DOCA TransNet 7/19/2009

Yesterday, in the last round of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational, NM Arthur Feuerstein lost to IM Dean Ippolito who won the event with 7.5 points.

Meanwhile NM David Grasso defeated me in a contest that was awarded the Best Game prize, earning Grasso second place with 7 points.

Third place was won by Rahul Swaminathan with 5.5 points.

I finished with 4.5 points (3 wins, 3 losses, 3 draws), good enough for a fourth place tie with NM Arthur Feuerstein and Christopher Wu. Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero also finished with 4.5 points and took the Under 2000 prize.

Here is my draw from the eighth round.

Round Eight: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2210) - Steve Ferrero (USCF 1930), DOCA TransNet 7/19/2009

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.f4 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.a4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 e6 11.d3 Qc7 12.Nc3 Rad8 13.Qc1 a6

14.e4 d4 15.Ne2 Nd7 16.e5 f5 17.Qd1 Nb6 18.Bc1 Nd5 19.Bxd5 Rxd5 20.Bd2 b6 21.Rf3 Rfd8 22.h4 h5 23.Rg3 Kh7 24.Kf2 Qe7 25.Rh3 Bh6 26.Ng1 Rh8 27.Nf3 Kg7 28.Rg3 a5 29.Rh3 Rdd8 30.g3 Qd7 31.Be1 Ne7 32.Nd2 Nd5 33.Nc4 Kh7 34.Bd2 Bf8


35.Rh1 Be7 36.Qe2 Rdf8 37.Rae1 Kg7 38.Qf3 Rb8 39.Re2 Rbf8 40.Rhe1 Qd8 41.Nd6 Qd7 42.Nb5 Rd8 43.Kg2 Rhe8 44.Na3 Rb8 45.Nb5 Rbd8 46.Rd1 Kf7 47.Na3 Kg7 48.Nc4 Rb8 49.Ra1 Qc7 50.Ree1 Rbd8 51.Red1 Kf7 52.Rac1 Rd7


53.c3 dxc3 54.Bxc3 Nxc3 55.Rxc3 Rd4 56.Na3 Qd7 57.Nc2 Rd5 58.Ne3 Rd4 59.Nc2 Rd5 60.Ne3 Rd4, draw.

DOCA TransNet 7/18/2009

Last night, in round seven of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational, NM David Grasso defeated IM Dean Ippolito. But Ippolito still leads the tournament by a half-point, going into the final day.

Yesterday I lost (Wu), won (Hall), and drew (Swaminathan). All three games featured 6.Bc4 against the Sicilian Najdorf. Here is the draw.

Round Seven: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Rahul Swaminathan (USCF 2128) - Jim West (USCF 2210), DOCA TransNet 7/18/2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Qf3 Qb6 10.O-O-O O-O 11.Rhe1 Nc6


12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nd5 exd5 15.Bxd5 Qc5 16.Bxa8 Qg5+ 17.Qe3 Bg4 18.f3 Bxf3 19.Rd5 Qxe3+ 20.Rxe3 Bxg2 21.Bb7 Be5 22.Re2 Bf1 23.Rf2 Bc4 24.Rd1 Rb8 25.Bd5 Rc8 26.Kb1 g6


27.Bxc4 Rxc4 28.Rdf1 Rxe4 29.Rxf7 Bxh2 30.Rf8+ Kg7 31.R8f7+ Kg8 32.Ra7 Bf4 33.Ra8+ Kg7 34.Ra7+ Kg8 35.Ra8+ Kg7 36.Ra7+, draw.

Indictment in USCF Lawsuit

Susan Polgar's webmaster Gregory Alexander has been indicted in Federal District Court for allegedly breaking into the e-mail account of Randy Hough.

Lindner - Hardman

At his Contre Gambit Philidor website, Frederic Fournier presents this victory by Black in the Philidor Counter Gambit.

Two NJ Players Excel at Cadet Championship

A couple of players from New Jersey, Andrew Ng and Victor Shen, finished first and second respectively at the 2009 Cadet Championship.

Pix from DOCA TransNet

These pictures were taken by me during the first weekend of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational.

While the first round of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational was in progress, the final round of the New Jersey Futurity International was taking place. NM Arthur Feuerstein stands watching NM David Grasso's game. In the background, GM Joel Benjamin plays against FM Evan Ju.

Here are the standings after the first round.

Tim Hall is Black versus IM Dean Ippolito.

Rahul Swaminathan defends against NM Arthur Feuerstein.

Mike Somers has the white pieces, as Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero essays the Latvian Gambit.

Tournament director Aaron Kiedes updates the results on the laptop computer.

These are the standings following round three.

NM David Grasso plays Black against Christopher Wu.

Photo Gallery from DOCA TransNet

Courtesy of Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero, here are photos from the first weekend of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational at the Dean of Chess Academy.

DOCA TransNet 7/12/2009

In the fourth round of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational, held at the Dean of Chess Academy, Tim Hall was defeated by IM Dean Ippolito, while the game between Mike Somers and Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero ended in a draw.

My score from the first weekend of the 9-round event is 2-1-1. My only loss happened yesterday as White in the third round against Ippolito who surprised me with the Sicilian defense, after I had spent the last month preparing for his Petroff defense!

There were no opening surprises in my victory against Kevin Chen, who occasionally plays the PCG himself.

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Kevin Chen (USCF 1798) - Jim West (USCF 2210), DOCA TransNet 7/12/2009

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.Be6 Bb4+ 13.c3 Nc6 14.Qf5 Qe8


15.O-O Bd6 16.d5 Bxf4 17.Bxf4 Bxe6 18.dxe6 Qh5 19.Qxh5 Nxh5 20.Bxc7 Rhe8 21.Rad1 Rxe6 22.Rd7+ Re7 23.Be5+ Nf6 24.Bxf6+ Kxf6 25.Rd6+ Kg7 26.Rfd1 Rae8 27.b4 Ne5 28.a4 Nc4 29.R6d4 Nb2 30.Ra1 Rc8


31.g3 Rxc3 32.Ra2 Rd3 33.Rxd3 Nxd3 34.b5 Re5 35.Rc2 Rc5 36.Re2 Rc4 37.a5 Kf6 38.b6 axb6 39.axb6 h5 40.Kg2 Rb4 41.h4 Kf5, White resigns.

DOCA TransNet 7/11/2009

In the first round of the DOCA TransNet FIDE Invitational, which began yesterday at the Dean of Chess Academy, Tim Hall lost to NM David Grasso while Rahul Swaminathan was held to a draw by Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero [standing].

Here is my draw from the second round.

Round Two: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Arthur Feuerstein (USCF 2200) - Jim West (USCF 2210), DOCA TransNet 7/11/2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.a3 Nc6 5.Qd5 Nc5 6.Nd2 a5 7.Ngf3 d6 8.exd6 Bxd6 9.Qg5 O-O 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.b3 Re8 12.e3 Bf5 13.Bb2 Bc2


14.Nd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxb3 16.Nxb3 Bxb3 17.c5 Be5 18.Kd2 Rad8 19.Kc3 Bd5 20.Rd1 Bc6 21.f3 Bxd4+ 22.exd4 Re3+ 23.Bd3 Rde8 24.Kd2 Kf8 25.h4 h6 26.Ra1 R3e7 27.Rhe1 Bd5


28.Rxe7 Rxe7 29.Re1 Rxe1 30.Kxe1 Ke7 31.Kd2 Ke6 32.Kc3 g5 33.hxg5 hxg5 34.Bc4 f5 35.g3 f4 36.g4 b6 37.cxb6 cxb6 38.a4 Bxc4 39.Kxc4 Kd6 40.Kc3 Kc6 41.Kc4 Kd6 42.Kc3 Kc6, draw.