"BFATW" at Miami International Film Festival

Here are reviews of the documentary film Bobby Fischer Against the World at Miami New Times and Miami Herald.

Take a look at Elliot Kotek's interview of director Liz Garbus [pictured].

I.S. 318 in "American Teacher"

The March-April 2011 issue of American Teacher features a brief article "Checkmates for Chess Mates" on the chess students at Intermediate School 318.

Photos from NY March Open

On Sunday, I took these pictures during the New York March Open at the Marshall Chess Club.

You will the pairings, tournament director Steve Immitt, winner of the under 2000 section Ed Kopiecki, and photos of games in the last round.

Chess Poem by Zilbermintz

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz may not be John Keats, but I like the way Lev's mind works!

YELLOW COWARD

Who is this man who sits at the table/
staring intently at the chessboard/
trying hard to avoid a gambit?
Who desperately tries closed positions/
about which he dreams in his sleep?
Is this player good at chess?
That would be anyone's guess!

Who is it that, with trembling hand, declines the gambit pawn?
Who says that gambits are unsound, with a haughty smile and a frown/
a player who cannot play open positions, and rolls his eyes skyward?
Lo and behold, meet the Yellow Coward!

Yellow, yellow, yellow! Yellow, yellow coward!
This player has not the courage of Morphy or of Anderssen.
He will try to emulate long thinking, like Ludwig Paulsen.
When he sees a gambit arise on the chessboard/
he will often roll his eyes skyward/
muttering a quick prayer/
to find a so-called refutation.
The Yellow Coward is no warrior.
In closed positions he finds his only salvation.

On the board a complicated gambit position has arisen.
The Coward's opponent is a player most brave and brazen.
Bayonets fixed, the pawns march into battle against the enemy King/
supported by the Knights' cavalry, two Bishops and the Queen.
Against them are ranged the Coward's barricaded forces/
full of wiles and sneaky resources!

The battle is joined, and brave pawns fall in battle, creating a breach.
The cavalry gallops in, hoping to get to the enemy King.
They are fired upon from the Rook towers' turrets.
Cavalry retreats from spears, arrows and bullets.

Then the Queen in full battle armor, moves forward to lead the new attack.
She shows courage and decision that the Coward lacks.
One Rook, then the second, are sacrificed to break through,
The Bishops serve a quick battle Mass/
urging the attacking troops to hold fast.
The critical moment arrives.
It is now or never, inasmuch as the attack has sacrificed many brave lives/
else the Coward will regroup his forces, and drive the attackers back.

The last reserves are thrown into battle, three pawns and a Knight.
Even the King comes over to offer what protection he can.
The Queen sacrifices herself to create a mating net.
It is over, the Coward's men are routed, there is no turning back!

With a trembling hand, the Yellow Coward resigns the chess game/
his closed position a shambles, his King a prisoner.
The player leaves the room like a beaten dog.
Gambit play has triumphed this day.
Even if yellow cowardice tried base trickery and cheap tricks/
the gambiteer knows he got in the last licks!

No doubt the bards will sing of a fine victory by the gambit player over a superior foe/
and books will be written about this opening.
The Yellow Coward will, of course, plan revenge.
What! To be beaten by a so-called unorthodox opening? Most strange!

But this day is carried by gambits and dashing, brave play/
which keeps the annals of chess fresh with courage and elan/
while keeping yellow cowardice at bay/
and showing that gambit play is the true way!

Lev D. Zilbermintz
11/13/2010

IM Jeremy Silman on the PCG

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier makes reference to an article at Chess.com by IM Jeremy Silman [pictured] called "Non-Master Assessments" in which The Dynamic Philidor Counter-Gambit is mentioned. Apparently Jeremy Silman is of the opinion that analysis by non-titled players is questionable.

Unlike other national masters who have authored books about unusual openings which they never play, I have played the PCG more than 700 times over the board! Last year alone, I drew against these four strong players.

New York March Open, Day 2

On Sunday, I drew the following game in the New York March Open tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Chekhover Variation

Jake Miller (FIDE 2033) - Jim West (FIDE 2135), Marshall Chess Club 3/6/2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.O-O-O Be7 10.Bf4 O-O 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Qxd6 Bxd6 13.Rxd6 Bxe4 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Rd7 Rab8 16.Re1 Nf6


17.Rd4 Rfd8 18.Red1 Rxd4 19.Rxd4 Kf8 20.g4 h6 21.Ne5 Rc8 22.h4 Ke7 23.Rf4 Rc5 24.Nd3 Ra5 25.a3 g5 26.hxg5 hxg5 27.Rc4 Rd5 28.f3 b5 29.Rc7+ Rd7 30.Rc5 Rd5 31.Rc7+ Rd7 32.Rc8 Nd5 33.Ne5 Rb7 34.Rg8 Kf6 35.Nd3 Rc7 36.Nf2 Ke5 37.Nd3+ Kf6


38.Rb8 a6 39.Ra8 Rc6 40.Ra7 Nc7 41.Nb4 Rc5 42.Kd2 Nd5 43.Nxa6 Rc8 44.Rd7 Rh8 45.Nc5 Rh2+ 46.Kd3 Nf4+ 47.Kc3 Rh3 48.Ne4+ Kg6 49.Nd2 Rh2 50.Nb3 Nd5+ 51.Kd3 Nf4+ 52.Kc3 Nd5+ 53.Kd3 Nf4+, draw.

New York March Open, Day 1

On Saturday, I won this game in the New York March Open at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2135) - H.W. Char (FIDE 2017), Marshall Chess Club 3/5/2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 c6 8.Bg5 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Ne5 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Be7 13.Rae1 Nbd7 14.f4 Re8


15.Re2 Nf8 16.Rfe1 h6 17.Bh4 c5 18.Bf2 Ne6 19.Nxf7 Kxf7 20.Rxe6 Ne4 21.Nxe4 Kxe6 22.Nf6+ Kf7 23.Nxe8 Kxe8 24.dxc5 Qc7 25.Qxd5 Rc8 26.Qg8+ Kd7 27.Rd1+ Kc6 28.Qd5+ Kb5


29.a4+ Ka5 30.Be1+ Ka6 31.Qc4+, Black resigns.

Abby Marshall on Philidor Defense

In her "The Openings Explained" column at ChessCafe, WFM Abby Marshall analyzes the increasingly popular Philidor Defense, including the Philidor Counter Gambit.

Fischer's Widow Inherits Estate

An Icelandic court has ruled that Miyoko Watai, the widow of Bobby Fischer, should inherit his estimated $2 million estate.

West - Milovanovic @ Chess.com

At Jim West Talks Chess, I have posted my analysis of the missed wins in West - Milovanovic from the February quads in Hamilton.

Pix from Hamilton Quads 2/26/2011

On Saturday, I snapped these photos at the Hamilton quads.

Lev Zilbermintz @ "Contre Gambit Philidor"

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier mentions a PCG played by Lev Zilbermintz in Westfield.