Sunday, April 30, 2017

My Spring 2017 Teaching Schedule

This spring, on behalf of 101 Discoveries, I am teaching chess classes at these locations in Jersey City:

Wednesdays - Museum of Russian Art;

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Book Review of "Deep Thinking"

Demis Hassabis reviews Garry Kasparov's new book Deep Thinking.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Pix from Marshall April Under 2300

These pictures were taken by me during last weekend's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

                                             Saturday




                                               Sunday



Thursday, April 27, 2017

Prestia Brothers on FOX5

The Prestia brothers - Paris, Frank, and Sebastian - are featured on FOX5.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

NM Bobby Ferguson at TIME 100 Gala

Washington State's attorney general tells Katie Reilly how his chess experience helped him file a lawsuit against the president's travel ban.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

FIDE Mondays 4/24/2017

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Justin Grgas (USCF 1835) - Jim West (USCF 2201), Marshall Chess Club 4/24/2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.Qf3 Qd7 9.O-O Be7 10.Qg3 O-O 11.Bh6 Ne8 12.Rad1 Kh8 13.Be3 Nc6


14.Nxc6 Qxc6 15.f4 Bb7 16.Rfe1 Bf6 17.f5 b4 18.fxe6 fxe6 19.Ba4 Qc7 20.Ne2 Be5 21.Bf4 Nf6 22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Nc1 Nxe4 24.Qe3 Qc5 25.Nd3 Qxe3+ 26.Rxe3 Rad8 27.Rde1 Rd4 28.Nxe5 Nc5 29.Bb3 Rd2


30.R3e2 Nxb3 31.axb3 Rxe2 32.Rxe2 Kg8 33.Nd7 Rc8 34.Ne5 Bd5 35.Kf2 Kf8 36.Nd7+ Ke7 37.Nb6 Rf8+ 38.Ke1 Kd6 39.Nxd5 Kxd5 40.Kd2 Rf1 41.c4+ Kd6 42.Ke3 a5 43.Kd2 Rh1 44.h3 g6 45.Ke3 Rb1


46.Kf4 Rf1+ 47.Ke4 Rd1 48.Ke3 Rb1 49.Kf4 Rf1+ 50.Ke4 Rd1 51.Ke3 Kc5 52.Rc2 h5 53.Rf2 Re1+ 54.Kd2 Rg1 55.Re2 Kd6 56.Ke3 Rb1 57.Ke4 Rd1 58.Ke3, draw.


Monday, April 24, 2017

Marshall April Under 2300 4/23/2017

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Merric Hu (USCF 1979) - Jim West (USCF 2204), Marshall Chess Club 4/23/2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.O-O Be6 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.Qd2 O-O 11.a4 Rc8 12.Rfd1 Qc7 13.Nc1 Rfd8 14.Nd3 d5


15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Rac1 Nf6 18.Qe1 Bc6 19.a5 Nd5 20.Bd2 e4 21.Nb4 e3 22.fxe3 Bxb4 23.Bxb4 Nxe3 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Bf3 Bxf3 26.Qxe3 Bc6 27.Re1 Qd7 28.h3 Qd4 29.Qxd4 Rxd4 30.Bc3 Re4


31.Rd1 h6 32.Rd4 Re2 33.Rd2 Re1+ 34.Kf2 Rc1 35.Bd4 Be4 36.c3 Rc2 37.Rxc2 Bxc2 38.b4 f5 39.Ke3 Bb3 40.Kf4 g6, draw.


Sunday, April 23, 2017

Marshall April Under 2300 4/22/2017

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2204) - Lucas Foerster-Yialamas (USCF 1875), Marshall Chess Club 4/22/2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.f4 Qc7 9.Qf3 b5 10.a3 O-O 11.O-O Nc6 12.Be3 Bb7


13.f5 Ne5 14.Qe2 exf5 15.Nxf5 Nfg4 16.Bd4 Bg5 17.h3 Nh6 18.Rad1 Kh8 19.Bd5 Nxf5 20.Rxf5 f6 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.Nd5 g6 23.Rff1 Rae8 24.g3 f5 25.h4 Bd8 26.Bc3 Bb6+ 27.Nxb6 Qxb6+ 28.Qf2 Qb8 29.Qd4 Rd8


30.exf5 Rxf5 31.Rxf5 gxf5 32.Kh2 Qb7 33.Qd5 Qxd5 34.Rxd5 Re8 35.Rxd6 Kg8 36.Bxe5 Rxe5 37.Rxa6 Re2+ 38.Kh3 Rxc2 39.b4 Rc3 40.Rf6 Rf3 41.Kg2 Rxa3 42.Rxf5 Rb3 43.Rxb5 h5 44.Kh3 Kg7 45.Rxh5 Rxb4


46.Ra5 Kg6 47.h5+ Kh6 48.g4 Rc4 49.Kh4 Rb4 50.Ra6+ Kg7 51.h6+ Kh7 52.Kh5 Rb5+ 53.g5 Rc5 54.Ra7+ Kg8 55.Rd7 Rb5 56.Kg6 Rb6+ 57.Kf5 Rb5+ 58.Kf6 Rb6+ 59.Ke5 Rb5+ 60.Rd5 Rb1 61.g6 Re1+


62.Kf6 Rf1+ 63.Rf5 Rg1 64.Rd5 Rf1+ 65.Ke5 Re1+ 66.Kf4 Rf1+ 67.Ke3 Re1+ 68.Kd2 Re8 69.Rd7 Ra8 70.Kc3 Rc8+ 71.Kd4 Ra8 72.Kc5 Ra5+ 73.Kb6 Ra8 74.Kb7 Re8 75.Kc7 Kh8 76.Rd8 Rxd8 77.Kxd8 Kg8


78.Ke7 Kh8 79.Kf6 Kg8 80.g7, Black resigns.


Saturday, April 22, 2017

Pix from FIDE Mondays 4/17/2017

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



Friday, April 21, 2017

Substitute Teacher at JEC

Yesterday for AlphaBEST Explorations, I was the substitute teacher in the after school enrichment class on chess at the Jewish Educational Center.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Pix from Saturday Game/60 4/15/2017

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









Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Lord of the Files

[photo by Mark Gerson]

Author William Golding [pictured] liked to play correspondence chess.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Shot Put Record by "Brooklyn Castle" Star

While attending the advance screening of Brooklyn Castle at I.S. 318, I spoke briefly with Oghenakpobo Efekoro and was impressed by his sense of humor.

Pobo for President!

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Marshall Saturday Game/60 4/15/2017

On Saturday, I finished with a score of 3-0-1 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Pedro Espinosa (USCF 1732), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2017

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.Ne2 Nbd7 7.O-O Nc5 8.e5 Ng8 9.d4 Nd7 10.c3 c5 11.f4 Ne7 12.Nf3 Nf5 13.g4 Ne7 14.Ng3 g6


15.f5 gxf5 16.gxf5 exf5 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxe7 Bxe7 19.Nxf5 Qc7 20.e6 Nf6 21.exf7+ Kf8 22.Ne5 Rh7 23.Ng6+ Kxf7 24.Ngxe7 Re8 25.Nxd5 Nxd5 26.Qh5+ Kf8


27.Nd6+ Ke7 28.Nxe8 Qd7 29.Rae1+ Kd8 30.Qh4+ Ne7 31.Nf6 Rg7 32.d5 Bxd5 33.Nxd5 Qxd5 34.Rf8+ Kd7 35.Rxe7+ Kc6 36.Rxg7, Black resigns.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Vienna Game

Marcus Sutton (USCF 1874) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.d3 Na5 5.f4 Nxc4 6.dxc4 exf4 7.Bxf4 Nf6 8.e5 Bg4 9.Qd4 dxe5 10.Qxe5+ Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Bxe7 12.Nb5 O-O


13.Nxc7 Rac8 14.h3 Bf5 15.c3 Nh5 16.Nd5 Bh4+ 17.g3 Rfe8+ 18.Kf2 Be4 19.Nf3 Bxd5 20.cxd5 Nxf4 21.Nxh4 Nxd5 22.Rhe1 g6 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.Re1 Rxe1 25.Kxe1 Kg7


26.Ke2 Kf6 27.Kd3 h5 28.Ke4 Ke6 29.Kd4 Ne7 30.g4 hxg4 31.hxg4 f5 32.gxf5 Nxf5+ 33.Nxf5 Kxf5 34.Ke3 b5 35.b3 Ke5 36.Kf3 a5 37.a3 a4, White resigns.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Katherene Qi (USCF 1900), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2017

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 Re8 10.O-O Nbd7 11.f5 Nc5 12.Be3 Bf8 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Rad1 Qc7 15.Kh1 b5 16.a3 Bb7


17.Bg5 Nfxe4 18.Nxe4 Bxe4 19.Nxe6 Bxf3 20.Nxc7+ Nxb3 21.gxf3 Na5 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.b3 Rc8 24.Bd2 Nc6 25.Bf4 Na5 26.Bxd6 Rxc2 27.Bxf8 Kxf8 28.Rd6 Nxb3 29.Rxa6 Ra2 30.Rd1 Nd2 31.Ra7 h6


32.Kg2 b4 33.axb4 Rxa7 34.Rxd2 Rb7 35.Rb2 Ke7 36.Kg3 Rb5 37.Kf4 Kd6 38.Ke4 Kc6 39.Rc2+ Kb6 40.Rb2 Rh5 41.f4 g6 42.Rg2 Kb5 43.Rxg6 Rxh2 44.f5 Kxb4 45.Ke5 Kc5 46.Ke6 Kc6 47.Kf7+ Kd7 48.f6 h5


49.Kg8 Rf2 50.Rg7+ Ke6 51.f7 h4 52.f8=Q Rxf8+ 53.Kxf8 Kf5 54.Kf7 Kf4 55.Kf6 h3 56.Rh7 Kg3 57.Kf5 h2 58.Ke4 Kg2 59.Rg7+ Kf2 60.Rh7 Kg2 61.Ke3 h1=Q 62.Rxh1 Kxh1, draw.



          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Ed Kopiecki (USCF 2069) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 4/15/2017

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.Bxb5 axb5 14.Ndxb5 Qb6 15.e5 Nc5 16.Qh3 dxe5 17.fxe5 Ba6 18.exf6 gxf6 19.Be3 Bxb5 20.b4 Bc6 21.bxc5 Bxc5 22.Bxc5 Qxc5 23.Ne4 Rxd1+ 24.Kxd1 Qd4+ 25.Nd2 Rd8 26.Qh6 Bxg2


27.Kc1 Bd5 28.Re3 Qa1+ 29.Nb1 Bxa2 30.Rc3+ Kb7 31.Rb3 Bxb3 32.cxb3 Rc8+ 33.Kd2 Qxb1 34.Qxf6 Rc2+ 35.Ke3 Qxb3+ 36.Kf4 Rf2+, White resigns.