Tourney at Ironia School, Winter 2014

On Tuesday, the final class of the winter 2014 session took place at Ironia Elementary School, in the after school enrichment program on chess, coached by me for Enrich and Grow Academy.

The tournament winner was Ethan Ji with 5 points, trailed by Alexander Winans and Andrew Browne with 4 points.

Medals were awarded to the fourteen students.

Pix from Rahway Swiss 4/19/2014

You can see pictures from the 3rd Saturday Swiss at the Chess Mates blog.

Marshall Sunday Game/45 4/20/2014

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2207) - Yefrem Zats (USCF 2030), Marshall Chess Club 4/20/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O Nge7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.Re1 d5 9.h4 b6 10.e5 Qc7 11.Qe2 Nb4 12.Nf1 Ba6 13.a3 Nbc6 14.Bf4 Nd4

15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Nh2 Rac8 17.Rac1 h5 18.Nf3 Qc5 19.Bh3 Nc6 20.g4 hxg4 21.Bxg4 Qe7 22.Bg5 Qc7 23.Kg2 Rce8 24.h5 gxh5 25.Bxh5 b5 26.Bf4 Ne7 27.Nxd4 Ng6 28.Bg3 Qe7 29.Nf3 d4 30.Nxd4 Bb7+ 31.Bf3 Qg5

32.Kf1 Nf4 33.Bxf4 Qxf4 34.Qe3 Qxe3 35.fxe3 Bxf3 36.Nxf3 f6 37.Ke2 fxe5 38.Rg1 Rf7 39.Nxe5 Rc7 40.c3 Kh7 41.Rh1+ Bh6 42.Ng4, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: King's Indian Defense, Saemisch Variation

Isaac Barayev (USCF 2212) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Marshall Chess Club 4/20/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Nge2 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Ng3 exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Qa5 11.Bf4 Ne8 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.Be2 Nd7 14.O-O Rb8 15.Rc1 c4

16.b3 Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Qxb3 18.Qe1 Ne5 19.f4 Nd3 20.Bxd3 cxd3 21.f5 Bd7 22.Rf3 Qc4 23.Nf1 Bxa4 24.Ne3 Qd4 25.Nb1 Bb5 26.f6 Nxf6 27.Bc3 Qxe4 28.Bxf6 Bxf6 29.Rxf6 Rbe8 30.Rf3 Rc8 31.Nc3 Qb4 32.Nxb5 d2, White resigns.

Rahway Swiss 4/19/2014

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 1-0-2 in the tournament at Chess Mates.

Phiona Mutesi Begins U.S. Tour Today

Today WCM Phiona Mutesi and her coach Robert Katende begin a tour of the United States to share their inspiring story of success through chess and education.

Please support Phiona's campaign.

Pix from Marshall Masters 4/15/2014

These pictures were taken by me during Tuesday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Pix from Sunday Game/60 4/13/2014

During Sunday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I took pictures of the players.

Marshall Masters 4/15/2014

On Tuesday evening, I played these games in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation

Eric Balck (FIDE Rapid 1999) - Jim West (FIDE Rapid 2062), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.O-O Nc6 6.Re1 Nf6 7.c3 e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Be7 13.Rb1 O-O 14.Bg5 Rfc8 15.Qa4 b6

16.Qd1 Na5 17.Re3 Nc4 18.Rd3 Qd8 19.h4 h6 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.g4 g6 22.Kg2 Kg7 23.Kh3 Rc7 24.Nh2 Rac8 25.f4 Qa3 26.Rc1 Nb2, White forfeits.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (FIDE Rapid 2062) - Anthony Norris (FIDE Rapid 1993), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O e5 7.a4 Nf6 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.Nc4 Na5 10.Nxa5 Qxa5 11.Bd2 Qc7 12.Bc3 c4 13.Nd2 cxd3 14.cxd3 Rd8 15.Nc4 Be6

16.Ne3 d5 17.Rc1 dxe4 18.Qe1 exd3 19.Ba5 Qd7 20.Rc7 Qxa4 21.Rxb7 Rdb8 22.Bc7 Qe8 23.Bxb8 Rxb8 24.Qb4 Rxb7 25.Qxb7 Qd7 26.Qb8+ Bf8 27.Qxe5 Ne8 28.Rd1 Bb3 29.Rd2 Bb4 30.Rxd3 Qxd3 31.Qxe8+ Bf8

32.Qe4 Qxe4 33.Bxe4 Bg7 34.Nd5 Bxb2 35.Ne7+ Kf8 36.Nc6 a6 37.Bd3 Ba4 38.Nb4 Bb5 39.Bc2 a5 40.Nd3 Bd4 41.Kf1 Ke7 42.Ke1 Kd6 43.f4 a4 44.Kd2 Kd5 45.Nb4+ Kc4 46.Na2 Bg1 47.Bd3+ Kc5 48.Bc2 Bxh2 49.Nc3 Bxg3 50.Nxa4+ Bxa4 51.Bxa4 Bxf4+ 52.Ke2 f5

53.Kf3 Be5 54.Bb3 Kd6 55.Bg8 h6 56.Bh7 Ke6 57.Bxg6 Kf6 58.Bxf5 Kxf5 59.Kg2 Kg4 60.Kh1 Kh3 61.Kg1 Bh2+ 62.Kh1 Be5 63.Kg1 h5 64.Kh1 h4 65.Kg1 Kg3 66.Kh1 h3 67.Kg1 Kf3, draw.

Marshall Sunday Game/60 4/13/2014

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

Round Three: King's Indian Defense

Sarah Budow (USCF 1505) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Marshall Chess Club 4/13/2014

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.c4 O-O 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 e5 8.Bd2 Re8 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 Nf6 11.d5 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 Bf5 13.Qh4 Qxh4 14.Nxh4 Bd3 15.Rc1 Bf6

16.g3 e4 17.Bc3 Bxh4 18.gxh4 Bxc4 19.Bd4 Bxa2 20.Rg1 Bxd5 21.Kd2 c5 22.Bc3 f5 23.h5 Kf7 24.hxg6+ hxg6 25.h4 Rg8 26.Rh1 b5 27.b4 a5 28.bxc5 dxc5 29.h5 b4 30.Bb2 c4 31.Bd4 c3+ 32.Bxc3 bxc3+ 33.Rxc3 Rac8

34.Ra3 Rc5 35.hxg6+ Rxg6 36.Rh7+ Rg7 37.Rh5 Be6 38.Ke2 Bc4+ 39.Kd2 Bd3 40.f3 Rg2+ 41.Kd1 Rg1+, White resigns.

Pix from "Chess Mates" 4/12/2014

On Saturday, I photographed the players in the morning game/30 tournament and the Luzviminda Machan Open tournament at Chess Mates.

Rahway Swiss 4/12/2014

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 3-1-0 in the tournament at Chess Mates.

Alexandra Van Loon as Fischer's Niece

Alexandra Van Loon has been cast as Bobby Fischer's niece in Pawn Sacrifice.