By Hook or by Rook

In chessboxing, there are two ways to win.

"Chess Mates" Championship, Day 2

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

Round Four: Ruy Lopez, Classical Variation

Jim West (USCF 2230) - Mauricio Camejo (USCF 2138), Rahway NJ 6/9/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Be7 8.d5 Nb8 9.e5 Ne8 10.Bd3 d6 11.Qc2 h6 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.h3 Nd7 14.Nc3 Nc5

15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.b4 Nd7 17.a3 Ne5 18.Be4 Qf6 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Bd2 Nd6 21.Rac1 Bd7 22.Bd3 Nf5 23.Ne4 Qd8 24.Nc5 Nd4 25.Qd1 Bc8 26.Qh5 f5 27.Bc4 Qd6 28.Nd3 Bf6 29.Nf4 Kg8 30.Ng6 b5

31.Bf4 Qd8 32.Ba2 Qe8 33.Rfe1 Qd8 34.d6+ Be6 35.Rxe6 Nxe6 36.Bxe6+ Kh7 37.dxc7 Qd4 38.Nxf8+ Rxf8 39.Bxf5+ Kg8 40.c8=Q Qxf4 41.Be6+ Kh7 42.Qf5+, Black resigns.

"Chess Mates" Championship, Day 1

On Saturday, I played this PCG at Chess Mates.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Taran Idnani (USCF 1681) - Jim West (USCF 2230), Rahway NJ 6/8/2013

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.Nxh8+ Kg7 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Nf7 Kxf7 13.Bc4+ Kg7 14.O-O-O Nbd7 15.Qg3 Kh8 16.f4 Nb6 17.Bb3 a5 18.a3 a4 19.Ba2 Bf5

20.Qh4 Bg6 21.f5 Be8 22.Rhe1 Bc6 23.d5 Nfxd5 24.f6 Bxf6 25.Bxf6+ Qxf6 26.Rxe4 Qxh4 27.Rxh4 Ne3 28.Rg1 Bd5 29.Bxd5 Nexd5 30.Rf1 Rg8 31.g3 Rg7 32.Rf8+ Rg8 33.Rf7 Rg7 34.Rf8+ Rg8 35.Rf7 Rg7 36.Rf8+, draw.

Frederic Fournier Analyzes Kopiecki - West

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier analyzes my recent draw as Black against Ed Kopiecki.

Wednesday Game/90 6/5/2013

On Wednesday evening, these games were played at Chess Mates.

Round One: Smith-Morra Gambit

Michael O'Connor (USCF 1771) - Stanislav Busygin (USCF 2313), Rahway NJ 6/5/2013 

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 a6 7.O-O Nge7 8.Bg5 d6 9.Bb3 Qd7 10.Rc1 Ng6 11.Be3 b5 

12.Nd5 exd5 13.Bxd5 Bb7 14.Ng5 Nd8 15.Bb6 Bxd5 16.Rc7 Bc4 17.Rxd7 Kxd7 18.Re1 Be7 19.Bxd8 Raxd8 20.b3 Be6 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Qd4 Ra8 23.Rc1 Rhc8 24.Rxc8 Rxc8 25.g3 Rc5 26.Qxg7 Nf8 27.Qd4 e5 28.Qd1 Kc7 29.Qh5 Kd8 30.a4 b4 31.Qf7 Nd7 32.Qxh7 Rc1 33.Kg2 Nc5 

34.Qg8+ Kd7 35.h4 Nd3 36.Qg4+ Ke8 37.Qh5+, draw.

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Round One: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ronald Lukacs (USCF 1497), Rahway NJ 6/5/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Bg4 6.h3 h5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Nbd2 O-O-O 

9.hxg4 hxg4 10.Nh2 Nh6 11.Nc4 b5 12.Nxg4 Nxg4 13.Qxg4+ Kb7 14.Na5+ Kb6 15.Nb3 Be7 16.Be3+ c5 17.f3 Rh4 18.Qf5 Qxf5 19.exf5 Rdh8 20.Kf2 Rh2 21.Rg1 R8h5 22.Nd2 Rxf5 23.Rh1 Rfh5 24.Rxh2 Rxh2 25.Kg1 Rh7 

26.b4 Kc6 27.bxc5 f5 28.a4 Bf6 29.axb5+ axb5 30.Ra6+ Kb7 31.Re6 c6 32.Nb3 Bd8 33.Rxe5 g6 34.Re6 g5 35.Nd4 f4 36.Bf2 Rc7 37.Be1 Rc8 38.Nf5 Ra8 39.Nd6+ Kc7 40.Nf7 Kd7 41.Rd6+ Kc7 42.Nxd8 Rxd8 43.Ba5+, Black resigns.

FIDE Mondays 6/3/2013

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, O'Kelly Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2108) - Aigboje Aregbeyen (FIDE 1774), Marshall Chess Club 6/3/2013

1.e4 c5 Nf3 a6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 e5 7.Nf5 d5

8.exd5 Bxf5 9.dxc6 Qxd1+ 10.Nxd1 bxc6 11.Be2 Bb4+ 12.Kf1 O-O 13.a3 Bc5 14.Be3 Bd4 15.Bxd4 exd4 16.b4 Rfe8 17.Nb2 Ne4 18.Bd3 Nd2+ 19.Kg1 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 Nxc4 21.g3 Ne5 22.Nc5 a5 23.Kg2 f6

24.Rad1 axb4 25.axb4 Rad8 26.Rhe1 Kf7 27.Re4 d3 28.f4 Ng4 29.Rxe8 Rxe8 30.Rxd3 Re2+ 31.Kf3 Rxh2 32.Kxg4 Rb2 33.Rd7+ Kg6 34.f5+ Kh6 35.Nd3 Rb3 36.Rd6 Rc3 37.Kf4 Rc4+ 38.Ke3 Kg5 39.Rd7 g6 40.fxg6 hxg6 41.Rg7 Kf5 42.Ra7 g5 43.Ra1 Re4+ 44.Kd2 Rg4 45.Rf1+ Ke6 46.Rf3 f5 47.Kc3 Kf6 48.Nf2, Black resigns.

"Brooklyn Castle" Available on DVD

The documentary film Brooklyn Castle is available now on DVD.

GM Daniel King on PCG with 4.exf5

Grandmaster Daniel King [pictured] agrees with Michael Goeller on 4.exf5 against the Philidor Counter Gambit.

Occupy Chess Video Game: 99% Versus 1%

Your help is needed to fund The Occupy Chess Video Game.

Marshall June Open, Day 2

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 3-0-1 in the two day tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Dutch Defense

Sam Barsky (USCF 2114) - Jim West (2200), Marshall Chess Club 6/2/2013

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 O-O 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bf4 Bb7 9.h3 d6 10.Qb3 Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Nbd7 12.O-O-O Be4

13.Nd2 Bxd3 14.Qxd3 Qc8 15.g4 e5 16.Bh2 fxg4 17.Rhg1 Qa6 18.hxg4 e4 19.Qe2 Qxa2 20.g5 hxg5 21.Rxg5 Rf7 22.f3 Qa1+ 23.Kc2 Qa4+ 24.Kb1 exf3 25.Qxf3 Ne4 26.Qh1 Nxd2+ 27.Rxd2 Raf8

28.Bf4 Qxc4 29.Rh5 Rf5 30.Rh8+ Kf7 31.Rxf8+ Nxf8 32.Rc2 Qd3 33.Qc6 Qf1+ 34.Rc1 Qd3+ 35.Rc2 Qf1+ 36.Rc1 Qd3+ 37.Rc2, draw.

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Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Sozin Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Leif Pressman (USCF 2398), Marshall Chess Club 6/2/2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.Be3 a6 9.f4 Qc7 10.O-O O-O 11.Qf3 Bd7 12.f5 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 e5 14.Bf2 Bc6 15.g4 Nd7 16.Rad1 Rac8 17.a3 Nc5

18.Bd5 Na4 19.Nxa4 Bxa4 20.Rd2 Bb5 21.Re1 Bc4 22.c3 b5 23.h4 a5 24.g5 Kh8 25.f6 gxf6 26.gxf6 Rg8+ 27.Kh2 Bf8 28.Rg1 Bh6 29.Be3 Rxg1 30.Kxg1 Rg8+ 31.Rg2 Bxe3+ 32.Qxe3 Qc5 33.Rxg8+ Kxg8 34.Qxc5 dxc5

35.a4 Kf8 36.axb5 Bxb5 37.Kf2 Kg8 38.Kf3 h5 39.Ke3 Be8 40.Kd3 Bb5+ 41.Bc4 Be8 42.Ba6 Bc6 43.Kc4 Bxe4 44.Kxc5 Bf3 45.Bc4 Bg2 46.b4 axb4 47.cxb4 e4 48.Kd4 Kf8 49.b5 Ke8

50.b6 e3 51.Kxe3 Bb7 52.Kf4 Bh1 53.Be2 Kd7 54.Bxh5 Bd5 55.Ke5 Bb3 56.Bf3 Bd1 57.Bxd1, Black resigns.

Marshall June Open, Day 1

On Saturday, I played this PCG at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Frank Ashmun (USCF 2089) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 6/1/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Nxd8 7.exf5 Bd6 8.O-O Bxf5 9.Re1 Nc6 10.c3 O-O-O 11.Be3 Nf6 12.Ng5 Rhe8 13.f3 h6 14.Nf7 Rd7 15.Nxd6+ cxd6 16.Na3 d5

17.Bb3 d4 18.cxd4 exd4 19.Bd2 Rde7 20.Nc4 Rxe1+ 21.Bxe1 Rd8 22.Bg3 Ne8 23.Rc1 d3 24.Nd2 Kd7 25.Bf2 Nd6 26.Re1 Re8 27.Rxe8 Kxe8 28.Bc5 Kd7 29.Kf2 b6 30.Be3 Na5 31.Bg8 h5 32.Bd4 g6 33.Ke3 b5

34.b3 Nc6 35.Bf6 Nb4 36.Kf4 Nxa2 37.Ke5 Nb4 38.h3 Nc6+ 39.Kd5 Ne8 40.Bh4 Ne7+ 41.Bxe7 Kxe7 42.g4 hxg4 43.hxg4 Nf6+ 44.Ke5 Bd7 45.Bd5 Nxd5 46.Kxd5 a5 47.Kd4 Bc6 48.Kxd3 Kf6 49.Kd4 a4 50.bxa4 bxa4

51.Kc5 Be8 52.Kb4 Ke5 53.Nc4+ Kf4 54.Nd6 Bc6 55.Nf7 Be8 56.Nd6 Bd7 57.Nf7 Be8 58.Nd6 Bc6 59.Nf7 Bd5 60.Nh8 g5 61.Ng6+ Kxf3 62.Kxa4 Kxg4 63.Ne5 Kf5 64.Nd3 g4 65.Nf2 g3 66.Nh3 Bf3 67.Kb4 Bg4 68.Ng1 Ke4 69.Kc3 Ke3, White resigns.

Analysis by Fournier of Two PCG Games

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier [pictured] analyzes my victories as Black against Justin Chen and Ed Kopiecki.