Thursday, March 31, 2016

Free "Posters of Chess Quotes and Cartoons"

From the authors of Rich as a King, GM Susan Polgar and Douglas Goldstein, you can get a free download of Posters of Chess Quotes and Cartoons for a limited time only.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

3-Way Tie in Tourney at Gottesman RTW

On Monday, the final class of the winter 2016 session took place at Gottesman RTW Academy in the after school enrichment program on chess, run by Enrich and Grow Academy and coached by me.

Three players - Griffin Halper, Ari Wertman, and Emanuel Wertman - won medals when they tied for first place in the tournament.

Certificates were handed out to all ten students.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Blindfold Simul by GM Gareyev at Marshall CC

At the Marshall Chess Club, GM Timur Gareyev [pictured] will play a blindfold simultaneous tonight against 10 club members.

The cost to play is $20.  There are still a few boards remaining for the match.

Refreshments will be provided.

GM Gareyev welcomes all challengers, regardless of rating.  So masters are encouraged to sign up too!

Please e-mail bryanq@marshallchessclub.org to reserve a board.

First come, first served!

Monday, March 28, 2016

Marshall Sunday Game/45 3/27/2016

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

Round One: Dutch Defense

Andrew Chen (USCF 1773) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/27/2016

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Bd2 a5 6.Bg2 O-O 7.Nf3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 b6 9.Ne5 Ra7 10.b3 Bb7 11.Nf3 Ne4 12.Bb2 d6 13.O-O Nd7 14.a3 Qe7


15.Nd2 Nxd2 16.Qxd2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Kh8 18.Rac1 Raa8 19.Rc2 e5 20.Qe3 Rae8 21.Qd3 exd4 22.Qxd4 Qe4+ 23.f3 Qxd4 24.Bxd4 Kg8 25.Ra1 Nc5 26.Bxc5 bxc5 27.Rb2 Rb8 28.Rab1 Rb6 29.b4 axb4 30.axb4 Rfb8 31.b5 Ra8


32.Rd2 Ra4 33.Rc1 Rb8 34.h4 h5 35.g4 fxg4 36.fxg4 hxg4 37.Kg3 Kf7 38.Kxg4 Rxb5 39.Rf1+ Kg8 40.Rf4 Rbb4 41.Kg5 Rxc4 42.e3 Rxf4 43.exf4 Kf7, White resigns.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Taran Idnani (USCF 1951), Marshall Chess Club 3/27/2016

1.b3 d6 2.Bb2 e5 3.c4 Nf6 4.d3 g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Be2 O-O 8.O-O c6 9.Nbd2 Re8 10.Qc2 Qc7 11.Rac1 a5 12.a3 b6 13.Rfe1 Bb7 14.Bf1 c5


15.e4 Nb8 16.Nb1 Nc6 17.Nc3 Nd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.Nb5 Qc6 20.b4 axb4 21.axb4 Nd7 22.bxc5 bxc5 23.Ra1 Ba6 24.Ra5 Reb8 25.Rea1 Bf8 26.Bc1 Be7 27.Bf4 Kg7 28.Qa2 Bb7 29.Na7 Qc7 30.Be2 Ne5


31.Bxe5+ dxe5 32.Nb5 Qxa5 33.Qxa5 Rxa5 34.Rxa5 Ra8 35.Rxa8 Bxa8 36.Nc7 Bc6 37.Nd5 Bd8 38.g3 Ba5, draw.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Ed Kopiecki (USCF 2049) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/27/2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 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.Bd3 b5 11.Rhe1 Bb7 12.Qg3 O-O-O


13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Qxg7 Rdf8 15.Rd2 b4 16.Nd1 h5 17.Qg3 Rfg8 18.Qh3 Kb8 19.Kb1 h4 20.Nf3 Nh5 21.g3 hxg3 22.hxg3 Nxf4 23.Qxh8 Rxh8 24.gxf4 d5 25.e5 Rh3 26.Nd4 Bc5 27.Nb3 Bb6 28.Rg2 Rf3


29.Rg4 Rh3 30.Rg8+ Ka7 31.Rg7 d4 32.f5 Bc8 33.fxe6 Bxe6 34.Nf2 Re3 35.Rh1 Qxe5 36.Rhh7 Re1+ 37.Nc1 Qf4, White resigns.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Jay Bonin (USCF 2376), Marshall Chess Club 3/27/2016

1.Nf3 g6 2.g3 Bg7 3.Bg2 c5 4.O-O Nc6 5.d3 e5 6.e4 Nge7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.a4 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Re1 Ndb4 11.Nc4 Re8 12.Be3 b6 13.a5 Ba6 14.axb6 axb6 15.Nfd2 Bb7


16.Rxa8 Bxa8 17.Ne4 Re6 18.Bg5 f6 19.Bh3 Re8 20.Be3 Nd4 21.Bxd4 exd4 22.Ned6 Rxe1+ 23.Qxe1 h6 24.Qe6+ Kh7 25.Qf7 Bd5 26.Be6 Bxe6 27.Qxe6 Qg8 28.Qxg8+ Kxg8 29.Nxb6 Bf8 30.Nb7 Nxc2


31.Nd7 c4 32.dxc4 d3 33.Nxf6+ Kf7 34.Ne4 Bb4 35.Nbd6+ Ke6 36.Nb5 Ke5 37.Nec3 Bxc3 38.Nxc3 Kd4 39.c5 Kxc5 40.Ne4+ Kb4 41.Nd2 Nd4 42.Kf1 g5 43.f4 gxf4 44.gxf4 Nb3 45.Ke1 Nd4 46.Kf2 Nf5


47.Kf3 Nh4+ 48.Ke4 Kc5 49.Kxd3 Kd5 50.Ke3 Nf5+ 51.Kf3 h5 52.b4 Kd4 53.b5 Kc5 54.Ke4 Nd6+ 55.Ke5 Nxb5 56.Kf5 Nd6+ 57.Kg5 Kd4 58.Kxh5 Ke3, draw.


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Marshall Saturday Game/60 3/26/2016

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

Round Three: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Taran Idnani (USCF 1940), Marshall Chess Club 3/26/2016

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 6.Ne2 e6 7.Bf4 Bd6 8.Qd2 Bxf4 9.Qxf4 Qxf4 10.Nxf4 Nf6 11.Nd2 O-O 12.O-O b6 13.Rfe1 Bb7 14.Nf3 Rfd8


15.Bb5 Ne4 16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Ne5 Bb5 18.c4 Ba6 19.cxd5 exd5 20.Nc6 Rd6 21.Nxd5 Bb7 22.Rxe4 Bxc6 23.Ne7+ Kf8 24.Nxc6 Rxc6 25.Rae1 Rc2 26.R4e2 Rac8 27.f3 R2c4 28.Rd1 Rc2 29.Kf2 Rxe2+ 30.Kxe2 Ke7


31.Kd3 Kd6 32.Re1 f6 33.f4 Rc7 34.f5 Kd5 35.Re8 Rd7 36.g4 h6 37.b4 b5 38.Rb8 a6 39.Ra8 Rc7 40.Rd8+ Kc6 41.d5+ Kb6 42.Rd6+ Kb7 43.a3 Re7 44.Re6 Rd7 45.Kd4 Ka7 46.d6 Kb6 47.Kd5 Kb7 48.Re7 Kc8 49.Ke6, resigns.


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Pix from Marshall March Under 2300

Last weekend, I photographed the players during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

                                          Saturday






                                           Sunday



Friday, March 25, 2016

Hillary Clinton, Irina Krush on "Steve Harvey"

Hillary Clinton identifies GM Irina Krush on Steve Harvey.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

"NY Times" Article on Nakamura & Caruana

[photo by James Hill]

Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana are featured in this article from The New York Times.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Tournament Results at Woodbrook School

[photo by Premalatha Bysani] 

On Tuesday, the winter 2016 session concluded at Woodbrook Elementary School in the after school enrichment class on chess that I teach for Enrich and Grow Academy.

Amogh Bysani [pictured, left] and Devish Vaid finished the tournament in a tie for first place, ahead of Ishan Parmar in third and Srestha Mukherjee in fourth.

The top three players were awarded medals.  All eight students received certificates.

Thanks to Amogh's mom Prema for the picture!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Marshall March Under 2300 3/20/2016

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

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

David Isaacson (USCF 1913) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/20/2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Nxd8 7.Nc3 fxe4 8.Ng5 Nf6 9.Ngxe4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Be6 11.Bd3 Be7 12.O-O O-O 13.Bg5 Bxg5 14.Nxg5 Bf5 15.Bxf5 Rxf5 16.Ne4 Nc6 17.Rad1 Rf7


18.c3 a5 19.Rd5 Rd8 20.Rfd1 Rxd5 21.Rxd5 h6 22.Kf1 Re7 23.Ke2 Kf7 24.Ke3 b6 25.Ng3 Ke6 26.Rd2 a4 27.Kd3 Rd7+ 28.Kc2 Rxd2+ 29.Kxd2 Na5 30.Kd3 g6 31.Ne4 h5 32.Nd2 Nb7 33.Kc4 Nc5 34.f3 c6


35.b4 axb3 36.axb3 Nb7 37.Kb4 Nd6 38.Ka4 Kf5 39.c4 Kf4 40.Kb4 Ke3 41.c5 bxc5 42.Kxc5 Nf5 43.Nc4+ Kf4 44.b4 Ne7 45.Na5 h4 46.Nxc6 Nxc6 47.Kxc6 h3 48.gxh3 Kxf3 49.b5 e4 50.b6 e3 51.b7 e2 52.b8=Q e1=Q


53.Qb3+ Kg2 54.Qc2+ Kxh3 55.Qxg6 Kxh2, draw.


Monday, March 21, 2016

Marshall March Under 2300 3/19/2016

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Sozin Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - James Lee (USCF 1903), Marshall Chess Club 3/19/2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.Be3 O-O 9.O-O a6 10.f4 Qc7 11.Qf3 Na5 12.f5 Nxb3 13.axb3 e5 14.Nde2 Bd7 15.g4 Bc6


16.g5 Ne8 17.Ng3 b5 18.Rad1 b4 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.Rxd5 Qxc2 21.f6 gxf6 22.Nf5 Qc7 23.Nxe7+ Qxe7 24.gxf6 Qe6 25.Bh6 Nxf6 26.Qxf6 Qxf6 27.Rxf6 Rfc8 28.Rfxd6 a5 29.Rd2 f5 30.Rg2+ Kf7 31.Rg7+ Kf8


32.Rf6+ Ke8 33.Re6+ Kf8 34.Ra7+ Kg8 35.Rxa8 Rxa8 36.exf5 Kf7 37.Rxe5 Kf6 38.Rb5 Ra7 39.Be3 Re7 40.Bd4+ Kf7 41.Rxa5 Rd7 42.Ra7 Rxa7 43.Bxa7 Kf6 44.Bc5 Kxf5 45.Bxb4 Ke6 46.Bf8 Kd5


47.h4 Ke5 48.h5 Kf6 49.h6 Kf7 50.Bg7 Ke7 51.Kf2 Kd6 52.Ke3 Kc6 53.Kd4 Kb5 54.Bf8 Kb6 55.Ke5 Kb5 56.Kf6 Kc6 57.Kg7 Kd7 58.Kxh7 Ke8 59.Kg7 Kd7 60.h7 Ke6 61.h8=Q, Black resigns.


Sunday, March 20, 2016

"Mikell's Plot" at Brook Arts Center in June

Michael O'Connor [pictured] is the lead singer and songwriter for Mikell's Plot who have just signed a record contract with Heart Songs Corporation.  

The band will be appearing at the Brook Arts Center in Bound Brook on June 18th.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Pix from Sunday Game/45 3/13/2016

On Sunday, I photographed the players during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.










Friday, March 18, 2016

Pix from Saturday Game/60 3/12/2016

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