"Deadspin" Interview of Fabiano Caruana

Ben Tippett interviews grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.

FIDE Mondays 1/29/2018

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Grand Prix Attack

Ed Scher (USCF 1920) - Jim West (USCF 2201), Marshall Chess Club 1/29/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.O-O Nh6 7.Qe1 Bg4 8.Be2 O-O 9.d3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Nd4 11.Bd1 f5 12.Kh1 Rb8 13.Be3 b5

14.Bxd4 cxd4 15.Nb1 e5 16.Nd2 Qa5 17.Be2 Rbc8 18.Qd1 Qc7 19.Rc1 fxe4 20.dxe4 a6 21.f5 gxf5 22.exf5 Rxf5 23.Rxf5 Nxf5 24.Bd3 Rf8 25.Qh5 Qf7 26.Qh3 d5 27.Rf1 e4 28.Be2 Qg6 29.Bg4 Ne7 30.Rxf8+ Bxf8

31.Qg3 Kh8 32.Qh3 Bh6 33.Nf1 d3 34.cxd3 exd3 35.Bf3 d2 36.g3 Qd3 37.Bd1 Nf5 38.Qg2 Qe4 39.Kg1 Qe1 40.Qf3 Qe4, White forfeits.

13th Century Knight in Norway

[photo by Thomas Wrigglesworth] 

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient chess piece in Norway.

Marshall Saturday Game/50 1/27/2018

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

Round One: King's Indian Defense

Wesley Hellner (USCF 1908) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/27/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bf4 O-O 5.e4 d6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.d5 e5 8.Be3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Bxd4 Nxe4 11.Be2 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bxd4 13.cxd4 Re8 14.O-O b6

15.Bf3 Qf6 16.Qa4 Bf5 17.c5 b5 18.Qa5 Qxd4 19.Qxc7 Qxc5 20.Qa5 Be4 21.Rac1 Qxd5 22.Rfd1 Qf5 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Rxd6 Rae8 25.Rd8 Rxd8 26.Qxd8+ Kg7 27.a3 Qc5 28.Rd1 Qxa3 29.h4 Qe7 30.Qd5 Re1+ 31.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 32.Kh2 Qxf2

33.Qxb5 Qxh4+ 34.Kg1 Qd4+ 35.Kh2 h5 36.g3 Qf2+ 37.Kh1 Qxg3 38.Qb2+ Kh6 39.Qh8+ Kg5 40.Qd8+ Kg4 41.Qg5+ Kh3 42.Qxh5+ Qh4 43.Qf3+ Qg3 44.Qh5+ gxh5, stalemate.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Torin Kuehnle (USCF 1922), Marshall Chess Club 1/27/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 O-O 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 h5  11.O-O-O Ne5 12.Bb3 Rc8 13.Bg5 a5 14.a4 Nc4 15.Qe2 Qc7

16.Bxf6 exf6 17.Nd5 Qc5 18.Ne7+ Kh7 19.Nxc8 Rxc8 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Qxc4 Rxc4 22.b3 Rc8 23.Kb1 Bh6 24.c4 Kg8 25.Nb5 Bxb5 26.cxb5 Bf4 27.Rd3 Kf8 28.g4 hxg4 29.fxg4 Ke7 30.h5 Ke6 31.h6 Ke5 32.h7 Rh8

33.Rc3 Kxe4 34.Rc7 f5 35.gxf5 gxf5 36.Rxf7 b6 37.Re1+ Kd3 38.Rxf5 Bd2 39.Rh1 Bc3 40.Rd5+ Ke4 41.Rxd6 Ke3 42.Rh3+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Vienna Game

Katrina Wong (USCF 1940) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/27/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nf6 4.fxe5 dxe5 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 Nc6 7.O-O Bxf3 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qxf3 Bc5+ 10.Kh1 Rf8 11.Na4 Bd6 12.Qb3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Rf7 14.d3 Kf8 15.Bg5 Kg8

16.Rf2 Kh8 17.Qh4 Be7 18.Raf1 Rf8 19.Rf3 Qe8 20.Nc3 Nd4 21.R3f2 c6 22.Qh3 Qg6 23.Qg3 Bd6 24.Bxf6 Rxf6 25.Rxf6 gxf6 26.Qxg6 hxg6 27.Rxf6 Rf8 28.Rxf8+ Bxf8 29.Nd1 Nxc2 30.a3 Bc5 31.g3 Ne1 32.b4 Bd4 33.h3 Nxd3 34.Kg2 Nb2 35.Nxb2 Bxb2

36.a4 a6 37.Kf3 Bc3 38.b5 cxb5 39.axb5 axb5 40.Ke3 b4 41.Kd3 g5 42.g4 b5 43.Kc2 Kg7 44.Kb3 Kf6 45.Kc2 Ke6 46.Kd3 Kd6 47.Kc2 Kc5 48.Kb3, White forfeits.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Carl Haessler (USCF 2221), Marshall Chess Club 1/27/2018

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bd2 c6 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nh4 Bg6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.h3 Nd7 14.Qe2 Qe7 15.O-O-O O-O-O

16.Kb1 Nb6 17.Bb3 e5 18.Rhe1 Rhe8 19.dxe5 fxe5 20.Be3 Bc7 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Bxb6 axb6 23.Rd1 Rxd1+ 24.Qxd1 f5 25.Qe2 b5 26.a3 e4 27.Bc2 Qg5 28.g4 Bf4 29.c4 bxc4 30.Qxc4 Kb8 31.Qg8+ Ka7 32.Qe6 Bd2 33.Ka2 Be1

34.f4 Qxf4 35.Qxg6 Qc1 36.Bb1 fxg4 37.hxg4, draw.

Marshall CC January 2018 News

Greg Keener analyzes games by IM Nicolas Checa [pictured] from the recent Marshall Chess Club championship.

Pix from January Under 2400 1/21/2018

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

Pix from January Under 2400 1/20/2018

On Saturday, these pictures were taken by me during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

"Mikell's Plot" in "Amboy Guardian"

Read the press release on Mikell's Plot.

FIDE Mondays 1/22/2018

[photo by Eric Dluhos]

On Monday, I finished with a score of 2-1-3 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Six: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Juan Sena (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/22/2018

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4 3.d3 Nf6 4.Nd2 c6 5.Ngf3 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.g3 Nbd7 8.Bg2 Bd6 9.O-O Qb6 10.a4 a5 11.Kh1 O-O 

12.e4 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Be5 14.Bxe5 Nxe5 15.Bg2 dxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Rad8 18.Qe2 Qb4 19.Rad1 c5 20.Rxd8 Rxd8 21.Rd1 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 Qd4 23.Qxd4 cxd4 24.Bf1 Nf3 25.Bd3 Kf8 26.Be2 Ne1 27.Bd1 Ke7

28.Kg1 d3 29.cxd3 Nxd3 30.Kf1 e5 31.Ke2 Nc5 32.Bc2 Kd6 33.Kd2 Ne6 34.Kc3 Kc5 35.Bd3 Nd4 36.Bc4 f6 37.h4 b6 38.h5 Nf3 39.Be6 h6 40.Bf7 Ng5 41.Bg6 Nh3 42.Bf5 Nxf2 43.g4 Nh3 44.Be6 Nf4

45.Bf7 Ne2+ 46.Kd3 Nc1+ 47.Kc2 Ne2 48.Kd3 Nd4 49.Kc3 b5 50.Bg8 Ne2+ 51.Kd3 Ng1 52.axb5 Kxb5 53.Kc3 Kc5 54.Bc4 Nh3 55.Be6 Nf2 56.Bf5 Nh1 57.Bg6 Ng3 58.Bf7 Ne2+ 59.Kd3 Nc1+ 60.Kc2 Na2 61.Kb2 Nb4

62.Kc3 Na6 63.Bg8 Nc7 64.Bf7 Nb5+ 65.Kd3 Kb4 66.Kc2 Nd4+ 67.Kb2 Ne2 68.Kc2 Ng3 69.Kd3 Nf1 70.Be6 Nh2 71.Ke2 Kc3 72.Kf2 Nxg4+ 73.Bxg4 Kxb3 74.Be6+ Kb2 75.Kf3 a4 76.Kg4 a3 77.Kf5 a2 78.Bxa2 Kxa2

79.Kg6 Kb2 80.Kxg7 f5 81.exf5 e4 82.f6 e3 83.f7 e2 84.f8=Q e1=Q 85.Qf6+ Ka2 86.Qxh6, draw.

Marshall January Under 2400 1/21/2018

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Bowe Siegelson (USCF 1583), Marshall Chess Club 1/21/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 11.Bb3 Qa5 12.O-O-O b5 13.Kb1 Rfc8

14.h4 Rc6 15.h5 Bxb3 16.axb3 Ra6 17.Kc1 Rc8 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Qd3 Rac6 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21.Qd5+ Kg7 22.Rxh7+ Kxh7 23.Qf7+ Kh6 24.f4 Qa1+ 25.Kd2 Bxc3+ 26.Ke2 Bxb2

27.Rxa1 Rxc2+ 28.Kf1 Bxa1 29.f5 Kh5, draw.

Marshall January Under 2400 1/20/2018

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

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Matt Boxer (USCF 1950) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/20/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Bc4+ Kg7 11.Bh6+ Kxh6 12.Nxh8 Bb4+ 13.c3 Qxh8 14.cxb4 Qf8

15.O-O Nbd7 16.Qf4+ Kg7 17.a3 Qd6 18.Qg5+ Kh8 19.Rad1 Nb6 20.Bb3 Bd7 21.f3 e3 22.Rfe1 Nbd5 23.Bxd5 Nxd5 24.Qe5+ Kg8 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.Qe5+, draw.

"Chess.com" Interview of Garry Kasparov

FM Mike Klein interviews Garry Kasparov.

Winter 2018 Session at Wardlaw-Hartridge

On Tuesday January 23rd, the winter 2018 session at Wardlaw-Hartridge School commences in the after school enrichment class on chess, coached by me on behalf of Premier Chess.

Presently eight students are enrolled in the six week course.

Season Opener for PRO Chess League

Today the scaled down PRO Chess League begins its second season.

Bobby Fischer 10 Years Ago

Ten years ago, Bobby Fischer passed away.

Pix from Saturday Game/60 1/13/2018

Look at these pictures taken by me during Saturday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.