Friday, January 31, 2014

Eugene Brown Interview

[photo by Jeremy Detter]

In this interview, chess mentor Eugene Brown [pictured] says, "Chess was a game that saved my life."

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Collins School Tourney Results, Fall 2013

Yesterday the fall 2013 session ended at Collins Elementary School, in the after school enrichment class on chess that I teach for Enrich and Grow Academy.

With 5 points, Alec Cotler won the tournament.  Alec was trailed by Sam Israel, Max Kelner, Benjamin Laskov, and Daniel Wang - all with 4 points.

The nineteen students received copies of Chess Life and Chess Life for Kids magazines.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Pix from Marshall Game/45 1/26/2014

During Sunday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I photographed these players.







Monday, January 27, 2014

Marshall Sunday Game/45 1/26/2014

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-0-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Frank Ashmun (USCF 2140) - Jim West (USCF 2221), Marshall Chess Club 1/26/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.c4 Bd6 9.cxd5 O-O 10.Bg5 Qe8 11.Be2 Bxe5 12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.O-O f5 


15.Qc2 Nd7 16.Rac1 Nb6 17.Rfd1 Rf7 18.Qc3 Qd6 19.Qc5 Qe5 20.d6 Qxc5 21.Rxc5 cxd6 22.Rxd6 Bd7 23.Nh5 Raf8 24.Rc7 Be6 25.Rxf7 Kxf7, draw.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2221) - Jose De Villa (USCF 2001), Marshall Chess Club 1/26/2014

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 d6 4.e3 Nf6 5.d3 Be7 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Qd7 8.Nbd2 Bf5 9.a3 O-O 10.b4 a6 11.O-O Rfe8 12.Rc1 Rad8 13.Re1 Bg6


14.Nh4 d5 15.Nxg6 hxg6 16.cxd5 Qxd5 17.Qb3 Qd7 18.Nf3 Bd6 19.Red1 Qe7 20.Rc2 Nb8 21.Rdc1 b5 22.d4 e4 23.Ne5 Kf8 24.f4 Bxe5 25.dxe5 Nd5 26.Bd4 Kg8 27.Bc5 Qe6 28.Rb2 Nd7 29.Bd4 N7b6 30.h3 g5 31.Bg4 Qh6 32.f5 Nc4


33.Rxc4 bxc4 34.Qxc4 Qh4 35.Rf2 Qg3 36.e6 fxe6 37.fxe6 Nxe3 38.Bxe3 Re7 39.Bxg5 e3 40.Rf1 Rd2 41.Qe4 Re8 42.e7 Rf2 43.Be6+ Kh8 44.Qh4+ Qxh4 45.Bxh4 g5 46.Bxg5 Rxf1+ 47.Kxf1 Kg7 48.Bd7, Black resigns.


Sunday, January 26, 2014

Marshall Saturday Game/60 1/25/2014

Yesterday I played this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Fidel De Los Santos (USCF 1513) - Jim West (USCF 2221), Marshall Chess Club 1/25/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Ng5 d5 7.exd5 cxd5 8.Bb3 Bb4 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 O-O 11.Qe2 Nc6 12.O-O Kh8 13.Re1 e4 14.d4 Qc7


15.g3 Na5 16.Bd2 Nxb3 17.cxb3 h6 18.Nh3 Be6 19.Nf4 Bf7 20.h3 a6 21.a4 Rae8 22.Rac1 Qd7 23.Qd1 Kh7 24.Be3 b5 25.a5 Qc7 26.b4 Qd7 27.Rc2 Rc8 28.Ne2 Bh5 29.Qd2 Bxe2 30.Qxe2 Ne8 31.Qh5 Qf7 32.Qe2 Nd6 33.Bf4 Nc4


34.Bc1 g5 35.Rf1 f4 36.Qg4 fxg3 37.Qxg3 Qf3 38.Qg4 Qxg4+ 39.hxg4 Rf3 40.Kg2 Rcf8 41.Kg1 Kg6 42.Kg2 R8f7 43.Rh1 Rd3 44.Rh3 Rff3 45.Rxf3 Rxf3 46.Kg1 h5 47.gxh5+ Kxh5 48.Kg2 Kg4 49.Kh2 Nd6 50.Be3 Nf5 


51.Bc1 Nh4 52.Be3 Rh3+ 53.Kg1 Nf3+ 54.Kf1 Rh1+, White resigns.


Saturday, January 25, 2014

NM Cory Evans for NY State Assembly

National master Cory Evans, vice-president and treasurer of the Marshall Chess Club, is a candidate for the New York State Assembly on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Support P.S. 282 Chess Team

As mentioned in The New York Times, the 2013 national champions chess team of Public School 282 in Brooklyn needs your financial support.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

"NY Times" Article on Kasparov & Leong

According to The New York Times, Garry Kasparov and FIDE general secretary Ignatius Leong [pictured] negotiated a deal in which Leong would help Kasparov's presidential run in exchange for $500,000, although no money was going to individuals.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Pix from Liberty Bell Open 1/18/2014

These pictures were taken by me, during round three of the Liberty Bell Open.





Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Liberty Bell Open 1/20/2014

On Monday, I won this game in the Liberty Bell Open at the Sonesta Hotel.

Round Six: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2065) - Haik Der Manuelian (FIDE 2035), Liberty Bell Open 1/20/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6 6.d4 Bg4 7.dxe5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 fxe5 9.Rd3 Bd6 10.Nbd2 Nf6 11.Nc4 O-O 12.Nfxe5 Be2 13.Re3 Bxc4 14.Nxc4 Ng4 15.Re2 Bxh2+ 16.Kf1 Bg3 17.f3 b6


18.b3 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Rb1 Rad8 21.Bg5 Rd7 22.Rd2 Rxd2 23.Bxd2 Kf7 24.Be3 Ke6 25.Rd1 c5 26.c4 h6 27.Ke2 c6 28.a4 Bd6 29.Rh1 Be5 30.g4 Bf4 31.Bxf4 Rxf4 32.Rh5 Rf7 33,g5 hxg5 34.Rxg5 Kd6 35.Rg6+ Kc7 36.Ke3 b5


37.a5 Rd7 38.e5 Rd1 39.Rxg7+ Kd8 40.Ra7 Rb1 41.Rxa6 Rxb3+ 42.Ke4 Kd7 43.Ra7+ Kd8 44.a6 Rb4 45.Rh7 Rxc4+ 46.Kf5 Ra4 47.a7 b4 48.a8=Q+ Rxa8 49.Rh8+ Kc7 50.Rxa8 b3 51.Ra1 c4 52.Rb1, Black resigns.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Marshall Sunday Game/45 1/19/2014

On Sunday, I drew this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2221) - Amir Moazami (USCF 2090), Marshall Chess Club 1/19/2014

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7 8.f4 Nc5 9.f5 Bd7 10.Qf3 Be7 11.Be3 b5 12.12.a3 Nxb3 13.cxb3 Rc8 14.O-O O-O 15.Rac1 e5 16.Nde2 Bc6


17.Ng3 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Qxd5 20.Qxd5 Bxd5 21.b4 Bc4 22.Rfd1 Rfd8 23.Ne4 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Rd8 25.Rxd8+ Bxd8 26.Nc5 Bb6 27.Kf2 Bxc5 28.bxc5 Bd5, draw.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Liberty Bell Open 1/18/2014

On Saturday, I played these games in the Liberty Bell Open at the Sonesta Hotel.

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Vaughan McDonald (USCF 1963) - Jim West (USCF 2221), Liberty Bell Open 1/18/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bd6 9.Nh5 O-O 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Ng4 f5 12.Ne5 Qe8 13.f4 Be6 14.Be2 Kh8 15.Qd2 c5


16.Qc3 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.Qh3 a6 19.a4 d4 20.b3 Qg6 21.Ng3 Rac8 22.Bh5 Qh6 23.O-O c4 24.Rad1 cxb3 25.cxb3 d3 26.Bg4 Qxh3 27.Bxh3 Nc5 28.b4 Nxa4 29.Nxe4 fxe4 30.Bxe6 Rcd8 31.g3 e3


32.Rfe1 Nc3 33.Bg4 Nxd1 34.Bxd1 e2 35.Bb3 d2 36.Rxe2 d1=Q+ 37.Bxd1 Rxd1+ 38.Kf2 Rb1 39.Re4 Rb2+ 40.Ke3 Rxh2 41.g4 Kg7 42.f5 h6 43.Kd4 Rc2 44.Kd5 Rc6 45.f6+ Kf7 46.Kd4 Ke6 47.Ke3 b6 48.Kf4 a5 49.b5 Rc5 50.Ke3 Rxb5 51.Kf4 Rb4, White resigns.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2221) - Peter Minear (USCF 2385), Liberty Bell Open 1/18/2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4 c5 7.Na3 Be6 8.Ng5 Bd7 9.Nc4 Qg6 10.d3 f6 11.Nf3 Ne7 12.Be3 Nc6 13.Nh4 Qg4 14.Qxg4 Bxg4 15.f4 exf4 16.Rxf4 Be6 17.Rff1 O-O-O


18.b3 g6 19.Rae1 Be7 20.g3 Nd4 21.Rf2 Rhe8 22.Nf3 Bg4 23.Nxd4 cxd4 24.Bd2 Be6 25.Kg2 b6 26.h3 Kb7 27.Ref1 b5 28.axb5 axb5 29.Na5+ Kb6 30.b4 Rf8 31.g4 h5 32.g5 fxg5 33.Rxf8 Rxf8 34.Rxf8 Bxf8 35.Nb3 Bxb3 36.cxb3 Be7 37.Kf3 Kc6


38.Be1 Kd6 39.Bg3+ Kd7 40.Be5 Bxb4 41.Bxd4 Ke6 42.Be3 Be7 43.d4 c6 44.Bd2 Bf6 45.Be3 Bg7 46.Kg3 Kf6 47.Kf3 Bf8 48.Kg3 Be7 49.Kf3 Bd8 50.Kg3 Bc7+ 51.Kf3 Bb8 52.Bd2 Ba7 53.Be3 Bb6 54.Kg3 Bd8 55.Kf3 Ke6 56.Kg3 Be7 57.Kf3 Kd7 58.Kg3 Kc7 59.Kf3 Kb7 60.Kg3 Ka6


61.Kf3 Ka5 62.Bd2+ Kb6 63.Be3 Kc7 64.Kg3 Kd7 65.Kf3 Ke6 66.Kg3 Kf6 67.Kf3 Bb4 68.Kg3 Bc3 69.Kf3 Be1 70.Ke2 Bg3 71.Kf3 Bh2 72.Kg2 Bf4 73.Bxf4 gxf4 74.Kf3 g5 75.b4 Kg6 76.h4 Kf6 77.hxg5+ Kxg5 78.e5 h4 79.Kg2 Kf5 80.Kf2 h3


81.Kf3 Kg5 82.Kf2 Kf5 83.Kf3 Kg6 84.Kf2 Kf7 85.Kf3 Ke6 86.Kf2 Kd5 87.Kf3 c5 88.dxc5 Kxe5 89.Kf2 Kf5 90.Kf3 Kf6 91.Kf2 Ke5 92.Kf3 Kf5, draw.


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Movie Review: "Life of a King"

Christy Lemire reviews Life of a King.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Pix from January Under 2300 1/12/2014

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







Thursday, January 16, 2014

"Life of a King": Behind the Scenes

International master Daniel Rensch [pictured] gives a behind the scenes look at the movie Life of a King, due to be released in theaters tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Panchanathan, Minear Win Ferrero Memorial

The first annual Steve Ferrero Memorial tournament, at the Dean of Chess Academy, was won by GM Magesh Panchanathan and NM Peter Minear.