Review of "Nummer twaalf"

Here is a review, from Art in America magazine, of Guido van der Werve's Nummer twaalf.

"Sun Star" Boo-boo

In response to Friday's post about Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck starring in the movie version of Bobby Fischer Goes to War, blogger Michael Goeller of The Kenilworthian has sent me an e-mail. He writes that the article in the Sun Star Cebu is "poorly researched and has its facts wrong." Goeller thinks that their journalist "misread this news item."

One point in Goeller's favor is that the Sun Star Cebu got director Kevin Macdonald's first name wrong and misspelled his last name.

More Pix from Marshall CC Championship

These pictures were taken by me on Sunday, the final day of the Marshall Chess Club championship. The tournament was won by IM Alex Lenderman, who earned his fourth GM norm.

Marshall CC Championship, Day 4

Sunday was the final day of the Marshall Chess Club championship, won by GM-elect Alex Lenderman. I had a quick win in the last round.

Round Nine: Dutch Defense

Ed Frumkin (FIDE 2017) - Jim West (FIDE 2159), Marshall Chess Club 12/20/2009

1.c4 f5 2.d4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.O-O a5 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Bd2 O-O 9.b3 Qe7


10.Ne5 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 d6 12.Nd3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Nbd7 14.f3 e5 15.Qc2 Rae8 16.Rae1 e4 17.Nf2 Rf7 18.Bb2 exf3+ 19.exf3 Qxe1 20.Rxe1 Rxe1 21.Qxf5 Re2 22.Qb1 Ng4, White resigns.

Marshall CC Championship, Day 3

For players like me in the four day schedule, yesterday was day three of the Marshall Chess Club championship.

Round Six: Dutch Defense

Jason Margiotta (FIDE 1992) - Jim West (FIDE 2159), Marshall Chess Club 12/19/2009

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 a5 6.a3 Bxd2+ 7.Nxd2 O-O 8.Ngf3 a4 9.O-O d6 10.Qc2 Qe8 11.e4 fxe4 12.Nxe4 Qg6 13.Nh4 Qh6 14.f4 Nc6 15.Rad1 Bd7


16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Nf3 Be8 18.d5 Bg6 19.Qe2 Nd8 20.Nd4 exd5 21.cxd5 Re8 22.Qc4 Re7 23.Rde1 Bf7 24.Qc3 b6 25.Rxe7 Qxe7 26.Nf5 Qf6 27.Qxf6 gxf6 28.Rc1 Ra7


29.Nxd6 cxd6 30.Rc8 Kf8 31.Rxd8+ Ke7 32.Rb8 Rc7 33.Rxb6 Rc1+ 34.Kf2 Rc2+ 35.Kf1 Rc1+ 36.Kf2 Rc2+ 37.Kf1, draw.

Today's Hamilton Quads Cancelled

Atomic Patzer has sent me an e-mail, advising that today's quads in Hamilton have been cancelled because of the predicted snow storm. You might want to contact TD Ed Sytnik at his cell phone number 609-351-2437 before driving to Hamilton.

Crowe and Affleck in Fischer Movie

According to an article in Sun Star Cebu, Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck will star in the movie version of Bobby Fischer Goes to War.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

Yesterday, astronaut Greg Chamitoff resigned his game against Earth. Here is the final position. Chamitoff had the white pieces.

Lenderman 5-0 at Marshall CC

Recently, GM-elect Alex Lenderman has been almost perfect.

In late November, Lenderman won the National Chess Congress 2009 in Philadelphia on tie-breaks. A week later, he won the ICA Early Winter 2009 Open in Hackensack, with a 4-0 record. Now, after the first weekend of the Marshall Chess Club championship, he leads the tournament at 5-0.

Lenderman is still a GM-elect because FIDE is undecided whether to accept one of his three GM norms where it appears that last-round pairings, not involving Alex, were made to favor players seeking norms.

2009 Board Two All Stars in USCL

GM Boris Gulko and IM Dean Ippolito are 2009 Board Two All Stars, on the first and second teams respectively, in the United States Chess League. They play for the New Jersey Knockouts, who finished with the best record in the league this year.

Photos from Marshall CC Championship

These photos were taken by me during the first weekend of the Marshall Chess Club championship.

Marshall CC Championship, Day 2

This 86-move marathon was the last game to finish tonight at the Marshall Chess Club championship.

Round Five: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (FIDE 2159) - Nelson Farber (FIDE 1979), Marshall Chess Club 12/13/2009

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.e3 O-O 6.Qc1 b6 7.a4 Bb7 8.Be2 c5 9.O-O Qc7 10.Na3 a6 11.Nc4 Nbd7


12.h3 Bc6 13.Qe1 b5 14.axb5 axb5 15.Na3 Qb7 16.d3 Nd5 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qd2 b4 19.Nc4 Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Ra8 21.Qc1 Nc3 22.Kf2 Nxe2 23.Kxe2 Bxf3+ 24.gxf3 Rxa1 25.Qxa1+ f6 26.Qa5 Nb8 27.Qa4 Qd7 28.Qa8 Nc6


29.Nb6 Qxh3 30.Qxc6 Qg2+ 31.Kd1 Qf1+ 32.Kd2 Qf2+ 33.Kc1 Qe1+ 34.Kb2 Qc3+ 35.Kb1 Qe1+ 36.Ka2 Qxe3 37.Qe4 Qxe4 38.dxe4 h5 39.Nd5 h4 40.Ne3 Kh6 41.Kb2 h3 42.Kc1 Kh5 43.Nf1 Kh4 44.e5 f5 45.Kd2 h2 46.Nxh2 Kg3 47.Nf1+ Kxf3 48.exd6 exd6 49.Ne3 Kxf4 50.Ke2 Ke4


51.Nc4 d5 52.Nd6+ Ke5 53.Nf7+ Kd4 54.Ng5 Kc3 55.Kd1 c4 56.bxc4 dxc4 57.Ne6 b3 58.cxb3 cxb3 59.Kc1 b2+ 60.Kb1 Kd2 61,Kxb2 Ke3 62.Kc1 f4 63.Kd1 Ke4 64.Ke2 Kf5 65.Nd4+ Kg4 66.Kf2 g5 67.Nf3 Kh5 68.Nxg5 Kxg5 69.Kf3 Kf5


70.Kf2 Ke4 71.Ke2 Kd4 72.Kf3 Ke5 73.Kf2 Kf5 74.Kf3 Kg5 75.Kf2 Kg4 76.Kg2 f3+ 77.Kf2 Kf4 78.Kf1 Kg3 79.Kg1 Kg4 80.Kf2 Kf4 81.Kf1 Ke3 82.Ke1 Kd3 83.Kf2 Ke4 84.Kf1 Ke3 85.Ke1 f2+ 86.Kf1 Kf3, stalemate.