Marshall March Grand Prix 3/1/2015

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

Round Four: Pirc Defense

Ed Kopiecki (FIDE 1876) - Jim West (FIDE 2066), Marshall Chess Club 3/1/2015

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.f3 Nbd7 7.a4 b4 8.Nd1 a5 9.c3 bxc3 10.bxc3 Nb6 11.Bd3 Be6 12.Nb2 Bg7 13.Ne2 Qc7 14.O-O O-O

15.Bh6 Rfb8 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.f4 Bc8 18.e5 Nfd5 19.Rf3 Bg4 20.Rg3 Qd7 21.Rf1 Bf5 22.Rg5 Bxd3 23.Qxd3 f6 24.Rg3 dxe5 25.fxe5 fxe5 26.dxe5 Rf8 27.Rgf3 Nc7 28.Qd4 Qxd4+ 29.Nxd4 c5 30.Nc6 Ncd5

31.c4 Rxf3 32.Rxf3 Nb4 33.Nxe7 Re8 34.Nd5 N4xd5 35.cxd5 Rxe5 36.d6 Rd5 37.Rc3 Kf7 38.Rb3 Rxd6 39.Rb5 c4 40.Rc5 Ke6 41.Nxc4 Nxc4 42.Rxc4 Rd1+, draw.

Marshall March Grand Prix 2/28/2015

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

Round Three: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (FIDE 2066) - Jose De Villa (FIDE 1794), Marshall Chess Club 2/28/2015

1.b3 e6 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.e3 d5 4.f4 c5 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bb5 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.a4 a6 9.Bxd7 Bxd7 10.a5 Bb5 11.d3 b6 12.axb6 Qxb6 13.Nbd2 Ng4 14.Qe1 Bf6

15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Ne5 a5 17.Qe2 Ne4 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Nc4 Bxc4 20.dxc4 Rfd8 21.Rfd1 Qb4 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Rd1 Rxd1+ 24.Qxd1 g6 25.Kf2 Qc3 26.Ke2 Kg7 27.Qd2 Qb2 28.g4 h6 29.h4 Qa1 30.g5 hxg5 31.hxg5 Qb2

32.Qxa5 Qxc2+ 33.Ke1 Qxb3 34.Qxc5 Qc3+ 35.Kd1 Qd3+ 36.Kc1 Kh7 37.Kb2 Qd2+ 38.Kb3 Qd3+ 39.Kb4 Qb1+ 40.Ka5 Qb7 41.Qb6 Qa8+ 42.Kb5 Qe8+ 43.Kb4 Qd7 44.Qd4 Qb7+ 45.Kc3 Qb1 46.c5 Qa1+

47.Kb4 Qb1+ 48.Kc4 Qf1+ 49.Kb3 Qb1+ 50.Qb2 Qd3+ 51.Qc3 Qb5+ 52.Ka3 Qa6+ 53.Kb4 Qb7+ 54.Ka3 Qa6+ 55.Kb2 Qb5+ 56.Kc2 Qe2+ 57.Kc1 Qf1+ 58.Kd2 Qf2+ 59.Kd1 Qf1+ 60.Kc2 Qe2+ 61.Kb1 Qb5+ 62.Ka2 Qa4+, draw.

Film "Queen of Katwe"

 Filming of Queen of Katwe will reportedly begin later this month.

"WSJ" Video: Kasparov on Ukraine

In this video, Garry Kasparov gives his opinion on the ceasefire in Ukraine.

Pix from Sunday Game/45 2/22/2015

On Sunday, I snapped these photos during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Tiviakov - Kulaots at "Inside Jersey"

At Inside Jersey, the game between Sergei Tiviakov and Kaido Kulaots is analyzed.

Updated Teaching Schedule for Winter 2015

Today I begin teaching an after school enrichment class on chess at Ironia Elementary School, on behalf of Enrich and Grow Academy.

This is my updated schedule for the winter 2015 session:

Monday - Washington Avenue School;

Tuesday - Gottesman RTW Academy;

Wednesday - Ironia Elementary School;

Thursday - Torey J. Sabatini School;

Friday - Brooklake Elementary School.

Royal Game in "The Imitation Game"

Twice British chess champion Hugh Alexander is portrayed by Matthew Goode in The Imitation Game.

Marshall Sunday Game/45 2/22/2015

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variatiom

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Lucas Foerster-Yialamas (USCF 1684), Marshall Chess Club 2/22/2015

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.f4 O-O 9.Qf3 Qc7 10.Be3 Nbd7 11.O-O Nc5

 12.f5 e5 13.Nde2 b6 14.Bd5 Bb7 15.Ng3 Bxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 f6 18.c3 Rfc8 19.Rad1 b5 20.Qg4 Bf8 21.Kh1 a5 22.a3 Nb3 23.Ne4 Kh8 24.Rf3 Qc4 25.Rh3 Qa4 26.Qg6 h6 

27.Bxh6 gxh6 28.Nxf6 Nd4 29.Qh7#.

Five Best Chess Movies

What are the five best chess movies?

"NY Times": Chess in Washington Square Park

In The New York Times, Alex Markovich reminisces about a summer afternoon of chess in Washington Square Park.

USATE 2015 Wrap-up

At CLO, you can read an article and watch a video on the USATE 2015.

Look at these pictures taken by me at the tournament, won by Virginia Assassins [pictured, above].

                                          Saturday

                                           Sunday

                                           Monday