qc2 Rg8 29.Bxf4 Bxf4

30.Rd1 Qh4 31.g4 Rg6 32.Bf1 Rbg8 33.e7 Qxe7 34.Rc8 Be3+ 35.Kg2 Bc5 36.Rxg8+ Rxg8 37.Bc4 Rf8 38.Rh1 b5, draw.

Frank Brady Interview at 2014 World Open

Frank Brady is inerviewed by David Kerans at the 2014 World Open.

Pix from Marshall Masters 7/15/2014

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

Washington Square Hustlers at Marshall CC

Just a few short blocks from the historic Marshall Chess Club, a very different chess scene exists in Washington Square Park.  There a number of chess entrepreneurs play blitz with regular "customers" and tourists.  Money frequently changes hands and the rules of chess are somewhat less strictly followed than at the Marshall Chess Club. 

On Tuesday, July 22nd at 7 pm, Washington Square Park chess will come to the Marshall Chess Club for what promises to be a very special and entertaining evening.  Five of New York's most interesting and prominent "hustlers" will talk about their lives, at and away from the chess boards, and answer questions.  Following the discussion, J.P. Morgan, Omar, Boca, Joe, and Cornbread will take on all challengers for no-money blitz games. 

Refreshments will be served. 

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

Kimberly Ding Wins $100,000 Scholarship

Congratulations to WFM Kimberly Ding of New Jersey on winning a $100,000 scholarship to Webster University at the 2014 Susan Polgar Foundation Girls Invitational tournament!

Marshall Masters 7/15/2014

On Tuesday evening, my opponent resigned too soon in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Rainer Labay (FIDE Rapid 2183) - Jim West (FIDE Rapid 2049), Marshall Chess Club 7/15/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.Bd3 b5 11.Rhe1 Bb7 12.Kb1 O-O-O 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.g4 b4

15.Na4 Qa5 16.b3 d5 17.e5 Ne4 18.Bxe4 dxe4 19.Qe3 Kb8 20.Re2 h5 21.g5 g6 22.Red2 Rc8 23.Rc1 Rhd8 24.c4 bxc3 25.Rxc3 Rxc3 26.Nxc3 Bb4 27.Rc2 Bc5 28.Nce2 Qe1+ 29.Rc1 Bxd4, White resigns.

He missed 30.Qxd4, although Black is better after 30...Rxd4 31.Rxe1 Rd2.

Pix from Marshall July Under 2300

On Sunday, I took these pictures during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Marshall July Under 2300 7/13/2014

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

Round Four: English Opening

Ben Gershenov (FIDE 2177) - Jim West (USCF 2045), Marshall Chess Club 7/13/2014

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.e4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.f3 Rfc8 13.b3 a6 14.Kf2 b5

15.Nd5 Qxd2 16.Bxd2 Nxd5 17.cxd5 Bd7 18.Ke3 Bh6+ 19.Kd3 Bxd2 20.Kxd2 Kf8 21.h4 a5 22.h5 g5 23.g3 h6 24.f4 f6 25.Rxc8+ Rxc8 26.Rc1 Rxc1 27.Kxc1 gxf4 28.gxf4 b4 29.Kd2 Ke8 30.Ke3 Kd8 31.Kd4 Kc7

32.e5 fxe5+ 33.fxe5 Bf5 34.Kc4 dxe5 35.Kb5 Kd6 36.Kxa5 Kc5 37.Ka4 Bd7+ 38.Ka5 e4, White resigns.

Marshall July Under 2300 7/12/2014

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

Round Three: English Opening

Wesley Hellner (FIDE 1854) - Jim West (FIDE 2045), Marshall Chess Club 7/12/2014

1.c4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.e4 Bg7 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.O-O O-O 8.Bd2 Ne8 9.Qc1 Bg4 10.Bh6 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nd4 12.Bd1 e6

13.Ne2 Nxe2+ 14.Bxe2 Qf6 15.Rb1 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 Qg7 17.Qe3 e5 18.b4 b6 19.bxc5 dxc5 20.g3 Nc7 21.f4 exf4 22.gxf4 Ne6 23.Kh1 Qd4 24.Qg3 Kh8 25.e5 Rad8 26.Rf3 f5 27.Rbf1 Qd7 28.R3f2 Nd4 29.Bd1 Ne6 30.Be2 Qa4

31.Bd1 Qa3 32.Rd2 Qc3 33.Rff2 Rd4 34.Kg2 Nxf4+ 35.Kh1 Ne6 36.Bf3 Rxd3 37.Rxd3 Qxd3 38.Qh4 Qd8 39.Qh6 Qg5 40.Qxg5 Nxg5 41.Bd5 Re8 42.Re2 Ne6 43.Kg1 Kg7 44.Kf2 Nf4 45.Re3 Rxe5 46.Ra3 Nxd5 47.cxd5 Rxd5 48.Rxa7+ Kf6

49.Ke3 h5 50.Ra6 Rd6 51.a4 Re6+ 52.Kf3 g5 53.a5 bxa5 54.Rxa5 g4+ 55.Kf4 Re4+ 56.Kg3 f4+ 57.Kh4 Re5 58.Ra6+ Ke7 59.Ra7+ Kd6 60.Rf7 f3 61.h3 Ke6 62.Rf8 Rf5 63.Re8+ Kd7 64.Re1 f2 65.Rf1 gxh3 66.Kxh3 Kc6

67.Kg2 c4 68.Kh2 Kc5 69.Kg2 c3 70.Kh2 Kc4 71.Kg2 c2, White resigns.

"Chess-in-the-Schools" Tournaments

You may not have known that Chess-in-the-Schools runs free tournaments, provided you pre-register on-line.

Photos from "Chess Mates" 7/5/2014

You can view photos from Saturday's tournaments at Chess Mates.