"Ray Rice Checkmate" Video

On February 3rd, the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII.

Last year, Ravens running back Ray Rice made this video.

Marshall February Grand Prix 2/10/2013

On Sunday, I finished the grand prix tournament at the Marshall Chess Club with a score of 2-0-2.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Paulsen Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2102) - Frank Ashmun (FIDE 2112), Marshall Chess Club 2/10/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.O-O Qc7 7.c4 Nc6 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.Be3 e5 10.f3 Be6 11.c5 Nd7 12.Qc2 Be7 13.Nd2 a5 14.b3 O-O 

15.a3 Rfd8 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 b6 18.Bc4 Bxc4 19.Qxc4 b5 20.Qc3 Nf8 21.Nb3 Ne6 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Ra1 Rd8 24.h3 Bf6 25.Re1 h6 26.Re2 Rd1+ 27.Re1 Qd7 28.Bd2 Nf4 29.Kf1 Rxe1+ 30.Bxe1 Qd1 31.Nc1 Bh4

32.Qd2 Qxe1+ 33.Qxe1 Bxe1 34.Kxe1 Nxg2+ 35.Kd2 Nf4 36,Nb3 Ne6 37.h4 Kf8 38.Na5 Nd4 39.Kd3 Ke7 40.f4 Kd7 41.h5 Ne6 42.fxe5 Nf4+ 43.Ke3 Nxh5 44.Kf3 g6 45.Nb7 Ng7 46.Nd6 Ke6 47.Kf4 Nh5+ 48.Kf3 f6 49.exf6 Nxf6

50.Nb7 Kd7 51.Nd6 Ke7 52.Kf4 Nd7 53.Nb7 Nb8 54.Na5 Kf6 55.e5+ Ke6 56.Ke4 h5 57.Nb3 Na6 58.Nd4+ Kd7 59.e6+ Ke7 60.Nxc6+ Kxe6 61.Nd4+ Kd7 62.c6+ Kd6 63.Nxb5+ Kxc6 64.Nd4+ Kd6 65.Kf4 Nxb4 66.Kg5 Kd5 67.Nf3 Nd3 68.Nh4 Ke4 69.Nxg6, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Rochelle Ballantyne (FIDE 1949) - Jim West (FIDE 2102), Marshall Chess Club 2/10/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a4 Qc7 7.Be2 e5 8.Nb3 Be7 9.Be3 Be6 10.O-O O-O 11.f4 Nbd7 12.f5 Bc4

13.h3 b5 14.Bd3 b4 15.Ne2 d5 16.Ng3 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 Bxf1 19.Bxa8 Rxa8 20.Kxf1 Nf6 21.Qe2 Qd7 22.g4 Qc6 23.Qg2 Qc4+ 24.Kg1 Rd8 25.Rf1 Nd5 26.Bc1 h6 27.Rd1 Kh7 28.Re1 Nf4

29.Qe4 Qxe4 30.Rxe4 Rd1+ 31.Kh2 Nd5 32.Kg2 f6 33.Rc4 Rxc1, White resigns.

Marshall February Grand Prix 2/9/2013

On Saturday, these games were played at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Nadav Berenstein (USCF 1793) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 2/9/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Qe2 Be7 7.Ng5 Qc7 8.Bf7+ Kf8 9.Be6 h6 10.Bxc8 Qxc8 11.Nf3 f4 12.Bd2 Qe6 13.O-O-O b5 14.a3 a5 15.Nb1 Nbd7 16.g3 g5 17.gxf4 gxf4 18.Rde1 Kf7

19.d4 b4 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.axb4 axb4 22.b3 Rhg8 23.Nh4 Ng4 24.Nf5 Bc5 25.Ref1 Rg6 26.h3 Ngf6 27.Nh4 Rg5 28.Nf5 Bf8 29.Rfg1 c5 30.Rxg5 hxg5 31.Rg1 c4 32.bxc4 Rc8 33.Rxg5 Rxc4 34.f3 Nc5 35.Kd1 Na4 36.Bc1 Qc6

37.Rg7+ Ke8 38.Qd3 Nc3+ 39.Nxc3 Rxc3 40.Qd2 Bxg7 41.Nxg7+ Kf7 42.Nf5 Rxf3 43.Qxb4 Qd7+ 44.Ke2 Rxh3 45.Ba3 Rxa3 46.Qxa3 Nxe4 47.Qb3+ Kf6 and Black wins.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two:  Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Kevin Davidson (USCF 2131), Marshall Chess Club 2/9/2013

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 Bb7 11.e5 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Bxd5 Qxd5 15.Nf5 Nc6 16.Qxd5 exd5

17.Rf3 g6 18.Nxe7+ Nxe7 19.Bc5 Rfe8 20.Raf1 Rac8 21.b4 Nf5 22.g4 Nh6 23.h3 Rxe5 24.Be3 g5 25.Bd4 Re6 26.c3 Rce8 27.Bf6 Re3 28.Bxg5 Rxf3 29.Rxf3 Re6 30.Rf6 Rxf6 31.Bxf6 Kf8 32.Kf2 Ng8 33.Bh4 f6 34.Ke3 Ke7

35.g5 Ke6 36.gxf6 Nxf6 37.Bxf6 Kxf6 38.Kf4 Ke6 39.h4 Kf6 40.h5 h6 41.a3 Ke6 42.Ke3 Ke5 43.Kd3 Kf5 44.Kd4 Kg5 45.Kxd5 Kxh5 46.c4 bxc4 47.Kxc4 Kg5 48.a4 h5 49.b5 axb5+ 50.axb5 h4 51.b6 h3 52.b7 h2 53.b8=Q h1=Q 54.Qg8+ Kf4 45.Qf7+ Ke3, draw.

From France with Lev

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier analyzes the game between Brandon Nydick and Lev Zilbermintz [pictured] and provides a link to the game between Damon Garrett and Lev Zilbermintz.

Pix from Marshall Super Sunday Action

These pictures were taken by me on Sunday at the Marshall Chess Club.

Blindfolded Simul by Hungaski at Marshall CC

The Marshall Chess Club proudly presents

A Blindfolded Simultaneous Exhibition

by international grandmaster Robert Hungaski.

Robert Hungaski is the country’s newest grandmaster. Please join us at the Marshall Chess Club as Robert will play eight opponents of any strength without sight of the boards.

GM Hungaski will be available for a postgame analysis. There will be surprise prizes for players who achieve a draw or win against the grandmaster.

Friday, February 8, 2013

7pm

Board fee: $15; very limited space available

Spectators welcome

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

"Brooklyn Castle" @ iTunes & On Demand

Yesterday Brooklyn Castle was released on iTunes and Movies On Demand.

The film started at number 186 on the iTunes movie chart and moved up to number 104 in just a few hours.

Xfinity On Demand describes Brooklyn Castle as follows.

2 Day Rental. This uplifting doc tells the story of a below-the-poverty-line city junior high's exceptionally gifted chess team that has won more national championships than any other. Available On Demand before DVD. Justus Williams, Rochelle Ballantyne.

Marshall Super Sunday Action

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

Round Three: Philidor Defense

Jim West (USCF 2209) - Pablo Balsinde (USCF 1932), Marshall Chess Club 2/3/2013

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.h3 c6 8.a4 a5 9.Be3 Nb6 10.Bb3 Nfd7

11.Qd2 exd4 12.Bxd4 c5 13.Be3 c4 14.Ba2 Nc5 15.Rab1 Bf6 16.e5 Be7 17.Rfd1 Nbxa4 18.exd6 Nxc3 19.dxe7, Black resigns.

Rahway Grand Prix 2/2/2013

On Saturday, I finished the grand prix tournament at Chess Mates with a score of 2-0-2.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Taran Idnani (USCF 1708) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Rahway NJ 2/2/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.Nc3 O-O-O 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Nge7 13.Na4 Rxh8

14.Qb5 a6 15.Qe2 h5 16.c3 Ne5 17.Nc5 Bg4 18.Qc2 Rf8 19.h3 Qh4+ 20.Kd2 Qf2+ 21.Be2 Qxe2+ 22.Kc1 Rf1+ 23.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 24.Kd2 Nc4#.

Frederic Fournier Analyzes Elberling - West

At his Contre Gambit Philidor website, Frederic Fournier analyzes my game as Black against Thomas Elberling.

Pix from Westfield Quads 1/27/2013

On Sunday, I took these pictures during the Westfield quads.

Op-Ed Article on I.S. 318 in "NY Times"

In The New York Times, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Nicholas D. Kristof [pictured] writes an Op-Ed article on Intermediate School 318.