Zilbermintz @ "Contre Gambit Philidor"

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier provides a link to the game between Richard Blank and Lev Zilbermintz [pictured].

"Time" Article on Karpov and Kasparov

Here is an article in Time on the Russian chess feud where Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov were checkmated by the Kremlin.

Jennie Finch at Flemington Super Center

Over the weekend, softball icon Jennie Finch visited the new Flemington Super Center after getting her first chess lesson from international master Dean Ippolito.

Rahway Chess Club Holds Grand Opening

by Lev D. Zilbermintz

On October 10, 2010, the long-awaited grand opening of the Rahway chess club took place. Chess Mates Corporation, located at 1531 Irving Street in Rahway, officially opened its doors to the public. The club has been in operation since June; but various reasons, including bureaucratic holdups by the city of Rahway, prevented having a grand opening earlier.

About 25 people, including senior master Yaacov Norowitz and grandmaster Leonid Yudasin, attended the grand opening and related festivities. Refreshments were provided free of charge by Chess Mates to all guests. This was followed by senior master Yaacov Norowitz’s lecture about the value of two bishops in an opening.

The Israeli grandmaster Leonid Yudasin, a one-time world championship candidate, gave a simultaneous exhibition, playing 20 opponents at once. Of the 20 games played, Yudasin won 15 and drew 4. His only loss was to candidate master James Walker.

James Walker (2000) – GM Leonid Yudasin (2609)
Simultaneous Exhibition
Rahway, New Jersey
10 October 2010
Benoni Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 c5 3 e3 g6 4 Bd3 Bg7 5 O-O O-O 6 Nbd2 b6 7 Qe2 Bb7 8 c3 d5 9 dxc5 bxc5 10 e4 e6 11 Re1 Nc6 12 exd5 exd5 13 Nf1 Re8 14 Qd1 Rxe1 15 Qxe1 Qb6 16 Bg5 h6 17 Bxf6 Bxf6 18 Qd2 Bg7 19 Re1 Rd8 20 Qe2 Bc8

Twenty moves into the game and White has a solid position. Black does not have any cheap shots.

21 h3 Qa5 22 a3 c4 23 Bb1 Bb7 24 Ne3 Ba6 25 Ba2 Qc5 26 Rd1 h5 27 Nc2 Bc8 28 Ncd4 Ne7 29 Bb1 Bd7 30 Ne5 Ba4 31 Re1 Nc8 32 Nxf7! Kxf7 33 Qe6+ Kf8 34 Re3 Bd1 35 Bxg6! Qe7 36 Qf5+ Qf6 37 Ne6+ Kg8 38 Nxd8, Black resigns.

As a prize for winning this game, Walker got a week of free chess lessons from GM Yudasin.

We also give the following drawn game.

GM Leonid Yudasin (2609) – Bessalel Yarjovski (1766)
Simultaneous Exhibition
Rahway, New Jersey
10 October 2010
Dunst Opening

1 Nc3!? (A good first move, but very rarely played. FM Asa Hoffmann of New York is one of the few titled players who play this rare opening.) e5 2 g3 d5 3 d3 c6 4 Bg2 Nf6 5 Nf3 Bd6 6 O-O O-O 7 e4 Bg4 8 h3 Bh5 9 Re1 Re8 10 Bd2 Nbd7 11 g4 Bg6 12 Nh4 d4 13 Ne2 Nxe4 14 Nxg6 Nxd2 15 Nxe5 Rxe5 16 Qxd2 Qb6 17 c3 Rae8 18 Nxd4 Rxe1+ 19 Rxe1 Rxe1+ 20 Qxe1 Qxb2 21 Qe8+ Nf8 22 Nf5 Qc1+ 23 Bf1 Qf4 24 Nxd6 Qxd6 25 Qe3 Qd7 26 Qxa7 g6 27 a4 Ne6 28 Qb8+ Kg7 29 Qe5+ f6 30 Qe3 g5 31 Bg2 Nf4 32 Be4 Qd6 33 a5 Qa3 34 Qb6 Qc1+ 35 Kh2 Qf1 36 Qxb7+ Kf8 37 Qb8+ Ke7 38 Qc7+ Kf8, drawn.

The other three players who drew their games were Fermin Arias, Ken Chieu and Maraj Daftani. Prizes were awarded to those who drew or won their games in the simultaneous. The prizes included free memberships and free chess lessons from grandmaster Yudasin.

Following the simultaneous, a seven-round, five-minute blitz tournament took place. Some of the games are given below.

Lev Zilbermintz (2143) – Jevon O’Neal (812)
Blitz Tournament
Round 3
Rahway, New Jersey
10 October 10
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

1 d4 Nf6 2 f3 d5 3 e4 dxe4 4 Nc3 e6 (the Weinspach Declination) 5 fxe4 Be7 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Bd3 Nxd4?? 8 Nxd4 Nh5 9 Be3 Nf6 10 O-O Bc5 11 e5 Nd7 12 Qf3?! Nxe5! 13 Qg3 Bxd4 14 Rad1 a6 15 Kh1 Bxe3 16 Bb5+! Nd7 17 Bxd7+ Bxd7 18 Qxg7 Rf8 19 Ne4 Qe7 20 Nf6+ Kd8 21 Rd7+ Qd7 22 Qf8+, Black resigns.

The next game featured my favorite, the Zilbermintz Benoni.

Lev Zilbermintz (2143) – James Walker (2000)
Blitz Tournament
Round 5
Benoni Defense

1 d4 c5 (Benoni Defense) 2 Nf3 Nf6 (Usually 2…cxd4 is played here.) 3 a3 e6 4 dc5! Bc5 5 b4 Bb6 (We have the a good line of the Zilbermintz Benoni. The usual move order is 1 d4 c5 2 Nf3 cxd4 3 a3! e6 4 dxc5 Bxc5 5 b4 Bb6.) 6 Bb2 d5 7 e3 O-O 8 Nbd2 Nc6 9 Be2 Re8 10 O-O e5? 11 b5! Na5? (11…e4!) 12 Ne5 Qe7 13 c4 Bc7 14 Nef3 dc4 15 Nxc4 Nxc4 16 Bxc4 Bg4 17 Be2 Rad8 18 Qb3 Ne4 19 Rfe1 Bf3 20 Bf3 Bxh2+! (A beautiful sacrifice that I overlooked. It secures a draw by perpetual check.) 21 Kxh2 Qh4+ 22 Kg1 Qxf2+ 23 Kh2 Qh4+, drawn.

Finally, a wild game between two tacticians.

Richard Blank (2090) – Lev Zilbermintz (2143)
Blitz Tournament
Round 6
Philidor Counter Gambit

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 f5 4 Nc3 fe4 5 Nxe5?! dxe5 6 Qh5+ Kd7 7 Qf5+ Ke8 8 Qe5+ Qe7 9 Qg3 Nf6 10 Bg5 c6 11 Bc4 Be6! 12 d5! cd5 13 Bd5 Nc6 14 O-O-O Rd8! 15 Bxe6 Qxe6 16 Nb5 Rd1 17 Rxd1 Kf7! 18 Qc7 Kg6! 19 Bxf6? gxf6 20 Qb7 Qxa2! 21 Qxc6?? Bh6+, White resigns.

When the blitz tournament ended, Yaacov Norowitz had 1st with 6.5 points, Maraj Daftani 2nd with 5.5, and Roger Pedersen 3rd with 4.5 points. The winners received free memberships as prizes.

I should mention that playing White in the blitz tournament, I drew Daftani. My opening of choice was 1 g4!, the Grob.

The public liked the place. According to Frank Bloise, “It was excellent. Yaacov Norowitz’s analysis was awesome. Place was nicely run. Tournament was pretty quick.”

Knockouts and Applesauce Draw Match

In week eight of the U.S. Chess League, the New Jersey Knockouts and the Manhattan Applesauce got their just "desserts" when the match ended in a tie.

Here are the games from boards one, two, three, and four.

Photos from "Chess Mates" Grand Opening

Photos from Sunday's grand opening at Chess Mates in Rahway can be found here.

ICA Fall 2010 Open

At today's ICA Fall 2010 Open tournament in Hackensack, I won this game.

Round Four: Vienna Game

Alexander Crump (USCF 1868) - Jim West (2203), Hackensack, NJ 10/10/2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.d3 Na5 5.Bb3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Nxb3 7.axb3 c6 8.h3 Be7 9.Nf3 O-O 10.O-O Be6 11.Qd2 Re8 12.Rad1 h6 13.Bh4 Nh5


14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Ne2 g5 16.Nh2 Nf4 17.Nxf4 gxf4 18.Kh1 Kh7 19.f3 Rg8 20.Rf2 Rg6 21.Ng4 h5 22.Nh2 Rag8 23.Ra1 a6 24.d4 f6 25.d5 cxd5 26.exd5 Bf5 27.c4 Qg7 28.h4 Rh6 29.Qe1 Rg6 30.Qd2 Bh3 31.Qc2 f5 32.Rg1 Qf6


33.c5 dxc5 34.Qxc5 e4 35.Qc7+ Qg7 36.Qc2 Qe7 37.Re2 Qxh4 38.fxe4 f3 39.g4 fxe2 40.exf5 e1=Q 41.fxg6+ Rxg6 42.Qc7+ Qee7 43.Qc2 Bxg4, White resigns.

"Chess" @ Kelsey Theatre 10/15 to 10/24

PIERROT PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS "CHESS"

Concept & Lyrics by TIM RICE
Music by BENNY ANDERSSON & BJÖRN ULVAEUS

THE KELSEY THEATRE
MERCER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, N.J.

Friday, October 15 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 16 - 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 17 - 2:00 PM
Friday, October 22 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 23 - 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 24 - 2:00 PM

Tickets: $16 Adult, $14 Seniors, $12 Students & Children

For further information and reservations, call 609-570-3333
or visit http://www.kelseytheatre.net/chess.shtml

Alex Ostrovskiy @ Marshall CC on Tuesday

[photo by Polly Wright]

The Marshall Chess Foundation proudly presents 2010 New York State chess champion Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.

Please join us for an evening with Marshall Chess Club member Aleksandr Ostrovskiy to celebrate his recent achievement of becoming the youngest New York State champion ever. Aged 14, Alex is a national master with a current USCF rating of 2317.

After being interviewed by Marshall Chess Club president Dr. Frank Brady, Alex will present and analyze his favorite game of the championship.

Refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010
7:00pm
Members free, non-members $10

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

Boston and NJ Draw Match in USCL

In week seven of the U.S. Chess League, the Boston Blitz and New Jersey Knockouts played a match in which all games ended drawn at boards one, two, three, and four.

Ask Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

If you have any questions to ask FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, now is your chance at chess@nytimes.com.

"Chess Mates" Open House on Sunday

Although Chess Mates in Rahway has been in operation for several months, the club's grand opening will be celebrated on Sunday October 10th with an open house.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by the mayor, according to owner Arthur Macaspac.

Senior master Yaacov Norowitz and grandmaster Leonid Yudasin will lecture, and Yudasin will give a simultaneous exhibition.