Friday, January 31, 2020

Karpov Interview at Gibraltar

Tania Sachdev interviews Anatoly Karpov.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Charlie Hunnam a.k.a. "The Mantis"

Actor Charlie Hunnam [pictured] played on-line chess.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

FIDE Mondays 1/27/2020

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

Round Two: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Juan Luis Herrero Estrada (USCF 1979), Marshall Chess Club 1/27/2020

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.O-O Nh5 10.Be3 e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Nf3 Bc7 14.h3 Nf4 15.Bxf4 Bxf4 16.Re1 Bd7


17.Bc2 Qb6 18.Bb3 Bc6 19.Qd4 Qxd4 20.Nxd4 Rfe8 21.Nf3 Kf8 22.Rad1 Rxe1+ 23.Nxe1 Re8 24.Nd3 Bc7 25.a4 a5 26.Kf1 g5 27.g3 Bb6 28.Nc1 Re5 29.Ne2 Ke7 30.Nd4 Bxd4 31.Rxd4 h6


32.h4 Re4 33.Rxe4 dxe4 34.hxg5 hxg5 35.Ke2, draw.


Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 2, 1/26/2020

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

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Brian Pang (USCF 2028), Marshall Chess Club 1/26/2020

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7 8.f4 Nc5 9.f5 Be7 10.Qf3 Qc7 11.Be3 b5 12.O-O O-O 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Qh3 Nxb3 15.axb3 b4


16.Nxe6 Qb7 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.Rxf8+ Bxf8 19.exd5 Qxd5 20.Nf4 Qe4 21.Qf3 Qxf3 22.gxf3 Bb7 23.Kf2 Rc8 24.Rc1 Be7 25.c4 bxc3 26.Rxc3 Bh4+ 27.Kg2 Re8


28.Rc7 Rxe3 29.Rxb7 Bg5 30.Rb8+ Kf7 31.Rb7+ Kg8 32.Rb8+, draw.


Monday, January 27, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 1, 1/26/2020

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

Round One: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Chloe Gaw (USCF 1764) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/26/2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Nxd2 6.Nbxd2 Nc6 7.a3 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 Qe7 9.Qc3 O-O 10.e3 Re8 11.Bd3 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.Qc2 h6 14.O-O d6 15.h3 b6 16.b4 Bb7


17.Rfd1 Be4 18.Bxe4 Qxe4 19.Qb3 a5 20.Rd4 Qe5 21.b5 Re7 22.Rad1 Rae8 23.Rd5 Qf6 24.R5d4 Re4 25.Rxe4 Rxe4 26.Qd3 Qe6 27.Rc1 Re5 28.Qe2 Rc5 29.Kh2 d5 30.Qd3 dxc4 31.Qd8+ Kh7 32.Kg1 Qd6 33.Qh4 c3


34.Qe4+ Qg6 35.Qd4 c2 36.a4 Qd6 37.Qe4+ f5 38.Qf3 Qd2 39.Rf1 c1=Q 40.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 41.Kh2 Qd6+ 42.g3 Rc5 43.e4 fxe4 44.Qxe4+ Qg6 45.Qd4 Qf5 46.h4 Qf3 47.Qd2 Rf5 48.Kg1 Rd5 49.Qc2+ Kh8 50.Qxc7 Rd1+ 51.Kh2 Rh1#.


Sunday, January 26, 2020

WOCC Meeting and Election

The West Orange Chess Club 2020 meeting and election will take place this coming Tuesday, January 28th, at approximately 8pm.  For those who wish to vote in the election but cannot make it, please contact John Bonnett via e-mail at jhbonnett@aol.com.  He will have the information on who is running for each position, and you can place your vote with him.

For those interested in playing for a West Orange Chess Club team at the 2020 U.S. Amateur Team East on Presidents Day weekend, you must inform director of teams Lev Zilbermintz of your interest via e-mail at polyanker@gmail.com or by text/phone at 201-572-3180 no later than February 2nd.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 2, 1/23/2020

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

Round Two: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Mark De Dona (USCF 2153), Marshall Chess Club 1/23/2020

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.O-O Bg4 7.Bg5 Nbd7 8.Re1 O-O 9.Nbd2 Re8 10.c3 c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Bb5 Rf8 13.Qc2 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Nce4


16.Bd3 Bf5 17.Nd4 Bh7 18.Be5 Nd7 19.Nxe4 Nxe5 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Bf5 Nc6 23.Nxc6 bxc6 24.Re2 a5 25.Qa4 Qc7 26.Rae1 Kg7 27.Bb1 c5 28.Qc2 Rh8 29.Qf5 Rad8 30.h4 d4 31.cxd4 cxd4 32.Bd3 a4


33.Re6 fxe6 34.Qg6+ Kf8 35.Qxf6+ Kg8 36.Rxe6 Qc1+ 37.Bf1 Qc7 38.Re7 Qxe7 39.Qxe7 Rc8 40.Bc4+ Rxc4 41.Qe6+ Kg7 42.Qxc4 Rf8 43.Qxd4+ Kg6 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Qxa4 Kh5 46.f3 Rd8 47.Qg4+ Kg6 48.f4 Kh7 49.Qh5+ Kg7 50.Qxg5+, Black resigns.


Friday, January 24, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 1, 1/23/2020

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

Round One: English Opening, Symmetrical Variation

Bora Yagiz (USCF 2012) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/23/2020

1.e4 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.Nge2 O-O 7.O-O d6 8.d3 Rb8 9.h3 Ne8 10.f4 f5 11.Kh2 Nc7 12.a4 Ne6 13.exf5 gxf5 14.Nd5 Ned4 15.Nec3 e6 16.Ne3 a6 17.Bd2 Bd7 18.b3 Kh8


19.Rab1 Rg8 20.Ne2 Nxe2 21.Qxe2 Nd4 22.Qd1 Bc6 23.Nc2 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Qc7 25.Nxd4 Bxd4 26.Qf3 Qc6 27.Rfe1 Qxf3+ 28.Kxf3 Rge8 29.b4 Kg7 30.b5 Kf6 31.bxa6 bxa6 32.a5 h5 33.Rb6 Rxb6 34.axb6 Rb8 35.Rb1 Rb7


36.Ba5 e5 37.Be1 Ke6 38.g4 hxg4+ 39.hxg4 fxg4+ 40.Kxg4 exf4 41.Kxf4 d5 42.Ba5 Be5+ 43.Ke3 dxc4 44.dxc4 Kd6 45.Rh1 Bd4+ 46.Ke4 Re7+ 47.Kf5 Kc6 48.Rh6+ Kb7 49.Rd6 Re5+ 50.Kg6 Re7 51.Bd2 Re2 52.Bg5 Bc3


53.Bd8 Rd2 54.Rd5 Rxd5 55.cxd5 Ba5 56.Kf5 Bxb6 57.Bf6 Bc7 58.Ke6 Kc8 59.Bb2 c4 60.d6 Bxd6 61.Kxd6 Kb7 62.Kc5, draw.


Thursday, January 23, 2020

Chess: A Sport?

Antonia Cirjak tries to answer the question.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

FIDE Mondays 1/20/2020

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

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Brian Pang (USCF 2028) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/20/2020

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.O-O-O Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.h4 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.Kb1 Rfd8


15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Bd7 17.g5 Bf5 18.Bh3 Bxh3 19.Rxh3 a5 20.h5 a4 21.Nc1 Rf8 22.g6 h6 23.Rg3 f5 24.Nd3 e4 25.Nf4 Bh4 26.Rgg1 Bf2 27.Rgf1 Be3 28.Qh2 Bxf4 29.Qxf4 exf3 30.Rxf3 Rae8 31.Rdf1 Re5


32.Rd3 Qc5 33.Qf3 Rfe8 34.a3 b4 35.axb4 Qxb4 36.Rc3 Qb5 37.Rd1 Rb8, draw.


Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Article on Expert Gary Leschinsky

[photo by Marsha A. Stoltz]

Chess expert Gary Leschinsky [pictured] of Mahwah NJ is in the news.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 4, 1/16/2020

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

Round Four: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Andrew Zinn (USCF 1962), Marshall Chess Club 1/16/2020

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 e5 4.d3 Be6 5.O-O Qd7 6.e4 f6 7.exd5 Bxd5 8.Nc3 Be6 9.Be3 O-O-O 10.Ne4 g5 11.Nc5 Bxc5 12.Bxc5 h5


13.h4 g4 14.Nd2 f5 15.Qe2 Bd5 16.Bxd5 Qxd5 17.Nb3 Nf6 18.Rfe1 Rhe8 19.Be3 f4 20.Bd2 Nd4 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Qf1 fxg3 23.fxg3 Rf8 24.Qg2 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Rde8


26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Re1 Kd7 28.Rxe8, draw.


Sunday, January 19, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 2, 1/16/2020

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

Round Two: King's Indian Defense, Lesser Simagin Variation

Maximillian Lu (USCF 2443) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/16/2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.Nf3 d6 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.O-O Bf5 8.Ne1 e5 9.d5 Ne7 10.e4 Bc8 11.Nd3 Nd7 12.Be3 f5 13.Qd2 Nf6


14.Bg5 fxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Bh3 17.Bg2 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qd7 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Rae1 Qf7 21.f4 exf4 22.Nxf4 Bh6 23.Qe2 Bxf4 24.Rxf4 Qd7 25.Re4 Rf7 26.Re7 Qf5 27.Rxf7 Qxf7 28.Rf1 Re8 29.Qg4 Qe7 30.Rf3 a5 31.b3 b6


32.h4 Qe1 33.Qf4 Qe7 34.h5 gxh5 35.Kh3 Qd7+ 36.Kh4 Qg4+ 37.Qxg4+ hxg4 38.Kxg4 Re2 39.a4 Kg7 40.Kf4 Kg6 41.Rd3 h5 42.Kf3 Rb2 43.Re3 Kf5 44.Rd3 Ke5 45.Ke3, draw.


Saturday, January 18, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 1, 1/16/2020

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

Round One: Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Alec Choi (USCF 1785), Marshall Chess Club 1/16/2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 Bc5 6.O-O O-O 7.Bg5 Qe8 8.Bxf6 Rxf6 9.Nd5 Rh6 10.Nxc7 Qh5 11.h3 f4 12.Nh2 Qg6 13.Qg4 Qd6


14.Nxa8 Rg6 15.Qd1 Nd4 16.Bc4+ Kh8 17.c3 f3 18.Nxf3 Nxf3+ 19.Qxf3 Rf6 20.Qe2 Qb8 21.b4 Be7 22.Kh1 d6 23.Qe3 Qxa8 24.f4 Bd7 25.fxe5 Rh6 26.Rf7 Qc8 27.e6 Bxe6 28.Bxe6 Qxe6 29.Raf1 Kg8


30.Rxe7 Qxe7 31.Qxa7 Qd7 32.Qb8+, Black resigns.


Friday, January 17, 2020

Kasparov on Russian Reshuffle

Garry Kasparov comments on the resignation of the Russian government.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 4, 1/12/2020

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

Round Four: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Andrew Zinn (USCF 1984), Marshall Chess Club 1/12/2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 b6 12.Nc3 Bd6 13.a4 a5 14.Nb5 O-O-O 15.Nxd6+ cxd6 16.Rd2 Ne7


17.Bf2 d5 18.exd5 Bxd5 19.Re1 Bxb3 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.cxb3 Nc6 22.Kf1 Nd4 23.Bxd4 Rxd4 24.Re8+ Kc7 25.Rg8 Rd7 26.Ke2 Kc6 27.Rc8+, draw.


Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 3, 1/12/2020

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

Round Three: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Wesley Hellner (USCF 1862) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/12/2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 O-O 5.h3 c5 6.c3 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.Nbd2 a5 10.O-O Bf5 11.Bxf5 gxf5 12.Re1 e6 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Nd7 15.Bd6 Re8 16.Nf3 Kh8 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Rxe5 Rg8


20.Qd2 Qg5 21.Qxg5 Rxg5 22.Kh2 b5 23.a3 Rgg8 24.Rc1 Rgc8 25.Ra1 b4 26.axb4 axb4 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Re2 bxc3 29.bxc3 Rc8 30.Re3 Kg7 31.f4 Kf6 32.Kg3 Rg8+ 33.Kf3 h5 34.h4 Rg4 35.g3 Rg8 36.Ke2 Ra8 37.Kf3 Ra3


38.Ke2 Ke7 39.Kd3 Kd6 40.Re2 Ra1 41.Re3 Kc6 42.Kc2 Kb5 43.Kb2 Rg1 44.Kb3 Rg2 45.Rd3 Re2 46.Rf3 f6 47.Rd3 Re1 48.Rf3 Kc6 49.Kc2 Kd6 50.Kd3 Ra1 51.Re3 Ra2 52.Rf3 Rg2 53.Re3 Ra2 54.Rf3 Ra1 55.Re3 Ra8


56.Kc2 Rb8 57.Re1 Rg8 58.Re3 Re8 59.Rf3 Rb8 60.Re3 Rb6 61.Re2 Kc7 62.Kd3 Ra6 63.Re3 Kd7 64.Rf3 Ra2 65.Re3 Ke7 66.Rf3 Kd6 67.Re3 Rf2 68.c4 dxc4+ 69.Kxc4 Rc2+ 70.Kb3 Rc8 71.Kb4 Kd5 72.Kb3 Rc6 73.Rd3 Rc4


74.Re3 Rxd4 75.Kc3 Rc4+ 76.Kb3 Rc6 77.Re1 Kd4 78.Kb2 Kd3 79.Rd1+ Ke2 80.Rd8 Kf3 81.Rg8 Rc4 82.Rg6 Re4 83.Kc3 Kf2 84.Kd2 Re2+ 85.Kd1 Re3 86.Kd2 Rxg3 87.Rxf6 Rg4 88.Rxe6 Rxh4 89.Rh6 Kf3 90.Ke1 Rh1+ 91.Kd2 Kxf4, and Black wins in ? moves.


                                      Final Position

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 2, 1/12/2020

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

Round Two: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Luis Joshua Casenas (USCF 1806), Marshall Chess Club 1/12/2020

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O Bf5 7.Re1 O-O 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 Qd7 10.Bg3 Bxg3 11.hxg3 Nbc6 12.c3 Rae8 13.Qc2 Bxd3 14.Qxd3 Nf5 15.Nbd2 Nd6


16.Kf1 Rxe1+ 17.Rxe1 Re8 18.Rxe8+ Qxe8 19.Qe2 Qxe2+ 20.Kxe2 Kf7 21.Ne1 Na5 22.b3 Nb5 23.Kd3 b6 24.Nc2 c5 25.dxc5 bxc5 26.c4 Nc7 27.cxd5 Nxd5 28.Ne4 Nb7 29.Kc4 Nb6+ 30.Kb5 Ke7


31.Nxc5 Nd6+ 32.Kc6 Nbc8 33.Ne3 g6 34.a4 Nf7 35.Nd5+ Kf8 36.Nd7+ Ke8 37.N7xf6+ Kd8 38.f4 Nfd6 39.g4 Ne7+ 40.Nxe7 Kxe7 41.Nxh7, Black resigns.


Monday, January 13, 2020

Sunday Game/50, Round 1, 1/12/2020

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

Round One: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Sarah Budow (USCF 1691) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/12/2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 Nc6 6.a3 Bxd2+ 7.Bxd2 Nxd2 8.Qxd2 Qe7 9.Qc3 O-O 10.e3 Re8 11.Bd3 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.Qxe5 Rxe5 14.O-O d6 15.b4 b6 16.Rae1 Bb7


17.f4 Re7 18.Rf2 a5 19.b5 Rae8 20.Rfe2 Be4 21.Rd2 Bxd3 22.Rxd3 Re4 23.Rc3 Rxf4 24.exf4 Rxe1+ 25.Kf2 Re7 26.Re3 Kf8 27.g4 h6 28.h4 g6 29.Rxe7 Kxe7 30.Ke3 Ke6 31.Ke4 f5+ 32.gxf5+ gxf5+ 33.Kd4 h5 34.a4 Ke7


35.Kd3 Kd7 36.Kc3 c6 37.bxc6+ Kc7 38.Kd3 Kxc6 39.Kd4 Kc7 40.Kd3 Kd7 41.Kc3 Ke7 42.Kd3 Kf6 43.Kc3 Kf7 44.Kd3 Ke8 45.Kc3 Kd7 46.Kd3 Kc6 47.Kd4 Kc7 48.Kd3, draw.


Sunday, January 12, 2020

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Thursday Action, Round 3, 1/9/2020

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation

Antony Rode (USCF 2046) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 1/9/2020

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nf6 8.Nc3 g6 9.f3 Bg7 10.Be3 O-O 11.O-O Rfc8 12.b3 Qd8 13.Rc1 Qa5


14.Qd3 a6 15.Nxc6 Rxc6 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Rcc8 18.a4 Qb4 19.Bd2 Qb6+ 20.Be3 Qb4 21.Bd2 Qb6+ 22.Be3, draw.