Guerrero Rodriguez - Zilbermintz

Lev Zilbermintz e-mails me the following Philidor Counter Gambit that he played at the Internet Chess Club against a women's international master from Mexico. He mentions that 10...Qc1+ would have won a move sooner. Instead of 10.Qa4, Zilbermintz gives 10.Qc2 d4 11.Bd2 Qxe5 with advantage to Black.


WIM Alejandra Guerrero Rodriguez (FIDE 2127) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 1976), ICC Simultaneous 9/10/2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.c4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Qxg5 8.Bxb4 Nc6 9.Bc3 Bg4 10.Qa4 O-O-O 11.h3 Qc1+, White resigns.

Westfield Swiss 9/16/2007

There were 36 players in today's game/30 Swiss at Westfield. I finished in an 8-way tie for third place with a score of 2-0-2.

Here is my game against the highest rated opponent that I faced.

Round Four: King's Indian Defense

Sameer Mujumdar (USCF 2027) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Westfield NJ 9/16/2007

1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 O-O 6.Bg2 Nbd7 7.e4 e5 8.O-O c6 9.h3 Qb6


10.Rb1 exd4 11.Qxd4 Qxd4 12.Nxd4 Nb6 13.b3 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxd4 15.Nxd6 Rd8 16.Nxc8 Raxc8 17.Bf4 Bf6 18.Rbd1 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Rd8 20.Rxd8+ Bxd8 21.Kf1 Kf8 22.Ke2 Ke7 23.h4 a5 24.Kd3 Nd7 25.a3 Bb6 26.Ke2 Bc5 27.Bd2 Bxa3 28.Bxa5 Bc5 29.Bc3 Bd6 30.b4 Ne5 31.Bxe5, draw.

Grob's Attack

The rare Grob's Attack made an appearance last Sunday at the Westfield Quads, with a time control of game/45.

Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 1945) - Steve Ferrero (USCF 1892), Westfield NJ Quad 9/9/2007

1.g4 Nc6

Two options for Black are:

a) 1...d5 2.Bg2 c6 3.h3 h5 4.g5 h4 5.e4 dxe4 6.Nc3 Qa5 7.Nxe4 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Be4 Nd7 10.Qe2 Bb4 11.Bxf5 Qxf5 12.Ne4 O-O-O 13.a3 Bf8 14.d3 Kb8 15.Bd2 Ne7 16.Nf3 Ng6 17.O-O-O +/=, Skembris-Gheorghiu, Skopje 1984;

1...e5 2.h3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.d4 e4 5.c4 Bd6 6.Nc3 Ne7 7.Bg5 f6 8.Bd2 O-O 9.Qb3 Kh8 10.Rc1 Na6 11.e3 f5 =/+, Basman-Kudrin, Manchester 1981.


2.Bg2 b6 3.h3 Bb7 4.Nf3 Nd4 5.e3 Nxf3+ 6.Bxf3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 d5 8.Nc3 e6

This position is approximately equal, but Black needs to catch up in development.

9.d3 Nf6 10.Bd2 c5 11.e4 a6 12.O-O d4 13.Ne2 e5 14.Qg3 Nd7 15.f4 Bd6 16.f5 f6

White leads in development and has the better bishop.

17.Kg2 Be7 18.h4 Rc8 19.b3 a5 20.a4 Nb8 21.Kf3 Kd7 22.Rh1 Qc7 23.g5 Rcg8 24.Rag1 Qd8

Black plays passively, as though content with a draw. Perhaps he should move his knight to c6 at some point. On the other hand, maybe White should aim for the pawn break on c3.

25.Qh3 Qf8 26.Ng3 Kd8 27.Nh5 Qe8 28.Qg4 Nd7 29.Ke2 Kc8 30.Qf3 Kc7 31.gxf6 Bxf6 32.Bg5 Qf7

Now Black plays to exchange his weaker bishop.

33.Rg2 h6 34.Bxf6 gxf6 35.Rhg1 Rxg2 36.Rxg2 Rg8

Here Black offered a draw which was declined although White has no advantage.

37.Rxg8 Qxg8 38.Qg3 Qxg3 39.Nxg3 Kd6 40.Nf1 Ke7 41.Nh2 Kf7 42.Ng4 Kg7 43.Nf2 h5

This position is dead equal and could have been agreed drawn at this point.

44.Nd1 Kf7 45.Nb2 Nb8 46.Nc4 Nd7 47.Nd6+ Ke7 48.Nc4 Kf7 49.Kd2 Ke7 50.Na3 Kd6 51.Nb5+ Kc6 52.c3 Nb8 53.Kc2 Na6 54.cxd4, draw.

This rather dull and boring example of Grob's Attack does not leave me inclined to try it anytime soon!

PCG with 4.Bc4 and 5.Ng5

At his Contre Gambit Philidor blog, Frederic Fournier thinks that Black's play needs to be improved upon after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.O-O Nxd4 7.c3 f4 8.Nxh7 Ng4 which is what I used against David Newmuis at Cherry Hill last Saturday.


Fournier recommends 8...Ne6 as a better try. But there is nothing wrong with 8...Ng4 provided that I had followed up after 9.Nxf8 with 9...Nxh2! (10.cxd4? Nf3+! 11.Qxf3 Qh4 wins) instead of my 9...Rxh2 10.g3 Qg5.


White missed 11.cxd4!, after which Black has two choices:

(a) 11...Nxf2!? 12.Qf3 Qxg3+ 13.Qxg3 fxg3 14.Rxf2 Rxf2 15.Ne6! Bxe6 16.Bxe6 Ke7 17.Bc4 exd4 18.Nd2 Rh8 19.Nf1 with clear advantage to White;


(b) 11...Rh6! 12.Qf3 Nh2 13.Qg2 Qh5 14.Nd2 Nxf1 15.Bxf1 Kxf8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.b4 when White's advantage is small.

FIDE World Championship

Later today, the FIDE world championship tournament begins in Mexico City.

NJKO on the Ropes?

In previewing tonight's match in the U.S. Chess League between the New Jersey Knockouts and Baltimore Kingfishers, Michael Goeller of The Kenilworthian is less than optimistic about the winning chances of the NJKO.

Frank Brady Lecture

This evening at 7:30, Frank Brady will lecture on "Bobby Fischer, the Enigma: the Pride and Sorrow of Chess" at the Marshall Chess Club.

Besides being the author of Fischer's biography Profile of a Prodigy, Brady is also the club's president.

Le Gambit Fajarowicz

By searching on Google and Yahoo! for "Fajarowicz", I found this fascinating article. Here are the original and translated versions.

September Issue of "Chess Life"

Yesterday in the mail, I received my September 2007 issue of Chess Life, one of the more readable in recent memory.

There were a couple of articles commemorating the 35th anniversary of Bobby Fischer's world championship victory in 1972. Al Lawrence discusses the Fischer fallout, while Susan Polgar and Paul Truong give highlights of the Spassky-Fischer match.

Cherry Hill Swiss 9/8/2007

Only eight players participated in today's game/30 Swiss at Cherry Hill, New Jersey. But three, including myself, were masters. I finished first with a score of 4-0-1. Luckily for me, my third-round opponent was in time trouble and missed 27...Rxe4 which should have won for him.

Round One: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Donald Battle (USCF 1521), Cherry Hill NJ 9/8/2007

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Ne4 Qc7 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.Qe2 Nd7 11.O-O-O O-O-O 12.Nh4 Nb6 13.Nxf5 Nxc4 14.Qxc4 exf5 15.g3 Bd6 16.Qd3 Qd7 17.Qf3 h5 18.h4 f4

19.gxf4 Qf5 20.Qh3 Qxh3 21.Rxh3 f5 22.Re1 Rhg8 23.Rg3 Rg4 24.Rxg4 fxg4 25.f5 Kd7 26.Bg5 Re8 27.Rxe8 Kxe8 28.Kd2 a5 29.a4 b5 30.b3 Kd7 31.Kd3 b4 32.c4 bxc3 33.Kxc3 Bh2 34.Kd3 Kd6 35.Bd8 Bg1 36.Ke2 Kd5 37.Bb6 Ke4 38.Kf1 Bh2 39.Bxa5 Kxd4 40.Bb6+ Kc3 41.a5 Bb8 42.a6 Kxb3 43.a7 Bxa7 44.Bxa7 Kc4 45.Ke2 c5 46.Ke3 Kd5 47.f6 Ke6 48.Bxc5 Kxf6 49.Kf4 Kg6 50.Be7 f6 51.Bd8 Kg7 52.Kf5 Kf7 53.Bxf6, Black resigns.




* * * * * * * * * * *

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

David Newmuis (USCF 1786) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Cherry Hill NJ 9/8/2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.O-O Nxd4 7.c3 f4 8.Nxh7 Ng4 9.Nxf8 Rxh2 10.g3 Qg5 11.Bxf4 Qh5

12.cxd4 Rh1+ 13.Kg2 Qh3+ 14.Kf3 Nh2+ 15.Ke2 Rxf1 16.Qa4+ Kxf8 17.Be3 Bg4+ 18.Kd2 Rd1+ 19.Kc3 Qg2 20.Bd3 Nf1 21.dxe5 Nxe3 22.fxe3 Rxd3+ 23.Kxd3 Qe2+ 24.Kd4 dxe5+ 25.Kc3 Qxe3+ 26.Kb4 a5+ 27.Kc4 Qd4+ 28.Kb3 Bd1+, White resigns.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Sveshnikov Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Andrew Shvartsman (USCF 2084), Cherry Hill NJ 9/8/2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Na3 b5 10.Nd5 f5 11.c3 Bg7 12.exf5 Bxf5 13.Nc2 O-O 14.Nce3 Be6 15.g3 Rc8 16.Bg2 f5 17.f4 e4 18.O-O Ne7

19.Kh1 Nxd5 20.Nxd5 Rc5 21.Ne3 d5 22.Qd2 b4 23.cxb4 Rc7 24.Rfd1 d4 25.g4 fxg4 26.Bxe4 Rxf4 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.Qxf4 Rf7 29.Qxg4 h5 30.Qg2 Bxe4 31.Qxe4 Re7 32.Qg2 d3 33.Rd2 Qd4 34.Rad1 Qxb4 35.h3 Kh7 36.Qf3 Re1+ 37.Rxe1 Qxd2 38.Qxh5+ Qh6 39.Qf5+ Qg6 40.Qxg6+ Kxg6 41.Rd1 Bxb2, Black forfeits.



* * * * * * * * * * *

Round Four: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Michael Katz (USCF 2232) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Cherry Hill NJ 9/8/2007

1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e5 4.dxe5 Ne4 5.Nbd2 Bf5 6.Qb3 Nc5 7.Qe3 Be7 8.exd6 Qxd6 9.Qe5 Qxe5 10.Nxe5 O-O

11.g4 Bf6 12.gxf5 Bxe5 13.Bg2 a5 14.O-O a4 15.Rb1 Nba6 16.b4 axb3 17.axb3 Nb4 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 c6 20.Bd2 Na2 21.Bf3 Rfd8 22.Be3 Nc3 23.Bb6 Rd2 24.Rbc1 Nxe2+ 25.Bxe2 Rxe2 26.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Ra1 28.Rxa1 Bxa1 29.Bc5 g6 30.Kg2 Kg7 31.fxg6 hxg6 32.Kf3 Be5 33.h3 Kf6 34.Ke4 Ke6 35.Bb6 f5+ 36.Ke3 Bf6 37.Bd4 Be7 38.Kf3, draw.



* * * * * * * * * * *

Round Five: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Shaun Pilkington (USCF 1866), Cherry Hill NJ 9/8/2007

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 Na5 11.Bb3 Qc7 12.h5 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Qxc4 14.hxg6 fxg6 15.O-O-O Rfc8 16.Kb1 b5 17.Nde2 Be6 18.Nf4 Bf7

19.Qd3 Qc7 20.Ncd5 Nxd5 21.Nxd5 Qb7 22.Bg5 Re8 23.g4 a5 24.Rh2 b4 25.Rdh1 a4 26.Rxh7 b3 27.Rxg7+ Kxg7 28.Qc3+ e5 29.Bh6+ Kh8 30.Nf6 bxc2+ 31.Kc1 Bg8 32.Bf8+ Bh7 33.Nxh7 Qxh7 34.Rxh7+ Kxh7 35.Qc7+, Black resigns.

NJ Open Results Plus NJKO

Grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky won the New Jersey Open on Labor Day weekend with 5 points out of 6. Congratulations to Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero on his first-place tie in the under-1900 section!

On Wednesday night, the New Jersey Knockouts stayed undefeated in week 2 of the United States Chess League by drawing their match against the Tennessee Tempo.

Fajarowicz Analysis

In March 2007, while playing in a tournament at the Polgar Chess Center in Queens, I bought The Fighting Fajarowicz [Chess Digest, 1996, 228 pages] by Tim Harding. One advantage to purchasing a book in person rather than on-line or by mail is that it affords you the opportunity to browse before buying. My shopping spree has already paid dividends, as I have beaten a couple of masters and drawn another with the Fajarowicz after the opening moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4. There has also been a draw against a master who declined the Budapest Gambit with 3.d5.

The Fajarowicz Variation is to 1.d4 what the Philidor Counter Gambit is to 1.e4, namely fighting chess! You will not find many positional moves in these sharp lines.

Game #1

Mark Kernighan (USCF 2215) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Hamilton NJ Quad 4/21/2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 Nc6 6.Qc2 d5 7.exd6 Bf5 8.Qd1 Qxd6 9.e3 (9.a3 Bxd2+ 10.Bxd2 O-O-O 11.Qc1 Rhe8 12.b4 Nd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Be3 Qe5 15.Bf4 Rd1+! 16.Qxd1 Qc3+ 17.Bd2 Nxd2 18.Qxd2 Qxa1+ 19.Qd1 Qxa3, 0-1, Ziewitz-Hagen, Schleswig 1963) O-O-O 10.Be2 Qf6 11.Qb3 Nc5 12.Qd1 Nd3+ 13.Bxd3 Bxd3 14.a3 Bxd2+ 15.Nxd2 Ne5 16.f4 Nxc4 17.Nxc4 Bxc4 18.Qg4+ Kb8


Material is even with bishops of opposite colors, but Black has a huge plus due to his lead in development.

19.Kf2 Rd6 20.Re1 Rhd8 21.Qf3 Bb3 22.e4 Rd3 23.Re3 Bd1 24.e5 Qb6 25.Qg3 g6 26.h4 a5 27.Kg1 Bc2 28.Qf2 Rd1+ 29.Kh2 Bf5 30.a4

White might have tried 30.b4 axb4 31.axb4 hoping for 31...Qxb4?! 32.Rea3, but 31...R8d3 maintains Black's edge.

30...Qc5 31.b4 axb4 32.Qb2 R8d3 33.Rxd3 Qg1+ 34.Kg3 Rxd3+, White resigns.

White's rook and bishop are on their original squares!



* * * * * * * * * * *

Game #2

Sandi Hutama (USCF 2219) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Mount Arlington NJ Quad 4/28/2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Bc5 4.e3 O-O (4...d6 5.Nc3 O-O 6.Nf3 c6 7.Be2 cxd5 8.cxd5 Bf5 9.O-O a6 10.a4 Nbd7 = and 0-1 in 41 moves, Bekmuhkamedova-Vo, Bratislava 1993) 5.Nc3 c6 6.g4 (6.Bd3 cxd5 7.cxd5 a6 8.a3 b5 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 Re8 11.Nge2 d6 12.Ng3 Bb7 13.Qb3 Nbd7 14.h3 Rc8 15.O-O with a small advantage for White although 0-1 in 72 moves, Pixton-Monokroussos, Internet Chess Club 2000) cxd5 7.cxd5 Qa5 8.Bg2 d6 9.g5 Ne8 10.Nge2 f6 11.h4 b5 12.Bd2 b4 13.Ne4 Na6 14.gxf6 Nxf6 15.Nxf6+ Rxf6 16.Ng3 Bd7 17.Ne4 Rg6 18.Bf3 Rf8 19.h5 Rh6 20.Rg1 Bb6 21.Ng5 Nc5 22.Be2 Bd8


23.a3 Bxg5 24.axb4 Qd8 25.bxc5 Bh4 26.Rg2

Black now seizes the opportunity to force a draw by perpetual check.

26...Rxf2 27.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 28.Kxf2 Qh4+ 29.Kg1 Qg3+ 30.Kh1 Bf5 31.Ra4 Qh3+ 32.Kg1 Qg3+ 33.Kh1, draw.



* * * * * * * * * * *

Game #3

Ilye Figler (USCF 2300) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/29/2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Nxd2 6.Nbxd2 Nc6 7.a3 Bxd2+ (7...Bf8!? 8.Qc2 g6 9.Qc3 Bg7 10.Ne4 Nxe5! 11.Nxe5 Qe7 12.f4 d6 =/+, Vol-Glaskov, Moscow 1990) 8.Qxd2 Qe7 9.Qc3 O-O 10.Rd1 Re8 11.Rd5 b6 12.e3 Bb7 13.Bd3 (13.Be2 Rad8 14.O-O Nb8 15.Rc1! Bxd5 16.cxd5 d6 17.Bb5 Rf8 18.e4 a6 19.Bd3, Smyslov-Steiner, Groningen 1946 when Smyslov recommends 19...Rfe8!? 20.e6 fxe6 21.dxe6 c5 22.Bc4 as Black's best try, a position which Fritz8 evaluates as = after 22...Rc8) Rad8 14.h4 Nb8


15.b4 c5 16.Rh3

Black answers 16.Rd6 with 16...f6 giving a slight advantage to White.

16...cxb4 17.axb4 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Rc8 19.Qd4 d6 20.e6 fxe6 21.dxe6

White misses 21.Qe4 g6 22.h5 exd5 23.Qxd5+ Qe6 24.Qxe6+ Rxe6 25.Rg3 which is approximately equal.

21...Nc6 22.Bxh7+?! Kh8

Capturing the bishop looks risky, but Black should win after 22...Kxh7 23.Ng5+ Kh6 24.Qf4 Ne5.

23.Qe4 d5 24.Qxd5 Qxb4+ 25.Kf1 Qa5 26.Qe4 Qa1+ 27.Ne1 Ne5 28.f4 Rc1 29.fxe5 Rxe1+ 30.Kf2 Rf1+ 31.Kg3 Qe1+ 32.Kg4 Qd1+ 33.Kg5

On 33.Rf3 Rxf3 34.gxf3 Qg1+ 35.Kh5, a drawn queen-and-pawn ending is the result after 35...Rxe6 36.Bg6 Rxg6 37.Qxg6 Qxe3.

33...Qd8+ 34.Kg4 Qd1+ 35.Kg5 Qd8+, draw.



* * * * * * * * * * *

Game #4

Lorand Kis (USCF 2207) - Jim West (USCF 2203), New Jersey Open 9/2/2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.a3 d6 (4...Qh4?! 5.g3 Qh5 6.Bg2 Qxe5 7.Nf3 Qh5 8.O-O d6 9.Nd4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Be7 11.e4 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 O-O 13.Bf4 +/- and 1-0 in 62 moves, Flear-Bellon, Bern 1991) 5.exd6 Bxd6 6.Nd2

White avoids the trap 6.Nf3?? Nxf2! 7.Kxf2 Bg3+!!

6...Bf5 7.Ngf3 Bc5?!

Moving this piece twice is inaccurate. Black should play 7...O-O with a lead in development.

8.e3 O-O 9.Be2

White could have exploited Black's 7th move by 9.b4! Qf6 10.Ra2.

9...Qf6 10.Qb3 Nc6 11.Nxe4 Bxe4 12.Bd2 Rfe8 13.h4 h6 14.h5 a5 15.Bc3 Qe6 16.Qa4 Ra6


17.Rh3 Bb4!

I had counted on this move to take the sting out of 18.Rg3.

18.Rc1 Bxc3+ 19.Rxc3 Rb6 20.Rb3?

White must play 20.b3, but Black is already better because of White's poorly placed queen.

20...Bc2 21.Bd1 Rxb3 22.Bxc2 Rxb2 23.Kf1 Rd8 24.Rh4 Qf6 25.Kg1 Qc3 26.Bf5 Qb3 27.c5 Qxa4 28.Rxa4 Rb5 29.Rc4 Rd5 30.g4 Rbxc5 31.Re4 Rd8 32.Kg2 Kf8

An easier win is 32...b5 followed by 33...b4.

33.Rf4 Rd6 34.Kg3 Rf6 35.Re4 Ne7 36.Bd7 Rd6 37.Ba4 b5 38.Bb3 a4 39.Ba2 Rc2 40.Bb1 Rb2, White resigns.