Bachmann, Krush in Tie; IM-elect Brodsky

The 10th New York International ended in a tie for first place between grandmasters Axel Bachmann and Irina Krush.

FIDE master David Brodsky fulfilled his final requirement for the international master title.

FIDE Mondays 7/17/2017

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation 

Kadhir Pillai (USCF 2172) - Jim West (USCF 2209), Marshall Chess Club 7/17/2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.O-O Nbd7 10.a4 O-O 11.a5 Qc7 12.f3 Rac8 13.Rf2 Rfd8 14.Bf1 d5

15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rd2 Bxb3 18.cxb3 Bc5 19.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 20.Kh1 Qe7, draw.

"Chess Mates" Games 7/15/2017

At the Chess Mates blog, I have posted games from Saturday's club championship.

Marshall Saturday Game/60 7/15/2017

On Saturday, I won these games in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two:  Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2205) - Anthony Norris (USCF 1948), Marshall Chess Club 7/15/2017

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4 3.d3 c5 4.Nd2 Nc6 5.Ngf3 Nf6 6.h3 Bh5 7.g3 d4 8.Bg2 e6 9.O-O Bd6 10.a4 O-O 11.Nc4 Bc7

12.Bc1 Nd5 13.Bd2 f5 14.Ng5 Qf6 15.f4 Rae8 16.Nf3 a6 17.a5 Qg6 18.Kh2 Nc3 19.Bxc3 dxc3 20.Qe1 e5 21.Nh4 Qe6 22.Bf3 exf4 23.Bxh5 fxg3+ 24.Kg2 g6 25.Bf3 Qe7 26.Bd5+ Kg7 27.Qxc3+ Kh6 28.Qd2+ g5

29.Nf3 Qxe2+ 30.Qxe2 Rxe2+ 31.Kg1 Rfe8 32.Bxc6 bxc6 33.Rae1 f4 34.Rxe2 Rxe2 35.Re1 Rxe1+ 36.Nxe1 g4 37.hxg4 Kg5 38.Nf3+ Kxg4 39.Kg2 h5 40.Nce5+ Kf5 41.Nxc6 Ke6 42.c4 Kd6 43.Nce5 Bxa5

44.Ng6 Kd7 45.Nxf4 Bc7 46.Nxh5 Ke6 47.Nxg3 Bf4 48.Kf2 Kd6 49.Ne4+ Kc6 50.Ke2 Bc1 51.Ne5+ Kb6 52.Nd7+ Kc6 53.Ndxc5, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Dylan Challenger (USCF 1760) - Jim West (USCF 2205), Marshall Chess Club 7/15/2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Be2 Bb4 9.O-O O-O 10.Bg5 c6

11.a3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nbd7 13.Nxd7 Bxd7 14.c4 Be6 15.cxd5 cxd5 16.Rc1 Qa5 17.c4 dxc4 18.Bxc4 Bxc4 19.Rxc4 Qxg5 20.Qb3 Qd5 21.Qc3 b6 22.Rc1 Rad8 23.Qg3 Nh5 24.Qg4 Qf5 25.Qe2 Nf4 26.Qa2 Kh8

27.Rf1 Qg4 28.f3 exf3 29.Rxf3 Nh3+ 30.Kf1 Rxf3+ 31.gxf3 Qxf3+ 32.Ke1 Re8+ 33.Kd2 Qe2+ 34.Kc3 Qxa2 35.d5 Qxa3+ 36.Kd2 Qa2+ 37.Kd3 Nf2+ 38.Kd4 Re4+ 39.Kc3 Qxc4+ 40.Kb2 Re2+ 41.Kb1 Qc2+ 42.Ka1 Qa2#.

Garry Kasparov Teaches Chess

Coming this fall!

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Controls Chess Board

Floyd Mayweather Jr. boasts that he controls the chess board in his his upcoming fight against Conor McGregor.

Chess at School 15 in Jersey City

Bobby Stewart coaches the after school chess program at Whitney M. Young, Jr. School.

Daniel Cruz 7th in Under 1400 Section

 [photo by Montclair Cooperative School]

At this year's World Open, Daniel Cruz [pictured] of the Montclair Cooperative School finished 7th in the under 1400 section.

Pix from July FIDE Weekend 7/8/2017

On Saturday, I took these pictures during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Westfield Swiss 7/9/2017

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-1-0 plus a half point bye in the tournament at Westfield.

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Accelerated Fianchetto

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Michael Berrios (USCF 1867), Westfield NJ 7/9/2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a5 9.f3 d5 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Nde2 a4 12.Nxa4 Nfxd5 13.Bf2 Bf5 14.O-O b5 15.Nac3 Nxc3 16.Nxc3 Qxd1 17.Rfxd1 Bxc2 18.Bxc2 Nxc2 19.Rac1 Bxc3 20.Rxc2 Bf6

21.b3 Rfc8 22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 23.Kf1 Rc2 24.Bd4 Bxd4 25.Rxd4 Rxa2 26.Rd8+ Kg7 27.Rb8 Rb2 28.Rxb5 Kf6 29.h4 Ke6 30.Kg1 f5 31.f4 Kf6 32.Kh2 h6 33.Rb6+ e6 34.Rb7 g5 35.fxg5+ hxg5 36.h5 g4

37.h6 Rc2 38.h7 Rc8 39.Kg3 e5 40.b4 Kg5 41.Rg7+ Kh6 42.Rc7 Re8 43.b5 e4 44.Kf4 Kg6 45.b6 e3 46.Re7 Rxe7 47.h8=Q e2 48.Qg8+ Kf6 49.Qg5+ Kf7 50.Qxf5+ Ke8 51.Qb5+ Kf8 52.b7 Rxb7 53.Qxe2, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Jed Sloan (USCF 1691) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Westfield NJ 7/9/2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Qd4 c5 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.Qd1 Nge7 10.O-O O-O

11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Qe2 Bxc3 13.bxc3 h6 14.Nh3 Bxh3 15.gxh3 Rf3 16.Be3 Ng6 17.Bxc5 Nf4, White resigns.

Marshall July FIDE Weekend 7/8/2017

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

Round Two: King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation

Wesley Hellner (USCF 1899) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 7/8/2017

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.g3 O-O 6.Bg2 Nbd7 7.Nf3 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.O-O Re8 10.Qc2 c6 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.b3 a5 13.Ba3 Bf8

14.Bb2 Nc5 15.Rac1 Bg4 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 a4 18.Ne2 axb3 19.axb3 Qb6 20.Ra1 Rxa1 21.Rxa1 Qxb3 22.Qxb3 Nxb3 23.Rd1 Bb4 24.Bc3 Bxc3 25.Nxc3 Nd4 26.Bg2 b5 27.cxb5 cxb5 28.f4 b4 29.Nd5 Nxd5 30.exd5 Ne2+ 31.Kf2 Nc3

32.Rd3 e4 33.Rd4 b3 34.d6 b2 35.Rb4 e3+ 36.Ke1 b1=Q+ 37.Rxb1 Nxb1 38.Bc6 Rd8 39.d7 Nc3 40.g4 Kf8 41.f5 Ke7, White resigns.

Pix from Sunday Game/45 7/2/2017

On Sunday, I snapped these photos during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.