Rahway Swiss 10/6/2013

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 1-0-2 in the tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Ted Belanoff (USCF 2214) - Jim West (USCF 2214), Rahway NJ 10/6/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 a6 4.a4 Nf6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Qc7 7.Be2 e5 8.Nf3 Be7 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Qd2 Nbd7 11.Rd1 O-O 12.h4 Rfe8 13.Nh2 Rac8 14.g4 Nb6

15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Qxd6 Qxd6 17.Rxd6 Nc4 18.Bxc4 Rxc4 19.g5 Be7 20.Rb6 Bb4 21.Rxb7 Bxc3+ 22.bxc3 Rxe4+ 23.Kd2 Rxa4 24.Re1 Rd8+ 25.Ke3 Bd5 26.Rb4 Ra3 27.Rd1 Rxc3+ 28.Rd3 Rxd3+ 29.cxd3 Be6

30.Nf3 f6 31.gxf6 gxf6 32.Rb6 Kf7 33.Rxa6 Bf5 34.Ra3 Bg4 35.Nd2 Bf5, draw.

IM Ostrovskiy at Marshall CC Tonight

The Marshall Chess Club presents

A Reception and Lecture Honoring IM Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.

Please join us for an evening in honor of Marshall Chess Club member Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.  Alex has just been awarded the title of international master by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) after his fantastic results at tournaments in Washington and Montreal this summer.  He will talk about his pursuit of the title and present some of his best instructive games along the way. 

Friday, October 11, 2013 

Reception at 7pm

Lecture at 7:30pm 

Free to members, guest fee $10

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

Cobras Defanged by Knockouts

The Carolina Cobras were defanged by the New Jersey Knockouts, in week seven of the U.S. Chess League.

Watch your step and the games on boards one, two, three, and four.

Marshall October Grand Prix 10/5/2013

On Saturday, I played this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2088) - Akshita Gorti (FIDE 1949), Marshall Chess Club 10/5/2013

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O Nbc6 7.c3 Bg4 8.Re1 Qd7 9.Nbd2 O-O-O 10.b4 Ng6 11.Qa4 Kb8 12.b5 Nce7 13.Ba3 Nf4 14.Bf1 Neg6

15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qh6 18.Re3 Bf5 19.Nf3 Be4 20.Qd4 Qg6 21.Qd2 Qg4 22.Ne1 Qe6 23.Rxe4 Nh3+ 24.gxh3 dxe4 25.Qf4 f5 26.Ng2 h6 27.Ne3 Rhf8 28.Bc4 Qg6+ 29.Kh1 Qh5 30.e6 g5 31.Qg3 Rde8 32.Re1 f4 33.Qg4 Qg6 34.Nf1 e3

35.Qf3 exf2 36.Qxf2 Qh5 37.e7 Rf6 38.Qg2 Qh4 39.Rd1 Rd6 40.Rxd6 cxd6 41.Qd5 Rxe7 42.Qxd6+ Rc7 43.Be6, Black resigns.

Print by Lori Lejeune at "Chess Mates"

A print [pictured] by artist Lori Lejeune is on display at Chess Mates.

The Game is Afoot

Read about a FIDE master's prodigious feet!

FIDE Mondays 9/30/2013

On Monday evening, I played this game at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Maroczy Bind

Steve Hrop [FIDE 1917] - Jim West [FIDE 2130], Marshall Chess Club 9/30/2013

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.e4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Rc8 12.b3 Qa5 13.O-O a6

14.Nd5 Qxd2 15.Nxe7+ Kh8 16.Bxd2 Rce8 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Nxe4 19.Be3 Rc8 20.Bf3 f5 21.Bf4 Bb2 22.Rc4 Rxc4 23.bxc4 Ba3 24.Rb1 Rf7 25.Bxe4 fxe4 26.Be3 Rc7 27.Kf1 Kg7

28.Rb3 Bc5 29.Bxc5 Rxc5 30.Rxb7+ Kf6 31.Rd7 Ke5 32.Re7+ Kd4 33.Re6 Rxc4 34.Rxd6 Rc1+ 35.Ke2 Rc2+ 36.Ke1 Rxa2 37.Rd7 Kd3, White resigns.

Rahway Swiss 9/29/2013

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-0-1 in the game/30 tournament at Chess Mates.

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Errol Singh (USCF 1975), Rahway NJ 9/29/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Qc7 8.O-O Be7 9.Be3 b5 10.a3 Bb7 11.f4 O-O 12.f5 e5 13.Nde2 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Ng3 Bb7 16.Qg4 Kh8 17.Nh5 Bf6

18.Bg5 Bxg5 19.Qxg5 f6 20.Qg4 Nc6 21.c3 Na5 22.Ba2 Bc6 23.Rad1 Ra7 24.b4 Nc4 25.Bxc4 bxc4 26.Kh1 d5 27.Rf3 d4 28.Rh3 dxc3 29.Rxc3 Be8 30.Ng3 Bf7 31.Ne4 Rd8 32.Nc5 Rxd1+ 33.Qxd1 Qe7 34.h3 a5 

35.Qf3 axb4 36.axb4 Qd6 37.Ra3 Re7 38.Ra8+ Re8 39.Rxe8+ Bxe8 40.Qa8 Qc6 41.Qd8 Kg8 42.Qe7 h6 43.Ne6 Qd7 44.Qf8+ Kh7 45.Qc5 Bf7 46.Nf8+ Kg8 47.Nxd7 e4, Black resigns. 

Rahway Quads 9/28/2013

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 1-1-1 in the game/60 quads at Chess Mates.

Round One: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Aaron Jacobson (USCF 2016), Rahway NJ 9/28/2013

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.Ne2 Bg4 7.h3 Bxe2 8.Bxe2 Nf6 9.O-O e6 10.Nd2 Bd6 11.Nf3 Ne4 12.Ng5 Nxg5 13.Bxg5 f6 14.Be3 O-O-O

15.f4 Ne7 16.Bg4 Nf5 17.Bxf5 exf5 18.Qf3 Kb8 19.Qxd5 Bxf4 20.Bxf4 Rxd5 21.Bxc7+ Kxc7 22.Rae1 Kd7 23.Re2 Re8 24.Rfe1 Rxe2 25.Rxe2 Rd6 26.Kf2 Re6 27.Rxe6 Kxe6 28.Ke3 g5 29.c4 h5 30.g3 Kd6

31.b4 Ke6 32.a4 Kd6 33.a5 Ke6 34.b5 Kd6 35.a6 bxa6 36.bxa6 Kc6 37.d5+ Kc5 38.Kd3 Kd6 39.Kd4 Kd7 40.c5 Kc7 41.d6+ Kc6 42.Kd3 Kd7 43.Ke3 Kc6 44.Kd4 Kd7 45.Kd5 g4 46.c6+ Kc8 47.hxg4 fxg4

48.Ke6 h4 49.Ke7 hxg3 50.d7+ Kc7 51.d8=Q+ Kxc6 52.Qd6+ Kb5 53.Qxg3, Black resigns.

Funding Documentary on Jude Acers

Your help is needed to fund a documentary on chess master Jude Acers.

Co-director Trey DeArk sends these details about the subject of his film, titled The Man in the Red Beret.

In 1964, 20-year-old Acers entertained 21-year-old Bobby Fischer in Baton Rouge (where he played Fischer to a draw at a simultaneous tournament), shortly after Fischer's 11-0 run at the U.S. Chess Championship.  In 1968, Acers lived in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, played pick-up basketball with The Doors, and counted Janis Joplin among his acquaintances when he wasn't competing against top players at the Mechanics' Chess Club.  Jude's 1970 win over U.S. champion Walter Browne was voted a “Top Ten” theory game in the world for 1970 by a panel of six grandmasters and published in Chess Informant (Informator/Belgrade).  Acers has been in the Guinness Book of World Records twice for simultaneous exhibitions, and today Fodor’s 2013 New Orleans guidebook sends tourists right to Jude's table.  Jude has also logged thousands of miles across the country via Greyhound buses, giving chess exhibitions in prisons and malls.  He is a great popularizer of the game.

Nor'easters Storm Past Knockouts

In week six of the United States Chess League, it was a blowout for the New England Nor'easters, as they stormed past the New Jersey Knockouts.

Hold onto your hats, and look at the games on boards one, two, three, and four.

Disney Acquires Rights to "The Machine"

Disney has acquired screen rights to The Machine, a play about the 1997 match between Garry Kasparov and the computer Deep Blue.