Monday, December 31, 2012

Rahway Swiss 12/30/2012

On Sunday, I played this PCG at Chess Mates in the game/30 tournament.

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Thomas Elberling (USCF 1921) - Jim West (USCF 2204), Rahway NJ 12/30/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.d5 f4 7.h4 Nb8 8.Nc3 a6 9.a4 Qf6 10.b3 Be7 11.Bb2 O-O 12.Qd2 Qg6 13.Ne6 Bxe6 14.dxe6 Nc6 15.O-O-O Kh8


16.Rdg1 Ng8 17.h5 Qh6 18.Nd5 Rac8 19.Kb1 Bg5 20.Qd3 Nge7 21.Bc3 b5 22.axb5 axb5 23.Bxb5 Qxe6 24.Ba6 Rb8 25.Nxc7 Qd7 26.Nd5 Nxd5 27.Qxd5 Nb4 28.Bxb4 Rxb4 29.Bc4 Rfb8 30.Kb2 h6


31.Rd1 Qa7 32.Rhf1 Bf6 33.Ra1 Qc7 34.Ra8 Rxa8 35.Qxa8 Rb8 36.Qd5 Qb6 37.f3 Qb4 38.Ra1 Kh7 39.Ra8 Qb6 40.Rxb8 Qxb8, draw.


Sunday, December 30, 2012

Marshall Saturday Game/60 12/29/2012

Yesterday I won this game at the Marshall Chess Club in the game/60 tournament.

Round Two: Pirc Defense

Jim West (USCF 2207) - Brian Arthur (USCF 1780), Marshall Chess Club 12/29/2012

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 O-O 9.Be3 Qb4 10.O-O Ng4 11.Nd5 Qa5 12.Nxe7+ Kh8 13.Nxc8 Rxc8 14.Bd4 Nc6 15.Bxg7+ Kxg7 16.Kh1 Qb6 17.h3 Nf6 18.c3 Nh5 19.Qf2 Qxf2 20.Rxf2 Nxf4


21.Bc2 f6 22.Rd1 Rd8 23.Rfd2 Kf7 24.Rxd6 Rxd6 25.Rxd6 Rd8 26.Rxd8 Nxd8 27.e5 fxe5 28.Nxe5+ Ke6 29.Nf3 Kd5 30.Kh2 Ne2 31.h4 Nc6 32.g3 Na5 33.h5 gxh5 34.Bxh7 Nc4 35.Bg8+ Kc5 36.Nd4 Nxd4 37.cxd4+ Kxd4 38.Bxc4 Kxc4


39.Kh3 Kd3 40.Kh4 Kc2 41.Kxh5 Kxb2 42.g4 Kxa2 43.g5 b5 44.g6 b4 45.g7 a5 46.g8=Q+ Ka3 47.Qg5 a4 48.Qc1+ Ka2 49.Qc2+ Ka3 50.Qb1 b3 51.Qa1+ Kb4 52.Kg4 a3 53.Kf3 b2 54.Qa2 Kc3 55.Qxa3+ Kc2 56.Qa2 Kc1 57.Ke3 Kc2 58.Kd4 Kc1 59.Kc3, Black resigns.


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Pix from Marshall CC Swiss 12/24/2012

These photos were taken by me on Monday at the Marshall Chess Club during the game/30 tournament.








Friday, December 28, 2012

Rohde & Sarkar Tie at Marshall Championship


The 2012 Marshall Chess Club championship ended in a tie for first place between GM Michael Rohde [pictured, left] and IM Justin Sarkar [pictured, right].

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Marshall Chess Club Swiss 12/24/2012

On Monday, in the game/30 tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I played the PCG three times.

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Leo Bykhovsky (USCF 1782) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Marshall Chess Club 12/24/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.c3 O-O-O 11.h4 Rf8 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Nge7 14.Nd2 Rxh8 15.O-O-O Rf8 


16.f3 Nf5 17.Qg5 e3 18.Nb3 Qxg5 19.hxg5 Ng3 20.Rxh7 e2 21.Bxe2 Nxe2+ 22.Kd2 Nf4 23.g3 Nd3 24.Rxg7 Nxb2 25.Rh1 Nc4+ 26.Ke2 Bf5 27.g6 N4e5 28.Rhh7 Bxg6 29.Rxc7+ Kd8 30.Rhg7 Nxf3 31.Rxb7 Nfe5 32.Nd4 Nxd4+ 33.cxd4 Bh5+ 34.Kd2 Nc6 


35.Rbd7+ Ke8 36.Rc7 Rf2+ 37.Kc3 Nd8 38.Rg8+ Rf8 39.Rg5 Rf3+ 40.Kb4 Bf7 41.Rxa7 Nc6+ 42.Kc5 Nxa7 and Black wins in ? moves. 



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Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Ian Mark (USCF 2047) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Marshall Chess Club 12/24/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O f4 7.d4 Qc7 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Ng5 Be7 10.Bf7+ Kf8 11.Bb3 h6 12.Nf3 Bg4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Nbd7 15.g3 g5 16.Kg2 Nc5 


17.gxf4 Nxb3 18.fxe5 Nxa1 19.exf6 Bb4 20.Qf5 Re8 21.f4 Nxc2 22.Rd1 gxf4 23.Bxf4 Qh7 24.Qxh7 Rxh7 25.e5 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Kf7 27.Rd7+ Kg6 28.Rxh7 Kxh7 29.f7 Rc8 30.e6 Kg6 31.Bxh6 Kf6 32.f8=Q+ Rxf8 33.Bxf8 Kxe6


34.Kf2 Kf5 35.Ke2 Ke4 36.Bc5 b6 37.Bf2 Na3 38.h4 Nb5 39.Kd2 Nd6 40.a4 c5 41.a5 Nc4+ 42.Kc2 Nxa5 43.h5 Kf5 44.Be3 Nc4 45.Bc1 Ne5 46.Be3 c4 47.Kb2 Nf7 48.Bd2 b5 49.Ka3 a5 50.Be3 b4+ 51.cxb4 axb4+ 52.Kxb4 Kg4, draw.



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Round Six: Philidor Counter Gambit

Michael Mendez (USCF 1593) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Marshall Chess Club 12/24/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.O-O f4 8.Bb3 Bg4 9.Kh1 Nbd7 10.Qe2 Qc7 11.a4 O-O-O 


12.a5 Nc5 13.Ba2 Ne6 14.Bxe6+ Bxe6 15.a6 b6 16.d4 h6 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.d5 cxd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.exd5 f5 21.Ra3 Kb8 22.Rc3 Qd7 


23.Qc4 Rc8 24.Qb4 Rxc3 25.Qxc3 Rc8 26.Qb3 Qc7 27.c3 Qc4 28.Qxc4 Rxc4 29.Ra1 Rc5 30.Nh4 Bxh4, White resigns.


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Rahway Grand Prix 12/22/2012

On Saturday, I drew these games in the grand prix tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Two: King's Indian Defense, Orthodox Variation

Rodion Rubenchik (USCF 2372) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Rahway NJ 12/22/2012

1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2 c5 10.Rb1 Ne8 11.b4 b6 12.bxc5 bxc5 13.Qa4 f5 14.Nb3 fxe4 15.Nxe4 Bf5 16.f3 Bxe4 17.fxe4 Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1 Nf6 19.Bd3 Qd7 


20.Qxd7 Nxd7 21.Na5 Rb8 22.Nb7 Nc8 23.Bd2 Bf6 24.a4 Ndb6 25.Na5 Nd7 26.Rb7 Rxb7 27.Nxb7 Kf8 28.a5 Be7 29.Kf2 Nf6 30.Kf3 Ke8 31.a6 Nd7 32.Na5 Nb8 33.Bc2 Nb6 34.Bb3 Kd7 35.Ke2 Kc7 


36.Kd3 Nxa6 37.Nc6 Nc8 38.Ba5+ Kb7 39.Ba4 Nb8 40.g3 Bf6 41.h4 Nb6 42.Bb5 a6 43.Nxb8 axb5 44.cxb5 Kxb8 45.Bxb6 Kb7 46.Ba5 h5 47.Bd2 Kb6 48.Kc4 Be7 49.Bh6 Ka5, draw.



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Round Three:  Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2207) - Praveen Balakrishnan (USCF 2232), Rahway NJ 12/22/2012

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.Ne2 Bg4 7.h3 Bxe2 8.Bxe2 e6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Bd3 Bd6 11.Nd2 O-O 12.Nf3 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Be3 Rfd8 16.Qa4 Nd7 



17.Qh4 g6 18.Bd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Nc5 20.Rad1 Ne6 21.Qe3 d4 22.cxd4 Rxd4 23.Be2 Rad8 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Bg4 Qd6 26.Bxe6 fxe6 27.Re1, draw.


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Chess at New Providence Municipal Center

From January 5th through February 9th, a chess program for special kids will be offered at the New Providence Municipal Center.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Open Letter to VP Joe Biden

Mr. Vice-President:

In the 2008 vice-presidential debate, you mentioned that your dad told you, "Champ, when you get knocked down, get up." Right now, America has been knocked down by the tragic events in Newtown.

I teach after school enrichment classes on chess at five elementary schools in New Jersey, similar to Sandy Hook Elementary School. The way I see it, America is a sick society. The name of our illness is violence. I write these words, not to bash the country that I love, because I want America to get better.

My prescription for restoring America to mental health is to make chess a part of the curriculum in all elementary schools. Chess is an aggressive game; yet there is no violence. Contrary to the notion that chess players are nerds, chess players are the coolest people I know because we rely on our wits rather than resorting to violence. Chess is cool; violence, not cool.

I realize that teaching chess in our schools will not solve America's problems overnight. But, as the hallway posters in the school buildings say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

National Master Jim West

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Frederic Fournier Analyzes 2 PCG Games

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier [pictured] analyzes my recent games as Black against Augusto Gutierrez and Thomas Elberling.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Hilldale School Tournament, Fall 2012

At Hilldale Elementary School in Montville, Friday marked the end of the fall 2012 session in the after school enrichment class on chess, run by Enrich and Grow Academy and instructed by me.

The final standings in the tournament are: first place medal Aneek Mahajan, second place medal Isabella Ryduchowski, third place medal Prithu Dhawan.  Chess books on order with the U.S. Chess Federation will be received by the medal winners, with additional books being awarded to Nilay Patel (fourth place) and Gianni Graziano (best effort).

Friday, December 21, 2012

Team China versus NJ Chess Team

At Chess.com, Michael O'Connor [pictured] won with the Philidor Counter Gambit versus Team China for the New Jersey Chess Team.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Center Grove School Tourney, Fall 2012

On Wednesday, the fall 2012 session ended at Center Grove Elementary School, in the after school enrichment class on chess that is taught by me and conducted by Enrich and Grow Academy.

The tournament results are: first place medal Tristan Pudell-Spatscheck, second place medal Adam Levine, third place medal Sebastian Matheney.  Chess books, on order with the U.S. Chess Federation, will be awarded to all three medal winners, as well as to Matthew Park and Isabella Hu.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Pix from Rahway Grand Prix 12/15/2012

On Saturday, I snapped these photos at Chess Mates during the grand prix tournament.










Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Shongum School Tournament, Fall 2012

The fall 2012 session, in the after school enrichment class on chess taught by me through Enrich and Grow Academy, ended yesterday at Shongum Elementary School in Randolph.  

As follows, the results of the tournament are: first place medal Jesse Lissaur, second place medal Lilli Berninger, third place medal Elliot Levine, on tie-breaks over Shayne Apple, Jessie Hauryluke, and Carter Kielbania who will receive books that are on order with the U.S. Chess Federation.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Rahway Swiss 12/16/2012

On Sunday, I won this game at Chess Mates in the game/30 tournament.

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Thomas Elberling (USCF 1922) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Rahway NJ 12/16/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.c3 f4 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qf6 10.d5 Nb8 11.Na3 a6 12.Rf1 Be7 13.Be2 O-O 14.c4 Nd7 15.Bd2 Nf7 16.b4 Qg6


17.Qg4 Qxg4 18.Bxg4 Nf6 19.Bf3 Ng5 20.O-O-O Ngxe4 21.Rfe1 Nxf2 22.Re2 Nxd1 23.Kxd1 Rae8 24.Nb1 Bd8 25.Nc3 g5 26.Ne4 Nxe4 27.Bxe4 Kg7 28.Kc2 h5 29.Bf3 Kh6 30.Kd3 Rg8 31.Re1 Ref8 32.Rh1 Be7 33.Ke4 Kg6


 34.Rf1 Ra8 35.Be2 b5 36.Bd3 bxc4 37.Bxc4 g4 38.hxg4 hxg4 39.Be2 Kf7 40.a3 Rg7 41.Rh1 Bf6 42.Rh5 f3 43.gxf3 g3 44.Rh1 Bg5 45.Be1 Bf4 46.Rg1 g2 47.a4 Rb8 48.b5 axb5 49.Bxb5 Rh8 50.Bf2 Bh2 51.Ke3 Bxg1 52.Bxg1 Rh4, White forfeits.


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Rahway Grand Prix 12/15/2012

Yesterday I played this game in the grand prix tournament at Chess Mates in Rahway.

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

Augusto Gutierrez (USCF 1951) - Jim West (USCF 2227), Rahway NJ 12/15/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Be2 Bd6 9.f4 O-O 10.O-O c5 11.Be3 Qb6 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 14.Kh1 Nc6 15.c3 Be6


16.Qb3 Qb6 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Qc2 Rab8 19.b3 c5 20.Rae1 Rbe8 21.Bd1 g6 22.h3 Bf5 23.Ne2 h5 24.g3 Kg7 25.Kh2 Rc8 26.Qb2 Rfd8 27.a4 a5 28.Ng1 d4 29.cxd4 cxd4 30.Kg2 Qc6 31.b4 axb4 32.Qxb4 Qd6 33.Qb5 Rb8


34.Qe5 Qxe5 35.fxe5 Nd5 36.g4 hxg4 37.hxg4 Be6 38.Kg3 Ne3 39.Rf6 Nxd1 40.Rxe6 Rb3+ 41.Kh4 Nf2 42.Kg5 Nh3+ 43.Nxh3 Rxh3 44.Rxg6+ Kh7 45.Rxe4 d3 46.Rd6 Rg8+ 47.Kf4 Rf8+ 48.Kg5 Rg8+ 49.Kf4 Rf8+ 50.Kg5 Rg8+, draw.