Pix from Marshall CC Swiss

On Sunday, I took these pictures at the Marshall Chess Club during a Swiss tournament called Marshall CC Not the US Open.

Here is the game from round two between Michael Bodek as White and Daniel Vulis. I drew both of them in rounds one and three respectively.

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In round three, NM Yefim Treger defeated George Berg in the foreground, while IM Jay Bonin bested Edward Gaillard in the background.

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Meanwhile, on board one, the game between NM Michael Thaler as White and NM Grigoriy Braylovskiy ended in a draw. These two players finished the tournament in a three-way tie for first place with FM Ilye Figler at 3-0-1.

Marshall Chess Club Swiss 8/10/2008

Yesterday I played in the one-day schedule of a Swiss tournament at the Marshall Chess Club and finished with a score of 2-0-2. Here are my games.

Round One: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Michael Bodek (USCF 1727), Marshall Chess Club 8/10/2008

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 Nbc6 8.c3 Bf5 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 Qd7 11.Bg3 Bxg3 12.hxg3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Qf5 14.Qxf5 Nxf5 15.Nbd2 Nd6

16.Kf1 Rae8 17.a4 Na5 18.b3 Kf7 19.g4 h6 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.Re1 Rxe1+ 22.Kxe1 g5 23.Ke2 a6 24.Kd3 b5 25.axb5 axb5 26.Ne1 Ke6 27.f3 c6 28.Nc2 f5 29.Ne3 Kf6 30.gxf5 Nxf5 31.Ng4+ Kg7 32.Ne5 Ne7 33.b4 Nc4

34.Ndxc4 dxc4+ 35.Ke4 Nd5 36.Nxc6 Nxc3+ 37.Ke5 Ne2 38.Ke4 Nc3+ 39.Ke5 Ne2 40.Ke4 Nc3+, draw.

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Round Two: Philidor Defense

Ronald Saylo (USCF 1826) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Marshall Chess Club 8/10/2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 a5 9.h3 h6 10.Be3 Re8 11.Qd2 Bf8 12.Rad1 Qc7

13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Bb3 Nc5 15.Bxc5 Bxc5 16.Qe2 Nh5 17.Qc4 b6 18.Ne2 Ba6 19.Qc3 Bb4 20.Qe3 Bxe1 21.Rxe1 Rad8 22.c4 Rd7 23.Qc3 b5 24.g4 Nf6 25.Ng3 b4 26.Qc1 Rd3 27.Re3 Red8 28.Kg2 c5

29.Ne1 Rxe3 30.Qxe3 Bb7 31.Nf5 Bxe4+ 32.Kg3 Bxf5 33.gxf5 e4+ 34.Kg2 Qe5, White resigns.




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Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Daniel Vulis (USCF 2003) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Marshall Chess Club 8/10/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Nh5 g6 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.h4 Bd6 11.Bg5 Qg7 12.Ng4 Bxg4 13.Qxg4 Qd7 14.Be2 h5 15.Qxd7+ Nxd7 16.g4 hxg4 17.Bxg4 Be7 18.O-O-O Bxg5+ 19.hxg5 Ke7

20.Kd2 Rag8 21.Ke3 c6 22.Bxd7 Kxd7 23.Rh6 Ke6 24.Rdh1 Rxh6 25.Rxh6 Kf5 26.Rh7 Rb8 27.b3 Kxg5 28.Rf7 a5 29.c4 dxc4 30.bxc4 b5


31.Kxe4 bxc4 32.Ra7 Re8+ 33.Kf3 Rf8+ 34.Ke3 Rf5 35.Rc7 Rf6 36.Ra7 Rf5, draw.




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Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Paulsen Variation

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Mark Young (USCF 1964), Marshall Chess Club 8/10/2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Be7 7.c4 d6 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Rc1 Ne5 11.Be2 O-O 12.O-O b6 13.f3 Qc7 14.Qd2 Bb7 15.Rfd1 Rfd8 16.Bf1 h6 17.Qf2 Nfd7 18.Nd4 Rac8 19.b3 Kh8 20.g3 Rg8 21.Bh3 Nc5

22.Qe2 Nc6 23.Nc6 Bc6 24.b4 Na4 25.Nb5 axb5 26.cxb5 Qb7 27.bxc6 Rxc6 28.Rxc6 Qxc6 29.Rc1 Qd7 30.Bf1 Ra8 31.Qb5 Qa7 32.Rc6 Rb8 33.Bd4 Nc5 34.Bc4 Kh7 35.Bf2 Nd7 36.f4 Rb7 37.a4 Qb8 38.Bd3 g6 39.Qc4 Bf6 40.Rc8 Qa7

41.Qc6 Rb8 42.Rc7 Qa8 43.Qxd7 Rf8 44.Bxb6 d5 45.exd5 exd5 46.Qc6 Qb8 47.Bc5 Re8 48.Rxf7+, Black resigns.

"The Kenilworthian" Wins CJA Award

Congratulations to Michael Goeller of The Kenilworthian for winning the 2008 "Best Blog" award from the Chess Journalists of America!

After 6 Rounds at U.S. Open

After six rounds at the United States Open chess tournament in Dallas, seven players are tied for first place.

Make It Legal

Rosalyn B. Katz of New Jersey, who already has written such books as Start Playing Chess and Chess in the Classroom: A Complete Guide and Play Better Chess, has authored a new book called Make It Legal - Lobby for Chess.

Roz Katz was instrumental in getting the following bill enacted in January 1993.

New Jersey Statute Chapter 35 of Title 18A
Chess in the Schools

Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Chess increases strategic thinking skills, stimulates intellectual creativity, and improves problem-solving ability while raising self-esteem;

b. When youngsters play chess they must call upon higher-order thinking skills, analyze actions and consequences, and visualize future possibilities;

c. In countries where chess is offered widely in schools, students exhibit excellence in the ability to recognize complex patterns and consequently excel in math and science; and

d. Instruction in chess during the second grade will enable pupils to learn skills which will serve them throughout their lives.

2. Each board of education may offer instruction in chess during the second grade for pupils in gifted and talented and special education programs. The Department of Education may establish guidelines to be used by boards of education which offer chess instruction in those programs.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Hess Wins NY August Open

Last weekend's New York August Open, in which I participated, at the Marshall Chess Club was won by international master Robert Hess.

"Time" Article on Chess

With the Olympic Games due to begin in a few days, an article in Time raises the question of whether chess is an international sport.

U.S. Open Underway in Dallas

On Saturday, the United States Open chess tournament began in Dallas, Texas.

Pix from NY August Open

Here are a couple of photos from round three in yesterday's New York August Open at the Marshall Chess Club.

GM Leonid Yudasin drew NM Michael Thaler on board one, while candidate master Sam Barsky lost to IM Robert Hess on board two.

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Meanwhile NM Yefim Treger defeated class A player Yigal Nochomovitz on board six, and candidate master Alex Ostrovskiy drew NM Alec Getz on board seven.

Marshall Chess Club Swiss 8/3/2008

Taking half-point byes in rounds one and two, I finished with a draw and a win in rounds three and four of a Swiss tournament at the Marshall Chess Club today. Here are the games.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2209) - George Berg (FIDE 2087), Marshall Chess Club 8/3/2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.O-O Be7 9.Be3 O-O 10.f4 b4 11.Na4 Nxe4 12.f5 d5 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Nf5 Nc6 15.Nb6 Bc5

16.Nxd5 exf5 17.Bxc5 Nxc5 18.Ne7+ Kh8 19.Nxc6 Qb6 20.Nd4 Be6 21.Nxe6 Nxb3+ 22.Kh1 Qxe6 23.axb3 Rad8 24.Qe1 Qxe1 25.Rfxe1 Rd2 26.Rxa6 Rxc2 27.Rb6 Rxb2 28.Rxb4 g6 29.h3 Rf7


30.h4 Rd7 31.Re3 Kg7 32.Kh2 Kh6 33.Rg3 Rd1 34.Rf4 Rbb1 35.Rgf3 Rh1+ 36.Kg3 Rb2 37.Rb4 Kh5 38.Rf2 Rbb1 39.Rb7 h6 40.Rb4 Rhd1 41.Rf3 Rb2 42.Kh2 Rdd2 43.Rg3 Rd1 44.Rb6 Rbb1 45.Rgxg6 Rh1+ 46.Kg3 Rxb3+ 47.Rxb3 Kxg6


48.Rb6+ Kh5 49.Rb4 Ra1 50.Rf4 Ra3+ 51.Rf3 Rxf3+ 52.gxf3 Kg6 53.Kf4 Kf6 54.h5 Ke6 55.Ke3 Ke5 56.f4+ Kd5 57.Kd3 Kc5 58.Kc3, draw.




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Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Haotian Zheng (USCF 2017) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 8/3/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Be2 Bb4 9.O-O O-O 10.f3 Be6 11.Bg5 Qe8 12.Nb5 Na6

13.c4 dxc4 14.Nc3 Rd8 15.Kh1 c5 16.Nxe4 Rxd4 17.Qc2 b5 18.Rad1 Bc8 19.Rxd4 cxd4 20.Nxc4 Nxe4 21.fxe4 Rxf1+ 22.Bxf1 bxc4 23.Bxc4+ Kh8 24.Bb5 Qf8 25.Qc4 d3 26.Qxd3 Nc7 27.Bc4 Ne6 28.Be3 Nc5 29.Qd5 Na4 30.Bd4 Nb6 31.Bxb6 axb6

32.e5 Be7 33.h3 Qd8 34.Qf7 Bb7 35.Bd3 Bd5 36.Qh5 Bg8 37.Bc2 Bc5 38.Kh2 Qd2 39.Qf5 Qe1, White resigns.

Grand Prix Defense @ Chess.com

At Jim West Talks Chess, I have posted an entry on the pawn sacrifice 6...f4 from Saidy-Fischer, New York 1969.

Take the F-Pawn

Recently at TradeMe, someone tried to sell a copy of The Philidor Counter-Gambit which I signed for the late NM Barry Spiro. Spiro wrote a column for Atlantic Chess News called "Take the A-Pawn," no doubt a take off on Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train."

When The Philidor Counter-Gambit was published in 1994, I mailed free copies to several chess acquaintances including Spiro. In signing the copies, I wrote a personalized message for each recipient above my signature. In Spiro's case, I penned, "Barry, take the f-pawn!"

Apparently my handwriting is worse than I realized because the seller on TradeMe misrepresents my note as "Ben, take the f-pawn!" I wonder how the seller got hold of Spiro's copy of my book without knowing that Spiro's first name was Barry, not Ben.

Poor Barry! At chessgames.com, his name is given as Spiro Barry.