Marshall August Under 2400 8/19/2018

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

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2201) - Paul Kraft (USCF 1924), Marshall Chess Club 8/19/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Be7 8.O-O b5 9.Be3 O-O 10.f4 b4 11.Na4 d5 12.e5 Ne4

13.f5 Bg5 14.Qe1 Bxe3+ 15.Qxe3 Bd7 16.fxe6 Bxe6 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Rxf8+ Qxf8 19.Rf1 Qe7 20.Nb6 Qa7 21.Nxd5 Qxe3+ 22.Nxe3 Nc5 23.Nd5 Nc6 24.Nc7 Rc8 25.Bxe6+ Nxe6 26.Nxe6 Nxe5

27.Rf5 Ng4 28.Rg5 Kf7 29.Rxg7+ Kxe6 30.Rxg4 a5 31.Re4+ Kd5 32.Re2 a4 33.Kf1 Kd4 34.Ke1 a3 35.bxa3 bxa3 36.Kd2 Rg8 37.g3 Rf8 38.c3+ Kc4 39.Re4+ Kd5 40.Rf4 Rb8 41.Rb4 Rf8 42.Ke2 Ra8 43.Kf3 Rf8+ 44.Rf4 Rb8

45.Ra4 Rb2 46.Rxa3 Rxh2 47.Ra5+ Kc4 48.Ra4+ Kxc3 49.Rh4 Rxa2 50.Rxh7 Kd4 51.Re7 Kd5 52.g4 Kd6 53.Re4 Kd5 54.Re8 Ra1 55.Kf4 Rf1+ 56.Kg5 Kd6 57.Kg6 Kd7 58.Re2 Rg1 59.g5 Kd8 60.Kf6 Rf1+ 61.Kg7 Rg1 62.g6 Kd7 63.Kf7 Rf1+ 64.Kg8 Rg1 65.g7 Kd8

66.Re4 Kd7 67.Kf7 Rf1+ 68.Kg6 Rg1+ 69.Kf6 Rf1+ 70.Kg5, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Five: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Victor Chen (USCF 2066) - Jim West (USCF 2201), Marshall Chess Club 8/19/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 g6 7.g4 Bg7 8.Bg2 O-O 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Qd2 Bd7 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bc6 13.g5 Nh5 14.Bxg7 Nxg7 15.O-O-O Qa5 16.Kb1 Rfc8

17.Nd5 Qxd2 18.Rxd2 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Rc7 20.h4 Rac8 21.c3 b5 22.Bh3 Ne6 23.Rf1 Rc4 24.f5 gxf5 25.Rdxf5 Rxe4 26.Rxf7 Re8 27.Bg2 Re5 28.Bh3 Nd8 29.R7f4 Ne6 30.Rf7 Nd8 31.R7f3 Ne6 32.Bg4 a5 33.Rf7 Nd8

34.Bh5 Re1+ 35.Rxe1 Nxf7 36.Kc2 e5 37.Rf1 Re7 38.Rf6 e4 39.Bxf7+ Rxf7 40.Rxd6 Rf2+ 41.Kc1 b4 42.cxb4 axb4 43.Rd4 e3 44.Re4 e2 45.Re3 Rh2 46.a3 bxa3 47.bxa3 Rh3 48.Rxe2 Rxa3 49.Re6 Rh3 50.Rh6 Rh2

51.Kd1 Kg7 52.Ke1 Ra2 53.Kf1 Rb2 54.Kg1 Ra2 55.Rf6 Ra4 56.Rh6, draw.

Marshall August Under 2400 8/18/2018

On Saturday, I played these games in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense, Grand Prix Attack

Matthew Boxer (USCF 1900) - Jim West (USCF 2201), Marshall Chess Club 8/18/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Bc4 Nc6 7.O-O Nh6 8.a4 O-O 9.b3 a6 10.Bb2 Nd4

11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Nd5 e6 13.Nb4 Rc8 14.a5 Rc5 15.c3 Rxa5 16.cxd4 Rxa1 17.Qxa1 Qb6 18.Nc2 Bc6 19.Bd3 Qxb3 20.Ne1 Bb5 21.Bc2 Qc4 22.Bd3 Qc6 23.Bxb5 Qxb5 

24.Nf3 Rc8 25.Ba3 d5 26.Rc1 Rxc1+ 27.Qxc1 Qc6 28.d3 Qxc1+ 29.Bxc1 Ng4 30.e5 h5 31.Kf1 Nh6 32.Ke2 Nf5 33.Kd2 Kf8 34.Kc3 Ke8 35.Kb4 Kd7 36.Kc5 Kc7 37.Kb4 Bf8+ 38.Kc3 Be7 39.g3 b5 40.Bd2 Kb6

41.Kb2 a5 42.Bc1 a4 43.Bd2 b4 44.Ng5 Bxg5 45.fxg5 Kb5 46.Ka2 Nxd4 47.Be3 b3+ 48.Kb1 Nf3, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2201) - Katharene Qi (USCF 1983), Marshall Chess Club 8/18/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.f4 Nbd7 9.f5 Nc5 10.fxe6 fxe6 11.Bg5 h6 12.Nc6 Qb6 13.Bxf6 Nxb3 14.axb3 gxf6 15.Nd4 Rg8 16.Qh5+ Ke7 17.O-O-O Bb7

18.Qh3 Bc8 19.Rhe1 Rg5 20.Nf5+ Kf7 21.Nxh6+ Kg6 22.Ng4 e5 23.Qh8 Bxg4 24.Qg8+ Kh6 25.Qh8+ Kg6 26.Qg8+ Kh6 27.Qh8+ Kg6, draw.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 8/16/2018

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

Thursday Night Action 8/16/2018

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

Round One: King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2204) - Jose De Villa (USCF 1999), Marshall Chess Club 8/16/2018

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 e5 4.d3 h6 5.O-O Nf6 6.Nc3 Be6 7.e4 d4 8.Nd5 Qd7 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.Nh4 h5 11.f4 Bh3 12.fxe5 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 fxe5 14.Qf3 Qe6 15.Bd2 Ne7 16.Bb4 Rh7

17.Bxe7 Bxe7 18.Qf5 Qxf5 19.Nxf5 h4 20.Nxe7 Kxe7 21.Rf5 f6 22.Raf1 hxg3 23.hxg3 Rh6 24.Rh1 Rxh1 25.Kxh1 Rg8 26.Kg2 Kf7 27.Rh5 Rg7 28.a4 a5 29.b3 Kg6 30.Rh4 Kg5 31.Kf3 f5 32.exf5 Kxf5 33.Rh5+ Ke6

34.Rh6+ Kf5 35.Rh5+ Ke6 36.Rh6+ Kd5 37.Rh5 c6 38.g4 Rg6 39.Rh7 b6 40.Rb7 Kc5 41.Re7 Rg5 42.Rf7 Kd5 43.Rb7 Kc5 44.Rf7 Rg6 45.Rf5 Kd5 46.g5 b5 47.Kg4 bxa4 48.bxa4 Ke6 49.Rf8 Rg7 50.Ra8 Rf7 51.Rxa5 Rf2

52.Rc5 Kd6 53.Rc4 Kd5 54.c3 dxc3 55.Rxc3 Rf4+ 56.Kh5 Rxa4 57.g6 Ra1 58.g7 Rh1+ 59.Kg6 c5 60.g8=Q+, Black resigns.

"American Chess Magazine" on "YouTube"

How fast can you read?

Stereotyping of Girls in Chess

This article in The New Yorker reminds me of incidents that take place occasionally in the after school enrichment classes on chess that I teach.  

During the last half hour, the students are allowed to play chess against one another.  

Sometimes, when a boy is defeated by a girl, he will exclaim, "I can't believe I lost to a girl!"  

At that point, I tell the boy of a chess tournament in New York City where I lost games to Hana and Amanda, two strong female players.

Chess Venues on Upper West Side

Premier Chess CEO Evan Rabin [pictured] gives a tour of where to play chess in Manhattan.

Westfield Quads 8/12/2018

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-1-0 in the quads at Westfield.

Round One: Dutch Defense

Sam Barsky (USCF 2138) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Westfield NJ 8/12/2018

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bg5 Nf6 4.c4 b6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Qc2 Bb7 7.e3 O-O 8.Bd3 h6 9.Bf4 Ne4 10.O-O-O Bxc3 11.bxc3 d6 12.h4 Nd7 13.h5 Qe7 14.Nh4 Rfe8

15.f3 Nef6 16.d5 Nc5 17.Be2 Bc8 18.g4 e5 19.Ng6 Qf7 20.Bg3 fxg4 21.fxg4 Bxg4 22.Rdf1 Bxe2 23.Qxe2 Nce4 24.Bh4 b5 25.Bxf6 Nxf6 26.e4 bxc4 27.Rhg1 Rab8 28.Rg2 Rb7 29.Rfg1 Reb8

30.Qf3 Rb1+ 31.Kd2 Rxg1 32.Rxg1 Nxe4+ 33.Ke3 Qxf3+ 34.Kxf3 Nxc3 35.Ne7+ Kh8 36.Rc1 Nxa2 37.Rxc4 Rb3+ 38.Kg2 Rb7 39.Ng6+ Kg8 40.Rc2 Nb4 41.Rf2 Rb8 42.Ne7+ Kh7 43.Rf7 Nd3 44.Kf3 Nf4 45.Kg4 a5

46.Nc6 Ra8 47.Rxc7 Nxd5 48.Rb7 a4 49.Rb1 a3 50.Kf5 a2 51.Ra1 Ne3+, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Dragon Variation

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Zachary Martin (USCF 2098), Westfield NJ 8/12/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 d6 8.f3 O-O 9.Qd2 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Qa5 11.O-O-O a6 12.Kb1 Be6 13.Bb3 Rfc8 14.h4 h5

15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd5 Qxd2 17.Nxf6+ exf6 18.Rxd2 Rc6 19.Rhd1 Rd8 20.Bd5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Kf8 22.b3 b5 23.f4 Rdc8 24.Rxd6 Rxc2 25.Rd8+ Rxd8 26.Rxd8+ Ke7 27.Kxc2 Kxd8 28.Kd3 Kd7 29.Kd4 Kd6

30.b4 Kc6 31.e5 fxe5+ 32.Kxe5 Kd7 33.Kf6 Ke8 34.f5, Black resigns.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 8/9/2018

These pictures were taken by me during Thursday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 8/9/2018

In round three of Thursday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I was paired against Ken Jennings [pictured], famous for playing the role of Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd.

Round Three: Center Counter Defense

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Ken Jennings (USCF 1337), Marshall Chess Club 8/9/2018

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 c6 5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.O-O Qd6 8.Nc3 O-O-O 9.Be2 e5 10.d3 Qb8 11.Bg5 Be7

12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nh4 Bxe2 14.Qxe2 Rhg8 15.Nf5 Rg6 16.Nxe7+ Nxe7 17.f3 Rdg8 18.Rf2 Nf5 19.Qe4 Nd4 20.Nd5 Qd6 21.Ne3 h5 22.Nf5 Nxf5 23.Qxf5+ Kb8 24.c3 Qb6 25.d4 exd4 26.Qf4+ Ka8 27.Qxd4 Qc7 28.Rd1 Qc8

29.Qd7 Qxd7 30.Rxd7 R6g7 31.Rfd2 Kb8 32.Rd8+ Rxd8 33.Rxd8+ Kc7 34.Rh8 Rg5 35.Rh7 Kc6 36.Rxf7 Rd5 37.Rxf6+ Kc5 38.h4 Rd1+ 39.Kh2 Rd2 40.Rf5+ Kc4 41.Rf4+ Kc5 42.Rb4 Kc6 43.a4 a5 44.Rb5 b6

45.Kh3 Rd6 46.Rxh5 Rd2 47.Rb5, Black resigns.