Saturday, March 31, 2018

Pix from Thursday Night Action 3/29/2018

During Thursday's tournament, I photographed the players at the Marshall Chess Club.








Friday, March 30, 2018

Thursday Night Action 3/29/2018

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Paul Rachlin (USCF 1900), Marshall Chess Club 3/29/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O Nge7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.Re1 d5 9.e5 Qc7 10.Qe2 Bd7 11.Nf1 Rac8 12.Bf4 Qb6


13.b3 Qc7 14.c3 Rfe8 15.h4 b6 16.N1h2 d4 17.cxd4 Nd5 18.Bd2 cxd4 19.Rac1 Qb8 20.Ng4 h5 21.Ngh2 Ncb4 22.Bxb4 Nxb4 23.a3 Nc6 24.b4 a6 25.g4 Bh6 26.Ng5 Bxg5 27.hxg5 h4 28.Nf3 Kg7 29.Nxh4 Rh8 30.Nf3 Ne7


31.Nxd4 Nd5 32.Bxd5 exd5 33.Qf3 Rxc1 34.Qf6+ Kg8 35.Rxc1 Bxg4 36.Nc6 Qf8 37.Ne7+ Kh7 38.Kg2 Qg7 39.Rh1+ Bh5 40.Rxh5+ gxh5 41.Qf5+, Black resigns.


Thursday, March 29, 2018

Funding for "Rook Jones"

You can pledge money for Rook Jones at Kickstarter.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

First American Challenger Since Fischer

American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana will challenge Magnus Carlsen for the world chess championship in November.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Pix from Sunday Game/50 3/25/2018

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








Monday, March 26, 2018

Marshall Sunday Game/50 3/25/2018

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

Round Three: King's Indian Defense

Jose De Villa (USCF 1963) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/25/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.c4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2 e4 10.Nd2 Nf8 11.Re1 h5 12.Qc2 Bf5 13.Nf1 h4 14.Rad1 N8h7 15.Nd2 Ng5


16.Kh1 h3 17.g3 Qd7 18.d5 Bg4 19.Ndb1 Qf5 20.Nb5 Qxf2 21.Bxg4 Nxg4 22.Qxf2 Nxf2+ 23.Kg1 Nxd1 24.Rxd1 Bxb2 25.Nxc7 Rac8 26.Nxe8 Rxe8 27.Nd2 Bc3 28.Nf1 f5 29.Kf2 Nf3 30.Ke2 g5 31.a3 g4


32.Rb1 a5 33.Kd1 b6 34.Kc2 Be1 35.b4 axb4 36.axb4 Ra8 37.Kb3 Nd2+ 38.Nxd2 Bxd2 39.Rf1 Rf8 40.c5 bxc5 41.b5 Bxe3 42.Ra1 Rb8 43.Kc4 f4 44.gxf4 Bxf4 45.Rg1 g3 46.hxg3 h2 47.Rh1 Bxg3 48.Ra1 Bf2 49.Rh1 Bg1


50.Kc3 Rxb5 51.Kc4 Rb4+ 52.Kc3 Rd4 53.Kc2 Rxd5 54.Kc3 Rd4 55.Kc2 e3 56.Kc1 e2, White resigns.


Saturday, March 24, 2018

Edgemont High School in "Daily News"

Two New York high school teams are claiming the state chess championship.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Pix from March Under 2400 3/18/2018

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





Wednesday, March 21, 2018

"Pawn Sacrifice" on Starz Edge














Pawn Sacrifice will be televised on Starz Edge tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

FIDE Mondays 3/19/2018

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Nura Baalla (USCF 1800) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/19/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 O-O 9.Qd2 Be6 10.g4 b5 11.g5 Nh5 12.O-O-O Nd7 13.Rg1 Nb6 14.Na5 Qc7


15.Be2 b4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Qxa5 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Bc4 d5 20.Bb3 g6 21.Qg2 Bc5 22.Qe2 Rf5 23.Kb1 Bxe3 24.Qxe3 Qb5 25.c3 bxc3 26.Qxc3 Rb8 27.Rde1 Qb6 28.Rg4 d4 29.Qc4 Ng7 30.Rge4 Qb5


31.Qc7 Rxg5 32.Rxe5 Rxe5 33.Qxe5 Qxe5 34.Rxe5 Rf8 35.Bd1 Rd8 36.Kc2 Kf7 37.Kd3 Nf5 38.Bb3 Rd6 39.Ra5 Ne7 40.Bc4 Nc6 41.Rc5 Kf6 42.f4 e5 43.Bd5 Nb4+ 44.Ke4 Rxd5 45.fxe5+ Ke6 46.Rxd5 Nxd5 47.Kxd4 g5


48.a3 h5 49.b4 g4 50.Ke4 h4, White resigns.


Monday, March 19, 2018

Marshall March Under 2400 3/18/2018

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Grand Prix Attack

Matthew Boxer (USCF 1900) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 3/18/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Bc4 Nc6 7.O-O Nh6 8.h3 O-O 9.d3 Kh8 10.Qe1 Nd4 11.f5 gxf5 12.Qh4 Nxf3+ 13.Rxf3 Ng8


14.Nd5 b5 15.Bb3 c4 16.dxc4 fxe4 17.Qxe4 e6 18.Ne3 bxc4 19.Qxc4 d5 20.Qg4 f5 21.Qb4 Qb6 22.Qxb6 axb6 23.c3 Ba4 24.Bxa4 Rxa4 25.Bd2 Rfa8 26.a3 Nf6 27.Rd1 Ne4 28.Nf1 d4 29.Ng3 dxc3 30.Bxc3 Bxc3 31.bxc3 Rxa3


32.Nxe4 fxe4 33.Rf6 Ra1 34.Rxa1 Rxa1+ 35.Kf2 Ra2+ 36.Ke3 Rxg2 37.Rxe6 Rg3+ 38.Kxe4 Rxc3 39.Rxb6 Rxh3 40.Rb7 Rg3 41.Kf5 Rg8 42.Kf6, draw.


Sunday, March 18, 2018

Brooklyn Chess Team in "Daily News"

The team from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn has won the 2018 New York state championship.

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Interview of David Llada

Photographer and chess player David Llada [pictured] is interviewed.

Friday, March 16, 2018

"Chess Life Online" Tribute to Ilye Figler

George K. Wang remembers international master Ilye Figler.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Hasbrouck Heights vs. Maywood

[photo by Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis]

This invitational was organized by chess club advisors from Hasbrouck Heights and Maywood.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

FIDE Mondays 3/12/2018

Last night, this game ended in a draw at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ed Scher (USCF 1900), Marshall Chess Club 3/12/2018

1.Nf3 Nc6 2.g3 e5 3.d3 d6 4.Bg2 Nge7 5.O-O h6 6.c4 Be6 7.Nc3 Qd7 8.Rb1 Bh3 9.b4 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Nf5 11.b5 Ncd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.e3 Ne6 14.f4 Be7


15.Nd5 Bd8 16.f5 Ng5 17.e4 c6 18.bxc6 bxc6 19.Ne3 Bb6 20.h4 Nh7 21.Qa4 Rd8 22.Nc2 Nf6 23.Be3 Qc7 24.Bxb6 axb6 25.Ne3 O-O 26.Rf2 Ra8 27.Qb3 Rfb8 28.g4 Nd7 29.Qd1 g6 30.h5 g5 31.Rbb2 f6


32.Nc2 Nc5 33.Na1 Ra3 34.Nb3 Nxb3 35.Rxb3 Qa7 36.Qb1 Rxb3 37.Qxb3 Qa5 38.c5+ d5 39.exd5 Qxc5 40.dxc6+ Kg7 41.Qe6 Qd4 42.Qe7+ Kg8 43.Qe6+ Kg7 44.Qd7+ Qxd7 45.cxd7 Rd8 46.Rb2 Rxd7 47.Rb3 Rd6


48.Kf3 Kf7 49.a3 Ke7 50.Ke3 Kd7 51.Rc3 Rd5 52.Rc4 Ra5 53.a4 Rd5 54.Ke4 Rd6 55.Ke3 Rd5 56.Rb4 Rd6 57.Ke4 Kc6 58.Rc4+ Kd7, draw.