"WSJ" Video: Kasparov on Ukraine

In this video, Garry Kasparov gives his opinion on the ceasefire in Ukraine.

Pix from Sunday Game/45 2/22/2015

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

Tiviakov - Kulaots at "Inside Jersey"

At Inside Jersey, the game between Sergei Tiviakov and Kaido Kulaots is analyzed.

Updated Teaching Schedule for Winter 2015

Today I begin teaching an after school enrichment class on chess at Ironia Elementary School, on behalf of Enrich and Grow Academy.

This is my updated schedule for the winter 2015 session:

Monday - Washington Avenue School;

Tuesday - Gottesman RTW Academy;

Wednesday - Ironia Elementary School;

Thursday - Torey J. Sabatini School;

Friday - Brooklake Elementary School.

Royal Game in "The Imitation Game"

Twice British chess champion Hugh Alexander is portrayed by Matthew Goode in The Imitation Game.

Marshall Sunday Game/45 2/22/2015

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variatiom

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Lucas Foerster-Yialamas (USCF 1684), Marshall Chess Club 2/22/2015

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.f4 O-O 9.Qf3 Qc7 10.Be3 Nbd7 11.O-O Nc5

 12.f5 e5 13.Nde2 b6 14.Bd5 Bb7 15.Ng3 Bxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 f6 18.c3 Rfc8 19.Rad1 b5 20.Qg4 Bf8 21.Kh1 a5 22.a3 Nb3 23.Ne4 Kh8 24.Rf3 Qc4 25.Rh3 Qa4 26.Qg6 h6 

27.Bxh6 gxh6 28.Nxf6 Nd4 29.Qh7#.

Five Best Chess Movies

What are the five best chess movies?

"NY Times": Chess in Washington Square Park

In The New York Times, Alex Markovich reminisces about a summer afternoon of chess in Washington Square Park.

USATE 2015 Wrap-up

At CLO, you can read an article and watch a video on the USATE 2015.

Look at these pictures taken by me at the tournament, won by Virginia Assassins [pictured, above].

                                          Saturday

                                           Sunday

                                           Monday

Kaufman - Lowinger at "Inside Jersey"

The game between GM Larry Kaufman and NM Dan Lowinger, from the USATE 2013, is analyzed at Inside Jersey.

Musical "Chess" at 54 Below

On February 15th, New York got a new look at the musical Chess for one night at 54 Below.

USATE 2015, Day 3

My team Ferrero Forever finished with a score of 3-0-3 in the USATE 2015, won by Virginia Assassins.

Round Six: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Jack Hutton (USCF 2125), Parsippany NJ 2/16/2015

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.g3 Bd6 6.Bg2 Nge7 7.O-O O-O 8.Nh4 Qc7 9.f4 f6 10.exd5 exd5 11.Re1 g5 12.fxg5 fxg5 13.Nhf3 Bg4

14.Nf1 Nd4 15.N1d2 Rf5 16.c3 Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 Bxf3 18.Nxf3 Bxg3 19.Rxe7 Bf2+ 20.Kxf2 Qxe7 21.Kg2 g4 22.Ng1 Qh4 23.Be3 Raf8 24.Qe1 Qe7 25.Qg3 Kh8 26.Re1 R8f6 27.Bd4, Black resigns.

USATE 2015, Day 2

On Sunday, I played these games at the U.S. Amateur Team East tournament.

Round Three: King's Indian Defense

Greg Tomkovich (USCF 1695) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Parsippany NJ 2/15/2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Bd3 O-O 6.Nge2 e5 7.d5 Nbd7 8.O-O Nc5 9.Bc2 a5 10.f3 c6 11.Be3 Qc7 12.Qd2 cxd5 13.cxd5 Bd7 14.Rac1 Rfc8 15.Kh1 Qd8 16.a3 a4

17.Qd1 b5 18.b4 axb3 19.Bxb3 Rxa3 20.Rb1 b4 21.Na2 Nxb3 22.Nxb4 Nc5 23.Bf2 Raa8 24.Qd2 Ncxe4 25.fxe4 Nxe4 26.Qe3 Nxf2+ 27.Qxf2 f5 28.Ng3 Qe7 29.Rfe1 e4 30.Qe2 Bc3 31.Red1 Bxb4 32.Rxb4 Rab8 33.Rbd4 Qf7

34.Qd2 Bb5 35.Qf4 Rd8 36.Qg5 Qg7 37.h4 h5 38.R4d2 Bd3 39.Kh2 Rf8 40.Qf4 Qe5 41.Qh6 Qf6 42.Qf4 Kh7 43.Rc1 Rf7 44.Rc6 Qe5 45.Qg5 f4 46,Qxe5 dxe5 47.Ne2 Bxe2 48.Rxe2 f3 49.gxf3 exf3 50.Rf2 Rd8

51.d6 e4 52.Kg3 Rf6 53.Rc7+ Kg8 54.Re7 Rdxd6 55.Rxe4 Rd3 56.Rf4 Kg7 57.R2xf3 Rxf4 58.Kxf4 Rd4+ 59.Kg3 Rg4+ 60.Kh3 Ra4 61.Kg3 Ra5 62.Kh3 Ra6 63.Kg3 Rb6 64.Kh3 Rf6 65.Kg3 Rf5 66.Rf4 Kf6

67.Kf3 Ke5 68.Rxf5+ Kxf5 69.Kg3 Ke4 70.Kh3 Kf3 71.Kh2 Kg4, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Patrick Melosh (USCF 1705), Parsippany NJ 2/15/2015

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3 Bd7 8.Nbd2 Nf6 9.a4 a6 10.Nc4 b5 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Nb6 Qa7 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.c3 O-O 16.h4 b4

17.Qc2 Qa2 18.cxb4 Nxb4 19.Qc4 Rb8 20.Bh3 Qxc4 21.dxc4 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Bxe5 23.Bd7 Nd3 24.Bb5 Nxc1 25.Rxc1 Bxb2 26.Rc2 Bd4 27.Ra2 Rb7 28.Kg2 Kg7 29.g4 h5 30.g5 f6 31.f4 fxg5 32.fxg5 Be5 33.Ra8, draw.

USATE 2015, Day 1

Pictured are the members of Ferrero Forever, honoring former team captain Steve Ferrero, in reverse board order: Michael O'Connor, Steve Hrop, NM Jim West, and IM Dean Ippolito.

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Matheu Jefferson (USCF 2129) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Parsippany NJ 2/14/2015

1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.O-O-O Nbd7 10.Be2 b5 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.e5 Bb7 13.exf6 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bxf6 15.Bc6+ Kf8 16.Bxa8 Bxd4 17.Rxd4 Qa7 18.Rhd1 Qxa8

19.Rxd6 Ke7 20.Rd7+ Kf6 21.R1d6 Qxg2 22.Nd5+ Qxd5 23.Rxd5 exd5 24.Rxd5 Re8 25.Rd6+ Re6 26.Rd7 Re7 27.Rxe7 Kxe7 28.Kd2 Ke6 29.Ke3 Kd5 30.Kd3 f6 31.Ke3 g5 32.Kf3 h5 33.fxg5 fxg5 34.Ke3 Ke5

35.c3 a5 36.b3 a4 37.c4 bxc4 38.bxa4 g4 39.a5 Kd5 40.a6 Kc6 41.a7 Kb7 42.Ke2 Kxa7, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Max Schwartz (USCF 2132), Parsippany NJ 2/14/2015

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 dxe4 6.dxe4 e5 7.Ngf3 Bc5 8.O-O O-O 9.c3 a5 10.a4 Qe7 11.Qc2 b6 12.h3 Rd8

13.Nb3 Ba6 14,Rd1 Rxd1+ 15.Qxd1 Nxe4 16.Nxc5 Nxc5 17.Qd5 Bb7 18.Qc4 e4 19.Bg5 Qe6 20.Nd2 Ne5 21.Qxe6 Nxe6 22.Nxe4 Nxg5 23.Nxg5 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 h6 26.Nf3 Nxf3 27.Kxf3, draw.