Chess Blog Carnival

I am submitting three blog posts of mine to the Chess Blog Carnival, scheduled for January 2009, in these categories: book reviews, humor, and opening theory.

Phantom "Philidor Countergambit"

In a previous post, I mentioned the bizarre book Philidor Countergambit which has many similarities to my first edition by name of The Philidor Countergambit.

According to the Open Library website, this phantom book was published by Chess Enterprises in 2002, apparently edited by two people named West. But when you click on the link Your local library, guess whose book shows up!

No Photographic Memory

Before the start of the ICA Early Winter 2008 Open on Sunday, I showed NM Arthur Feuerstein this photo from the mobile web browser on my cell phone. I asked Feuerstein if he was the passenger, as I had guessed, sitting next to Bobby Fischer.

He took one look and said, "That's not me!" Feuerstein remembers riding the subway with Fischer on several occasions, most notably the time when Arthur accompanied Bobby to his home in Brooklyn, but does not recall ever being photographed with Fischer on the train.

Not only that, Arthur added, "I'm ten years older than Fischer," which was a slight exaggeration because it is actually 7 years and nearly 3 months. But Feuerstein's point was that the passenger on the subway looks to be younger, not older, than Fischer.

Falkbeer Counter Gambit @ Diamondback

Chess blogger Diamondback has provided a link to my post on the Falkbeer Counter Gambit.

Pix from ICA Early Winter 2008

These are pictures that I took at Sunday's ICA Early Winter 2008 tournament in Hackensack.

Candidate master Rahul Swaminathan observes the game between Max Yelsky and national master Igor Yeliseyev.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NM Gregory Markzon ponders his next move.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This photo shows players at the lower boards.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Once again, we see a game involving NM Igor Yeliseyev.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


NM Boris Privman awaits the arrival of his opponent in the final round, while grandmasters Alexander Stripunsky and Sergey Kudrin square off on board one.

Dallas Wins USCL Title Again

The Dallas Destiny repeated as USCL champions by winning their match against the Boston Blitz on Saturday. Ironically for Boston, it was a blitz tiebreak that decided the championship.

ICA Grand Prix 12/7/2008

At today's ICA Early Winter 2008 tournament in Hackensack, I finished with a record of 1-0-3. Here are my games from this Grand Prix event, including a draw against my student Ziping Liu.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Ziping Liu (USCF 1691) - Jim West (USCF 2214), Hackensack NJ 12/7/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.g3 f5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Bg2 c6 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.exf5 Bxf5 10.Ne4 Be7 11.Qe2 Nd7 12.O-O d5 13.Ned2 Bf6


14.Ne1 Qc7 15.c4 dxc4 16.dxc4 Nc5 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4, draw.




* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Round Two: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2214) - Ilya Krasnovsky (USCF 1681), Hackensack NJ 12/7/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 Nf6 6.d4 d5 7.Bd3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Bg5 Bg4 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.c3 Re8 12.Re1 c6 13.Qc2 Nf8 14.Re3 h6 15.Bh4 N8h7 16.Rae1 Be6 17.Ne5 Qc7

18.Nxf7 Bxf7 19.Bxh7+ Nxh7 20.Rxe7 Qd6 21.Rxe8+ Rxe8 22.Rxe8+ Bxe8 23.Nf3 Bg6 24.Qe2 Be4 25.Ne5 g5 26.Bg3 Qe6 27.f3 Bf5 28.Kf2 Nf6 29.Nd3 Qf7 30.Ke1 Kh7 31.Be5 Nd7 32.Kd2 Qh5 33.g4 Bxd3 34.Qxd3+ Qg6 35.Qxg6+ Kxg6


36.Bg3 Nf8 37.Ke3 h5 38.h3 h4 39.Bb8 a6 40.f4 Nh7 41.f5+ Kf6 42.Bc7 Ke7 43.Be5 Nf8 44.b3 b5 45.Kd3 Nd7 46.c4 Nb6 47.cxb5 cxb5 48.Kc3 a5 49.Bc7 b4+ 50.Kd3 Nd7 51.Bxa5 Nf6 52.Bxb4+ Kf7 53.Be1 Ke7

54.a4 Kd7 55.b4 Kc6 56.Ke3 Ne4 57.Kf3 Kb6 58.b5 Kb7 59.a5 Ka7 60.Bb4 Nf6 61.Bc5+ Kb7 62.a6+ Kc7 63.b6+ Kb8 64.Bd6+, Black resigns.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Paulsen Variation

Jim West (USCF 2214) - Arthur Feuerstein (USCF 2200), Hackensack NJ 12/7/2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 b5 6.O-O Bb7 7.a3 Nf6 8.Nc3 Qc7 9.Be3 b4 10.axb4 Bxb4 11.Nde2 Ng4 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Ng3 h5 15.Be2 Qf4 16.Qc1 Qe5


17.Bxg4 hxg4 18.Re1 Nc6 19.Qd1 Qf4 20.Nce2 Qe5 21.Nc3 Qf4 22.Nce2 Qe5, draw.




* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Solomon Lerner (USCF 1970) - Jim West (USCF 2214), Hackensack NJ 12/7/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d4 Nc6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Nxd8 7.Nc3 fxe4 8.Nxe4 Nf6 9.Nc3 Bd6 10.Bd2 Be6 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.O-O-O O-O 13.h3 a6 14.Rhe1 Nf4

15.Bxf4 exf4 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Rxe4 Rae8 18.Rde1 Rxe4 19.Rxe4 h6 20.Nd4 Rf6 21.f3 Kf7 22.Kd2 Rg6 23.Re2 Bc5 24.c3 Bxd4 25.cxd4 Re6 26.Rxe6 Kxe6 27.Kd3 Kd5 28.a3 g5 29.Kc3 a5 30.b3 b6 31.Kd3 c6

32.Kc3 h5 33.Kd3 b5 34.b4 a4 35.Kc3 Ke6 36.Kd3 Kd5 37.Kc3 Ke6 38.Kd2 Kd6 39.Ke2 Ke6 40.Kd2 Kd6 41.Kd3 Kd5 42.Kc3, draw.

USCL Final Match Today

For the second year in a row, the Dallas Destiny and the Boston Blitz meet this afternoon in the final match of the United States Chess League. Will the Blitz avenge last year's loss? Or will the Destiny become the Dynasty?

You can follow the match at 3 p.m. on the Internet Chess Club.

Bobby Fischer Revisited

The following is a press release, dated December 3rd, from the Marshall Chess Club.

On Monday, December 8, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. , the Marshall Chess Club will be the recipient of an extensive archive of letters, telegrams, photographs and other memorabilia concerning Bobby Fischer, the only American ever to become the World’s Chess Champion. Fischer died in January of 2008.

The archive is being donated to the Club by Russell Targ, the former husband of the late Joan Fischer Targ, Bobby Fischer’s sister.

“Once this archive is listed and cataloged, it will be an important resource to chess historians and scholars,” said Dr. Frank Brady, President of the Marshall Chess Club, and Fischer’s biographer.

Dr. Brady is also donating his vast collection of Fischer documents, clippings and ephemera to the Club.

Included in the Targ Collection is the original scoresheet, in Fischer’s handwriting, of his famous “Game of the Century,” played when he was only 13 years of age, and foretold his ascent to the summit of world chess.

Some of the chess items from the collection will be on display this Monday, December 8th.

The public is invited to attend the giving ceremony.

For further information, please contact Ms. Inez Cintron at 212-477-3716.


Phone 212-477-3716 Fax 212-995-9281

www.marshallchessclub.org

marshall.cc@verizon.net

Kasparov's Advice for Obama

Recently, in the Wall Street Journal, Garry Kasparov had some advice for President-elect Barack Obama.

Alex Lenderman Endgame Seminars

Tournament director Dan Herman has organized two chess endgame seminars by IM Alex Lenderman in Cherry Hill on Saturday, December 13th. But, unless enough people register by tonight, Herman may have to cancel the event.

Bryan Smith Wins National Chess Congress

International master Bryan Smith has won the National Chess Congress, held this past weekend in Philadelphia. Smith, formerly of Alaska, is a resident of Pennsylvania.