Marshall December Under 2400 12/22/2018

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

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Kyle Phan (USCF 1745) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 12/22/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Bc4+ Kg7 11.Nf4 h6

12.Nh5+ Kg6 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Qe8+ Kh7 15.O-O Bf5 16.Qb5 Bd6 17.Be3 Nc6 18.Rad1 a6 19.Qd5 Rad8 20.Qf7+ Qxf7 21.Bxf7 Rhf8 22.Bb3 Na5 23.c4 Nxb3 24.axb3 c6

25.d5 cxd5 26.Rxd5 Bc7 27.Rfd1 Be6 28.Bc5 Bxd5 29.Bxf8 Rxf8 30.Rxd5 Rd8 31.f3 Rxd5 32.cxd5 exf3 33.gxf3 Kg6, White resigns.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 12/20/2018

On Thursday, these pictures were taken by me during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 12/20/2018

Last night, I finished with a score of 1-1-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Alekhine Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Oliver Chernin (USCF 2219), Marshall Chess Club 12/20/2018

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bd3 Bg7 8.Nge2 O-O 9.O-O Nc6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.f3 Bf5 12.b3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 d5 14.c5 Nc8 15.Qd2 Re8 16.Rac1 e6

17.b4 a6 18.a3 N8e7 19.g4 Qd7 20.Rcd1 Rad8 21.h4 e5 22.b5 axb5 23.Nxb5 exd4 24.Nbxd4 Ne5 25.Qc1 N7c6 26.Kg2 Nxg4 27.fxg4 Qxg4+ 28.Ng3 Bxd4 29.Rf4 Be3 30.Rxg4 Bxc1 31.Rxc1 Re3 32.a4 Ra3 33.Rb1 Rd7

34.Nh5 Ra2+ 35.Kg1 Re7 36.Nf6+ Kg7 37.Nxd5 Ree2 38.Nc3 Ne5 39.Rg3 Reb2 40.Re1 Nf3+ 41.Rxf3 Rg2+ 42.Kf1 Rac2 43.Re2 Rgxe2 44.Nxe2 Rxc5 45.Rb3 Rc4 46.Rxb7 Rxa4 47.h5 Ra1+ 48.Kg2 Ra2 49.Kf3 Ra5

50.hxg6 hxg6 51.Ng3 Kf6 52.Ne4+ Ke6 53.Rb6+, draw.

Pix from Sunday Game/50 12/16/2018

During Sunday's tournament, I snapped these photos at the Marshall Chess Club.

"Pawn Sacrifice" on Starz Cinema 12/2018

Watch Pawn Sacrifice this holiday season on Starz Cinema.

GM Rohde Lecture & Simul at Westfield CC

Marshall Sunday Game/50 12/16/2018

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

Round Three: Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense

Jim West (USCF 2200) - William O'Brien (USCF 1640), Marshall Chess Club 12/16/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qe2 Bc5 9.Nc3 O-O 10.Bf4 Qe7 11.Rad1 Be6

12.h3 Rad8 13.a3 Nd4 14.Nxd4 Bxd4 15.Qf3 c5 16.Qg3 Kh8 17.Rfe1 Bf5 18.Bg5 Qe6 19.Bxd8 Rxd8 20.Nb5 Bxc2 21.Nxd4 cxd4 22.Qh4 Qd5 23.Rd2 Bf5 24.b4 d3 25.Qf4 Qe6 26.Re3 c6 27.g4 Bg6

28.h4 h6 29.h5 Bh7 30.Rf3 Qb3 31.g5 hxg5 32.Qxg5 Rd7 33.Rg3 g6 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.h6 Kf8 36.e6 Qxe6 37.Qg7+, Black resigns.

Ask a Chess Player Podcast, Episode 2

Erick Hoxter interviews NM Evan Rabin, CEO of Premier Chess.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 12/13/2018

Look at these pictures taken by me during Thursday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 12/13/2018

On Thursday, I finished with a score of 1-1-1 plus a half point bye in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Kyle Anderson (USCF 1873), Marshall Chess Club 12/13/2018

1.b3 c5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a4 d5 7.Bb5 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Ne5 Qc7 10.Qc1 Ne4 11.O-O O-O 12.d3 Nd6 13.Nd2 f6 14.Nef3 Be6 15.e4 Bf7

16.Qe1 d4 17.e5 Nf5 18.Nc4 Bxc4 19.bxc4 Ne3 20.Rf2 fxe5 21.fxe5 Bxe5 22.Re2 Bf4 23.Ba3 Qd6 24.Qa5 Qf6 25.Qxc5 Nf5 26.Rae1 Be3+ 27.Kh1 Nh4 28.Qxe7 Nxf3 29.Qxf6 Rxf6 30.gxf3 Rxf3 31.Kg2 Rf5

32.Bc1 Raf8 33.Bxe3 dxe3 34.Rxe3 Rf2+ 35.Kg3 Rxc2 36.Re8 Rc3 37.Rxf8+ Kxf8 38.Re6 Rxd3+ 39.Kg2 Ra3 40.Rxc6 Rxa4 41.Rc7 a5 42.c5 Rc4 43.c6 a4 44.Ra7 Rxc6 45.Rxa4 Kg7 46.h4, draw.

Kasparov Article on AlphaZero

According to Garry Kasparov, chess is the fruit fly of reasoning.

Pix from FIDE Mondays 12/10/2018

On Monday, I photographed the players at the Marshall Chess Club.