Recap of Chess Class 10/27/2012

Yesterday morning, in the class at Caldwell College conducted by Columbia Academy, the students handed in their homework assignments. Everyone solved the chess problem correctly.

Next I presented, at the demonstration board, a game between Tigran Petrosian and Bobby Fischer where Fischer as Black played the King's Indian Defense (KID). Fischer allowed Petrosian's pawns to occupy the center squares, only to immobilize and attack the pawns. Think of the center squares as a bridge. The two armies fight for control of the bridge. The army that gains control of the bridge can invade into enemy territory. In the KID, Black lets the white pawns occupy the bridge but does not allow the pawns to cross the bridge. Fischer's pawns attacked Petrosian's pawns on e4, d5, and c4 from the f5, c6, and b5 squares respectively.

Then I began teaching simple endgames. In king and pawn endings, having the opposition is the difference between a win and a draw. The defending player's king must oppose the attacking player's king to keep it away from the queening square. In rook and pawn endings, the defending player should aim for the Philidor drawing position with king in front of the pawn and rook guarding the defender's third rank.

Finally I showed checkmates involving king and queen versus king, king and rook versus king, king and two bishops versus king, and king and bishop and knight versus king. The winning technique is always the same: drive the enemy king into the corner. The ending of king and two knights versus king is not a forced win, if the defender keeps his king away from the corner. When driving the king into the corner, beware of stalemates. Make sure that the king has at least one legal move. 

Next class, I will discuss endgames that are more complicated.

Hulse Lecture Canceled Due to Hurricane

Last night, the Marshall Chess Club sent an e-mail advising that the lecture by FM Brian Hulse, scheduled for October 30th, has been "canceled and postponed to another date to be announced due to Hurricane Sandy which is expected to peak in the NYC area on Tuesday."

FM Brian Hulse to Lecture at Marshall CC

The Marshall Chess Club proudly presents

 “Psychology and Chess: a Short History”

 A lecture by FIDE master Brian Hulse.

USCF life master Brian Hulse has been a fixture on the U.S. chess circuit for five decades. A highly successful tournament player (Brian won the Marshall Chess Club championship in 1978), sought after coach, and brilliant lecturer, Brian will present a review of the psychological approach to chess, from Reuben Fine versus the Soviet school of chess to present day.

 Is chess a disease, a job, or something else? A game, perhaps? We will discuss the problem of thinking about how we think about chess.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

7pm

Members free; $10 for non-members

Refreshments will be served. 

Marshall Chess Club 
23 West 10th Street 
New York, NY 10011 
Phone 212-477-3716 
Fax 212-995-9281
www.marshallchessclub.org/

Kingfishers - Knockouts Match is Rare Bird

In week eight of the United States Chess League, the match between the Baltimore Kingfishers and the New Jersey Knockouts was a rare bird.

Black won every game on boards one, two, three, and four!

"Time" Review of "Brooklyn Castle"

Kayla Webley reviews Brooklyn Castle.

Marty Markowitz approves this movie.

Marshall CC Amateur Team 10/21/2012

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

Round Three: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (USCF 2209) - Andrew Ryba (USCF 2267), Marshall Chess Club 10/21/2012

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Bd2 e6 8.Bb3 Qc7 9.Qe2 Nbd7 10.O-O-O O-O-O 11.Ne5 Nb6 12.Be3 Bb4

13.g4 Bg6 14.f3 Nfd5 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.h4 f6 17.Nxg6 hxg6 18.Qd3 Rde8 19.c3 Bd6 20.Bd2 Qf7 21.Bc2 Nc4 22.Qxg6 Qxg6 23.Bxg6 Re2 24.Bd3 Rf2 25.Bxc4 dxc4 26.Rhf1 Rxf1 27.Rxf1 Rxh4 28.Be3 a5 29.a4 Rh2

30.Rf2 Rh1+ 31.Kc2 Ra1 32.Rg2 Kd7 33.Rg1 Rxa4 34.Rh1 Ke7 35.Kb1 Kf7 36.Rh8 Bf8 37.g5 fxg5 38.Bxg5 b5 39.Bd2 b4 40.Rh5 b3 41.Rf5+ Ke8 42.d5 cxd5 43.Rxd5 Be7 44.Bg5, draw.

Marshall CC Amateur Team 10/20/2012

The team, of myself on board one and Ed Kopiecki on board two, called ourselves Occupy West 10th Street at the Marshall Chess Club Amateur Team Championship this past weekend.

We won the tournament with a score of 3-0-1.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Kadhir Pillai (USCF 2133) - Jim West (USCF 2209), Marshall Chess Club 10/20/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.O-O O-O 10.f3 Nbd7 11.a4 Rc8 12.a5 Qc7 13.Re1 Rfd8

14.Bd3 d5 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Bxh7+ Kxh7 18.Qxd5 Nf6 19.Qxf7 Qd7 20.Nd2 Rxc2 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.fxe4 Qb5 24.Rf1 Qe2 25.Qxe2 Rxe2 26.Rfe1 Rxb2 27.Rab1 Rb5

28.Rxb5 axb5 29.Rc1 Rd3 30.Kf2 Ra3 31.Rc7 Bb4 32.Rxb7 Rxa5 33.Kf3 Bc3 34.Kg4 b4 35.Kf5 Kh7 36.g4 Ra6 37.g5 Kg8 38.Rb8+ Kh7 39.Bb6 g6+ 40.Kf6 Bd4 41.Rb7+, draw.

Recap of Chess Class 10/20/2012

In yesterday's class, conducted by Columbia Academy, students handed in their homework assignment which was to solve a mate in two for White. All worksheets were correct, except that two students forgot to write + for check and # for checkmate in their algebraic notation.

Continuing with my teaching of middlegame strategy, at the demonstration board I showed a game between grandmasters Nigel Short and Garry Kasparov from their world championship match in 1993. White's strategy was to create what chess players refer to as "a square" - a center of operations for his pieces. First the white bishop, then the white knights, and finally the white rook all occupied the d5 square.

Students should think of such a square like Room 107 in Aquinas Hall at Caldwell College where we have our chess class on Saturday mornings. All of us go to Room 107 in the same way that Nigel Short's pieces went to d5.

Then I analyzed a couple of games that were played last week by the students. The class concluded with a practical session during which new games were played and adjourned at 10 o'clock, to be resumed next week after I present another example of middlegame strategy.

Nathan Resika to Lecture at Marshall CC

The Marshall Chess Club proudly presents 

“Becoming a Master at an Advanced Age” 

A lecture by FIDE master Nathan Resika. 

FIDE master Nathan Resika played his first tournament at age 24, became a USCF master at 31, and FIDE master (official FIDE rating 2315) at age 40. 

A winner of numerous tournaments both in the U.S. and Europe and with wins over many grandmasters and international masters on his resume, Nathan will present and analyze some of his most interesting games and share his secrets of mastering chess without the advantage of starting young. 

Nathan teaches chess in the New York City area and is also a professional opera singer.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

7:30pm

Members free; $10 for non-members

Refreshments will be served. 

Marshall Chess Club
23 West 10th Street 
New York, NY 10011 
Phone 212-477-3716
Fax 212-995-9281
www.marshallchessclub.org/

"Brooklyn Castle" Opens Today in Theaters

Watch a clip from the documentary film Brooklyn Castle which opens today in theaters.

Knockouts Use Draw Play Against Blitz

In week seven of the U.S. Chess League, the New Jersey Knockouts took a page from football's book, twice using the draw play against the Boston Blitz to tie their match.

View the game film on boards one, two, three, and four!

FIDE Mondays 10/15/2012

On Monday evening, I tried a new move 19...Rxh2 against Ed Kopiecki at the Marshall Chess Club, in the final round of the FIDE Mondays tournament.  

In three previous games against the same opponent, I played 19...Nd7 20.Qxb6 Nxb6 and lost the endgame each time.

Round Six:  Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Ed Kopiecki (FIDE 1959) - Jim West (FIDE 2091), Marshall Chess Club 10/15/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.Bd3 b5 11.Rhe1 Bb7 12.Qg3 O-O-O 13.Bxb5 axb5 14.Ndxb5 Qb6 15.e5 Nc5 16.exf6 gxf6 17.Bh4 Rhg8 18.Qe3 Rxg2 19.Kb1 Rxh2

20.Bf2 Qa6 21.Qd4 f5 22.b4 Bc6 23.Bg1 Rg2 24.Qc4 Bxb5 25.Nxb5 d5 26.Qf1 Rxg1 27.Qxg1 Qxb5 28.Qd4 Ne4 29.Rd3 Qxb4+ 30.Qxb4 Bxb4 31.Rg1 Bc3 32.Rh1 Kd7 33.Rxh7 Rb8+ 34.Kc1 Bb2+ 35.Kd1 Nf2+ 36.Kd2 Nxd3 37.cxd3 Ke7

38.Kc2 Rh8 39.Rxh8 Bxh8 40.Kb3 Bd4 41.a4 Kd7 42.Kb4 Kc6 43.a5 Be3 44.a6 Kb6, White resigns.