Brief History of World Chess Championship

Peter Long, executive director at the Kasparov Chess Foundation Asia-Pacific, gives a brief history of the world chess championship.

Pix from FIDE Mondays 6/27/2016

On Monday evening, I snapped these photos at the Marshall Chess Club.

Marshall FIDE Mondays 6/27/2016

This game was played last night at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2041) - Richard Shtivelband (FIDE 2102), Marshall Chess Club 6/27/2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4 f6 7.Na3 Be6 8.Qe2 c5 9.Nc4 Qd7 10.d3 Ne7 11.Be3 Nc6 12.Nfd2 Nd4 13.Qd1 Be7 14.f3 O-O 15.a5 Rfd8 16.Kh1 Bf7

17.f4 exf4 18.Bxf4 Ne6 19.Be3 Qc6 20.e5 b5 21.axb6 cxb6 22.exf6 gxf6 23.Ne4 Ng7 24.Qf3 Bd5 25.Nxf6+ Bxf6 26.Qxf6 Bxg2+ 27.Kg1 Qb7 28.Qxb6 Qxb6 29.Nxb6 Bxf1 30.Nxa8 Bh3 31.Rxa6 Rf8 32.Bf2 Ne6

33.Nb6 Rf5 34.Ra8+ Kg7 35.Nc4 Nf4 36.Re8 h5 37.Re5 Rf6 38.Re3 h4 39.Ne5 Kh6 40.Rf3 Ne2+ 41.Kh1 Ra6 42.Be3+ Kh5 43.Rxh3 Re6 44.Bxc5 Rxe5 45.Re3 Rxc5 46.Rxe2 h3 47.d4 Rc7 48.Kg1 Kg4 49.Kf2 Kf4 50.c3 Rg7

51.Kf1 Kf3 52.Rf2+ Ke3 53.Re2+ Kf3 54.d5 Ra7 55.c4 Ra4 56.Rf2+ Ke3 57.Re2+ Kf3 58.Rf2+ Ke3 59.Re2+ Kf3, draw.

Hamilton Quads 6/25/2016

At Saturday's quads in Hamilton, I drew these games.

Round Two: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Mark Kernighan (USCF 2267), Hamilton NJ 6/25/2016

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.a3 Be7 7.b4 a6 8.d3 f5 9.Nd2 Bf6 10.Qc2 O-O 11.Ngf3 Kh8 12.Be2 Qe7 13.O-O Bd7 14.Rac1 Rae8

15.Qc5 Qf7 16.d4 exd4 17.Bc4 Be6 18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.Bxd4 Be7 20.Qc3 Nxd4 21.Qxd4 Bf6 22.Qf4 Bd8 23.Rfd1 c6 24.h4 Bc7 25.Qd4 Qg6 26.Kf1 Rd8 27.Qc3 Qg4 28.Ke2 Rf7 29.Rg1 Rfd7 30.Ke1 Be4

31.Nxe4 fxe4 32.Nd4 Be5 33.Rd1 Qxh4 34.Qc5 Bxd4 35.Rxd4 Rxd4 36.exd4 e3 37.g3 exf2+ 38.Kxf2 Qxd4+ 39.Qxd4 Rxd4 40.Re1 Rd8 41.Re7 h6 42.Rxb7 Rd2+ 43.Ke3 Ra2 44.Rb6 Rxa3+ 45.Kf2 Rc3

46.Rxa6 Kh7 47.Rb6 h5 48.b5 c5 49.Rc6 g6 50.b6 Kh6 51.b7 Rb3 52.Rxc5 Rxb7 53.Kg2 Rb6 54.Ra5 g5 55.Kh3 Re6 56.Rb5 Kg6 57.Ra5 Kf6 58.Rb5 Re5 59.Rb8 Kf5 60.Rf8+ Kg6 61.Ra8 Kf5 62.Rf8+ Ke4

63.Kg2 Rd5 64.Kh3 Rd2 65.Re8+ Kf3 66.Rf8+ Ke4 67.Re8+ Kf3 68.Rf8+ Ke3 69.Re8+ Kf3, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Dragan Milovanovic (USCF 2256) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Hamilton NJ 6/25/2016

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.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Bxg5 14.Rxe6+ fxe6 15.Nxe6 Qb6 16.Qh5+ g6 17.Bxg6+ Ke7 18.Qxg5+ Nf6 19.Re1 Qf2 20.Kd1 hxg6 21.Qxg6 Rhg8 22.Ng7+ Qxe1+ 23.Kxe1 Bxd5 24.Nf5+ Ke6 25.Nd4+ Ke7 26.Nf5+, draw.

Pix from Hamilton Quads 6/25/2016

On Saturday, I photographed the players during the quads in Hamilton.

Kasparov Newsletter 6/21/2016

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

I just finished one of the busiest periods I can remember, with a mix of business, political, and chess speaking engagements and events in a dozen cities over five weeks. Starting with lectures on education and artificial intelligence in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I traveled to Oslo, St. Louis, Washington DC, Madrid, Paris, Mönchengladbach (Germany), and New Orleans. After a few more events in Belgium I’ll be ready for a much-needed break. 

2016 Oslo Freedom Forum was a heartfelt gathering of those for whom the fight for freedom means action rather than just words. This year we had the most diverse and impressive collection of dissidents and speakers from around the world. Our theme this year was “Catalysts,” and, as I said at my opening toast, it’s an illustration that all of us, no matter our background or role, can be agents of positive change, and inspirations for others who are fighting for freedom. I encourage you to visit our site and social media to experience the Forum for yourselves. 

On June 1 I spoke in Madrid at the Management and Business Summit on a few of my favorite themes: strategy, decision-making, and the future of artificial intelligence, especially in the business world. The human-machine relationship is quickly becoming the most important development in technology, industry, and education. Understanding this dynamic will determine who shapes the 21st century so it’s essential to stay up to date. At a tech conference on AI this week, a speaker compared AI not to big data or the internet, but to electricity: something so fundamental and pervasive that it will power an entirely new world. I agree. Are you ready? 

It was an honor to be featured in a Mönchengladbach “Pioneers of the World” event the next day, first playing a chess exhibition and then speaking to a great crowd about the life lessons I learned during my chess career. It’s hard to believe that my book, How Life Imitates Chess, on many of these decision-making and self-improvement themes, was written ten years ago. Time flies, just like on the chess clock during a blitz game, so make all your moves count! 

The Grand Chess Tour hosted a truly grand event in Paris on June 9 and I was pleased to attend—as an honorary guest and not as a player. It was a little strange to make the ceremonial first move on the board of world champion Magnus Carlsen, a role many dignitaries performed on my board over my career. I resisted requests to make a few more moves! American Hikaru Nakamura narrowly outstripped Carlsen to take the top prize in Paris and now the players have moved on to the next GCT event in Leuven, Belgium. You can see all the action here June 17-20. 

I was also recently in Washington DC for meetings and a Winter Is Coming book event at the Aspen Institute. Many of my most politically-engaged friends are so disgusted by this US election that they are close to putting their heads in the sand until November. This is a bad sign for democracy and a result of how the fringes are calling the shots today, leaving the “sane center” without representation. Populism and demagoguery are always present, but today they are ascendant. In this toxic environment, with quasi-fascism and utopian socialism going mainstream in America, more than ever we must stay engaged and insist on talking about real ideas and policies, not just soundbites and scandals.

I even found time for a little chess in St. Louis, taking on the top three finishers at the US Championship in a blitz tournament. It wasn’t easy to shake off a decade of rust against three of the top ten players in the world: Caruana, Nakamura, and So, and a few “senior moment” blunders ruined my chances at a better result despite some flashes of good chess. I was happy to win my last two games and my mini-match with winner Nakamura. It was a great show for the spectators on and offline, and part of my goal to promote chess as a sport and in the classroom. If there’s a next time I’ll try to get in a little more practice first!

- Garry Kasparov

FM Stoyko Wins Senior Championship

[photo by Michael Goeller]

Congratulations to FIDE master Steve Stoyko [pictured] on winning the U.S. Senior Championship!

Marshall FIDE Mondays 6/20/2016

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Delayed Alapin

Boris Izrayelit (FIDE 1831) - Jim West (FIDE 2041), Marshall Chess Club 6/20/2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 e6 10.Bd3 Be7 11.O-O h6 12.Bc2 Bd7 13.Ne1 Qc7 14.f4 g6 15.a4 Na5

16.Nd3 Qxc3 17.Bb2 Qc7 18.Rc1 Nc4 19.Bb3 Nxb2 20.Nxb2 Qb6 21.Rf3 Rc8 22.Rxc8+ Bxc8 23.Rc3 Bd7 24.Qd3 O-O 25.Nd1 Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Bxc8 27.Nf2 Qa5 28.Qd1 Qc3 29.Ng4 Kg7 30.Kf2 b6

31.Ne3 Bb4 32.Ng4 Qd2+ 33.Qxd2 Bxd2 34.Kf3 Bd7 35.Nf6 Bc6 36.g4 b5 37.axb5 Bxb5 38.f5 a5 39.fxe6 fxe6 40.Nxd5 exd5 41.Bxd5 a4 42.Ke4 Be2 43.e6 Kf6 44.h3 Bf1 45.h4 Bg2+ 46.Kd3 Bxd5 47.Kxd2 a3

48.Kc3 Kxe6 49.Kc2 a2 50.Kb2 Bc4, White resigns.

Pix from Marshall CC: Sunday & Monday

During the recent Sunday Game/45 and FIDE Mondays tournaments at the Marshall Chess Club, I snapped these photos.

                                           Sunday

                                           Monday

Marshall Sunday Game/45 6/19/2016

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

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Kathleen Meniano (USCF 1710) - Jim West (USCF 2203), Marshall Chess Club 6/19/2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Nfd2 Nf6 7.h3 Nc6 8.Nb3 Bxf5 9.Nc3 O-O-O 10.g4 Bg6 11.Bg2 d5 12.Be3 Qe8 13.a3 h6 14.Qd2 Bd6 15.Bf1 a6 16.O-O-O Kb8 17.Kb1 Ne7 18.Be2 c6

19.h4 h5 20.g5 Ng4 21.Rdf1 Nxe3 22.fxe3 Qd7 23.Nc5 Bxc5 24.dxc5 Nf5 25.Na4 Ng3 26.Nb6 Qe7 27.b4 Nxh1 28.Rxh1 d4 29.exd4 e3 30.Qe1 Rxd4 31.Nc4 Qe4 32.Qc1 Rxc4 33.Bd3 Qxd3 34.cxd3 Bxd3+ 35.Kb2 Rxc1 36.Kxc1 Rf8

37.Re1 Rf1 38.Kd1 Rxe1+ 39.Kxe1 Kc7 40.Kd1 Kd7 41.Ke1 Ke6 42.Kd1 g6 43.Ke1 Kf5 44.Kd1 Kg4 45.Ke1 Kxh4 46.Kd1 Kxg5 47.Ke1 h4 48.Kd1 h3 49.Kc1 h2 50.Kb2 h1=Q 51.Kb3 Qd1+ 52.Kc3 Qc2+ 53.Kd4 Kf4, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Aaron Jacobson (USCF 2314), Marshall Chess Club 6/19/2016

1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 O-O 5.e3 d5 6.a4 c5 7.Na3 Nc6 8.Bb5 Qc7 9.Bxc6 Qxc6 10.O-O b6 11.Ne5 Qc7 12.d3 a6 13.Rb1 Rb8 14.c4 Rd8 15.Qe2 e6 16.g4 Bb7 17.g5 Nd7

18.Ng4 d4 19.e4 f6 20.gxf6 Nxf6 21.Nxf6+ Bxf6 22.Qg4 Kf7 23.Nc2 Qc6 24.Ne1 Rg8 25.Nf3 Kg7 26.Bc1 Kh8 27.Bd2 Rg7 28.Ng5 Bxg5 29.fxg5 Qd7 30.Bf4 Ra8 31.Be5 b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.cxb5 Kg8 34.Bxg7 Kxg7

35.Rf6 Qxb5 36.Qf3 Qd7 37.Rf1 Qd6 38.Rf7+ Kg8 39.Rxb7 Ra2 40.Qf7+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: French Defense, Classical Variation

Jim West (USCF 2203) - Jose De Villa (USCF 1919), Marshall Chess Club 6/19/2016

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.f4 c6 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Bd3 Re8 10.Bxh7+ Kxh7 11.Ng5+ Kg8 12.Qh5 Nf8 13.O-O-O Bd7

14.Rd3 f6 15.Rh3 fxg5 16.fxg5 Rd8 17.Rf1, Black resigns.

Marshall Saturday Game/60 6/18/2016

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

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Kwadwo Acheampong (USCF 1697) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 6/18/2016

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxe7 Nxe7 6.dxe5 fxe4 7.Ng5 d5 8.e6 O-O 9.Qh5 h6 10.Nf7 Qe8 11.Nxh6+ gxh6 12.Qxh6 Qg6 13.Qd2 Bxe6 14.Nc3 c6 15.O-O-O Nd7

16.h4 Rf6 17.g4 Qxg4 18.Bh3 Qh5 19.Rdg1+ Kf8 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Bxe6 Ne5 22.Rg5 Qh6 23.Rxe5 Rxe6 24.Rg5 Rd6 25.Qf4+ Qf6 26.Qxe4 Rad8 27.Rg3 Qh6+ 28.Re3 Nd5 29.Rf1 Nxe3 30.fxe3+ Rf6 31.Qb4+ Kg8 32.Rg1+ Kh8 33.Qc3 Kh7

34.b3 Rdf8 35.Kb2 R6f7 36.Qd3+ Rf5 37.e4 Rf3 38.Qd7+ R8f7 39.Qg4 Qf6+ 40.Kb1 Rf1+ 41.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 42.Kb2 Qf6+ 43.Kb1 Qg6 44.Qe2 Qe6 45.Qh5+ Kg8 46.Qg5+ Kf8 47.Qc5+ Qe7 48.Qc3 Rf4 49.e5 Rf5

50.e6 Rf1+ 51.Kb2 Qf6 52.h5 Rb1+ 53.Kxb1 Qxc3, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ashutosh Gajbinkar (USCF 1769), Marshall Chess Club 6/18/2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Bd7 9.Bc4 a6 10.Bb3 b5 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Bh6 O-O 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Qb6 17.O-O-O Rac8

18.Qd4+ Qxd4 19.Rxd4 a5 20.Kb1 Rc5 21.Rhd1 Rfc8 22.c3 Rc4 23.Rxc4 Rxc4 24.Rd5 Rc5 25.Rxc5 dxc5 26.a4 b4 27.cxb4 cxb4 28.Kc2 Kf6 29.Kd3 Ke5 30.Kc4 f5 31.exf5 gxf5 32.Kb5 Kd5 33.f4 h5

34.Kxa5 Kc5 35.g3 b3 36.Ka6 Kc6 37.a5 e6 38.h4 Kc7 39.Kb5 Kb7 40.Kb4 Ka6 41.Ka4 Kb7 42.Kxb3 Ka6 43.Ka4 Kb7 44.b4 Ka6 45.b5+ Kb7 46.Kb4 Ka7 47.Kc5 Kb7 48.Kd6 Ka7 49.Kxe6 Kb7 50.Kxf5 Ka7 51.Kg5 Kb7 52.Kxh5 Ka7

53.f5 Kb7 54.f6 Kc7 55.Kg6 Kd6 56.f7 Kc5 57.b6 Kb5 58.b7 Kxa5 59.b8=Q Ka6 60.f8=Q Ka5 61.Qa3#.