"LA Times" Review of "Computer Chess"

In the Los Angeles Times, Betsy Sharkey reviews Computer Chess.

Rahway Swiss 8/3/2013

Yesterday I finished with a score of 1-1-1 in the game/45 tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Three: Caro-Kann Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2217) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2162), Rahway NJ 8/3/2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3 Bd6 4.Nbd2 c6 5.g3 Be6 6.Bg2 h6 7.O-O Qd7 8.Re1 d4 9.Nc4 f6 10.Nxd6+ Qxd6 11.Nh4 Ne7 12.f4 g5 13.fxe5 fxe5 14.Nf5 Nxf5 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.Qh5+ Bg6 17.Qh3 Nd7 18.Bxg5 h5

19.Qh4 Kf7 20.Bh3 Rae8 21.Rf1+ Kg7 22.Bxd7 Qxd7 23.Bf6+ Kh7 24.Bxh8 Rxh8 25.Rae1 Re8 26.Qg5 Re6 27.Rxe5 Rxe5 28.Qxe5 Qg4 29.Qc7+ Kg8 30.Qb8+ Kh7 31.Qxb7+ Kh6 32.Qc7 Qe2 33.Qf4+ Kh7 34.Qf2 Qe7 35.Re1 Qd6 36.b3 c5 37.a4 a6 38.Qf4 Qd7 39.Qf6 Qg4

40.Re7+ Kh6 41.Qg7+ Kg5 42.h4+ Qxh4 43.gxh4+ Kxh4 44.Qxg6 Kh3 45.Qg2+, Black resigns.

Carissa Yip in "Time"

9-year-old chess expert Carissa Yip [pictured] is featured in Time.

Two More by Fournier

At Contre Gambit Philidor, Frederic Fournier [pictured] analyzes my game as Black against Holly McRoberts, as well as the game Brandon Jacobson-Lev Zilbermintz.

FIDE Mondays 7/29/2013

On Monday evening, my opponent blundered a piece at the Marshall Chess Club.

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

Mulazim Muwwakkil (FIDE 1889) - Jim West (FIDE 2108), Marshall Chess Club 7/29/2013

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.c4 Nc6 7.Nc3 Bf5 8.Re1 Ne4 9.Be3 e5 10.Rc1 Rb8 11.d5 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 Ne7

13.Bxa7 Ra8 14.Ra3 b6 15.b4 Nc8 16.Ra6 Rxa7 17.Qa4 Rxa6 18.Qxa6 Ne7 19.Qa4 Bd7 20.b5 f5, White resigns.

Video of Columbia Academy Class @ eprof

Watch the video of my introductory chess class, from May 25th, for Columbia Academy at eprof.com.

Marshall July Under 2300, 7/28/2013

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-1-1 in the under 2300 tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Caro-Kann Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2237) - Tyrone Ferrara (USCF 1608), Marshall Chess Club 7/28/2013

1.e4 d5 2.d3 c6 3.Nd2 Nd7 4.Ngf3 e6 5.g3 Qc7 6.Bg2 Ngf6 7.O-O Bc5 8.c3 dxe4 9.dxe4 O-O 10.Qc2 a6 11.a4 Ba7

12.a5 Nc5 13.b4 Ncd7 14.Nc4 Ng4 15.Bf4 e5 16.Bd2 Re8 17.h3 Ngf6 18.Be3 Bxe3 19.Nxe3 b5 20.axb6 Nxb6 21.Rfd1 Rd8 22.Rxd8+ Qxd8 23.Nxe5 Qe8 24.N5c4 Nxc4 25.Nxc4 Bxh3 26.Bxh3 Qxe4 27.Qxe4 Nxe4 28.Rc1 Rd8 29.Bg2 f5 30.Bxe4 fxe4

31.Kf1 c5 32.bxc5 Rc8 33.Re1 Rxc5 34.Rxe4 a5 35.Ke2 a4 36.Kd3 Rd5+ 37.Rd4 Rf5 38.Rd8+ Kf7 39.Nd6+, Black resigns.

Marshall July Under 2300, 7/27/2013

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

Round One: Pirc Defense

Jim West (USCF 2237) - Henry Qi (USCF 1913), Marshall Chess Club 7/27/2013

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 Bg4 9.Be3 Qc7 10.O-O Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nc6 12.a3 O-O 13.Rab1 a6 14.Kh1 Rac8

15.h3 e6 16.Qf2 Nd7 17.Ne2 Na5 18.b3 Nc6 19.b4 d5 20.e5 f6 21.exf6 Rxf6 22.Qg1 Rff8 23.a4 Qd6 24.b5 Nb4 25.bxa6 bxa6 26.Rfc1 Nxd3 27.cxd3 Qa3 28.Nd4 Qxd3 29.Nxe6 Rxc1 30.Rxc1 Re8 31.Nc5 Qxe3 32.Qxe3 Rxe3 33.Nxd7 Re4

34.Rc8+ Kf7 35.Nc5 Rxf4 36.Rc7+ Kg8 37.Rxg7+ Kxg7 38.Ne6+ Kf6 39.Nxf4 Ke5 40.Ne2 d4 41.Kg1 Kd5 42.Kf2 Kc4 43.Ke1 Kb4 44.Nxd4 Kxa4 45.Kd2 Kb4 46.Kd3 Kc5 47.g4 Kd5 48.Nb3 Ke5 49.Ke3 h5 50.Na5 hxg4 51.hxg4 g5

52.Nc4+ Kd5 53.Kd3 Kc5 54.Nd2 Kd5 55.Nf3 a5 56.Nxg5 a4 57.Nf3, Black resigns.

Android App for Correspondence Chess

Asim Pereira [pictured] has released a new Android app for correspondence chess.  The app is free and shows ads under the board.

Weiss - West @ "Contre Gambit Philidor"

At Contre Gambit Philidor. Frederic Fournier analyzes my game as Black against Howard Weiss.

Zilbermintz Strikes Again with PCG

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz sends this game from Saturday's tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Brandon Jacobson (USCF 1894) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2162), Rahway NJ 7/20/2013

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.h4 Kg7 15.Qxc7+ Nbd7 16.cxb4 Qf8 17.a3 Kh8

18.O-O Nb6 19.Ba2 Bg4 20.Qxb7 Qh6 21.a4 Rd8 22.Qxa7 Nbd5 23.Bxd5 Nxd5 24.b5 Qxh4 25.b6 Nf4 26.Qc7 Ne2#.

FIDE Mondays 7/22/2013

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

Round One: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2108) - Stephen Jablon (FIDE 1868), Marshall Chess Club 7/22/2013

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Na5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2 Qb6 10.a4 Qb3 11.Qxb3 Nxb3 12.Ra2 Nh5 13.Be3 Na5 14.Nd2 e6 15.Ngf3 Bd6 16.Ne5 Nc6 17.Ndf3 f6

18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.b4 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Bxf4 21.O-O O-O 22.Re1 Rfc8 23.a5 Rc7 24.Rae2 Re8 25.h4 Bc8 26.g3 Bh6 27.Kg2 g6 28.Nh2 Bg7 29.f4 Rce7 30.Nf3 Kf7 31.h5 e5 32.hxg6+ hxg6 33.fxe5 Bg4 34.exf6 Rxe2+ 35.Rxe2 Rxe2+ 36.Bxe2 Bxf3 37.Bxf3 Bh6

38.Bxd5+ Kxf6 39.Bxc6 Bd2 40.b5 Bxc3 41.b6 Bxd4 42.b7 Be5 43.g4 g5 44.Kf3 Ke7 45.Ke4 Bf4 46.Kf5 Kd8 47.b8=Q+ Bxb8 48.Kxg5 a6 49.Bb7 Bc7 50.Bxa6 Bxa5 51.Kf6 Bd2, draw.