"Brooklyn Castle" Player Posters

Take a look at player posters for the documentary film Brooklyn Castle.

If you ask me, the image of the rook belongs with the letters "rook" in Brooklyn!

Applesauce Jarred by Knockouts

A punch by the New Jersey Knockouts jarred the Manhattan Applesauce, in week five of the United States Chess League.

Take a ringside seat for the games on boards one, two, three, and four.

FIDE Mondays 10/1/2012

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

Round Four: English Opening

Nathan Resika (FIDE 2155) - Jim West (FIDE 2091), Marshall Chess Club 10/1/2012

1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.d3 Nge7 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bd2 O-O 9.a3 d5 10.O-O b6 11.Rb1 Bb7

12.b4 cxb4 13.axb4 dxc4 14.dxc4 Nf5 15.c5 bxc5 16.bxc5 Rb8 17.Qa4 Ba8 18.Rxb8 Qxb8 19.e4 Nfd4 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.Ra1 Qe5 22.Qc4 Qh5 23.Rxa7 Nf3+ 24.Bxf3 Qxf3 25.c6 Bxc6

26.Rc7 Bxc3 27.Qxc3 Qxc3 28.Bxc3 Bxe4 29.Bf6, draw.

Westfield Quads 9/30/2012

54 players showed up for Sunday's quads in Westfield.

Round One: Larsen's Opening

Jim West (USCF 2202) - Brandon Nydick (USCF 2064), Westfield NJ 9/30/2012

1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Bf5 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Be2 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.a4 c5 9.Na3 a6 10.Qe1 Qe7 11.d3 Bg6

12.Ne5 Ne8 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.e4 dxe4 15.dxe4 e5 16.f5 g5 17.Nc4 Bc7 18.Qg3 Nd6 19.Nxd6 Bxd6 20.Rad1 Bc7 21.Bc4 Rae8 22.Bd5 Rb8 23.c4 Rfd8 24.Bc1 Nf6 25.Bxg5 b5 26.axb5 axb5 27.Qh4 bxc4 28.bxc4 Rb3 29.Rb1 Rdb8 30.Rxb3 Rxb3 31.Bxf6 Qxf6 32.Qxf6 gxf6

33.Ra1 Rb8 34.Ra7 Rc8 35.Kf2 Kg7 36.Kf3 Kf8 37.Kg4 Kg7 38.h4 Kg8 39.h5 Kg7 40.Kh4 Kg8 41.h6 Kh7 42.Kh5 Kg8 43.g4 Kf8 44.g5 fxg5 45.f6 g4 46.h7 Ke8 47.h8=Q+ Kd7 48.Bc6+ Kxc6 49.Qxc8 g3 50.Qxc7#.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: King's Indian Defense

Leonid Fleysher (USCF 2024) - Jim West (USCF 2202), Westfield NJ 9/30/2012

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.b3 e5 8.e3 e4 9.Ng5 d5 10.Nh3 Re8 11.c4 c6 12.Nf4 Nf8 13.h3 Ne6 14.Nxe6 Bxe6 15.Bb2 h5 16.Rac1 Qd7 17.Kh2 Rac8

18.Nb1 Nh7 19.Nc3 Ng5 20.h4 Bg4 21.Qd2 Nf3+ 22.Bxf3 Bxf3 23.Ne2 Bf6 24.Ng1 Bxh4 25.Nxf3 exf3 26.Rh1 Qg4 27.Ba3 Bg5 28.Bd6 Rcd8 29.c5 Kg7 30.Kg1 h4

31.Rc3 Rxd6 32.cxd6 hxg3 33.fxg3 Rxe3 34.Rxe3 Bxe3+ 35.Qxe3 Qxg3+ 36.Kf1 Qg2+ 37.Ke1 Qxh1+ 38.Kf2 Qh2+ 39.Ke1 Qxd6 40.Qxf3 Qb4+ 41.Kf1 Qxd4 42.Qe2 Qe4 43.Qb2+ d4 44.Qa3 a6 45.Qb4 b5 46.Qa5 d3 47.Qc3+ Kg8 48.Qf6 Qf5+ 49.Qxf5 gxf5 50.Ke1 c5, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Gregory Nolan (USCF 2165) - Jim West (USCF 2202), Westfield NJ 9/30/2012

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.a3 d6 5.Qc2 d5 6.cxd5 Qxd5 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.Qxc3 Nc6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.Bf4 O-O-O 11.h3 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Bc5

13.e4 Qd4 14.Bg3 Nxe5 15.Be2 Qxc3+ 16.bxc3 Nd3+ 17.Kf1 f6 18.Kg2 g5 19.Rhd1 Nf4+ 20.Bxf4 gxf4 21.a4 Rhg8+ 22.Kf1 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Rxd8+, draw.

Rahway Swiss 9/29/2012

Yesterday I drew this game in the game/45 Swiss tournament at Chess Mates.

Round One: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Sergio Flores (USCF 1957) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Rahway NJ 9/29/2012

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.g3 Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Bg2 O-O 12.O-O d6 13.e3 a5 14.Rfd1 a4 15.Qb4 Ra6 16.Rd5 Qf6 17.Rad1 b6 18.R5d3 Be6

19.Bc6 Bg4 20.Re1 Ra5 21.Bxa4 Rc5 22.Bd1 Be6 23.b3 h5 24.Rd4 Rf5 25.Qd2 Bc8 26.b4 Bb7 27.e4 Re5 28.f4 Re6 29.Bxh5 c5 30.Rd3 Bxe4 31.Rde3 Rfe8 32.Bg4 Bf5 33.Bf3 Rxe3 34.Rxe3 Rxe3 35.Qxe3 Be6

36.Be2 Qa1+ 37.Kf2 Qh1 38.h4 g6 39.Qf3 Qc1 40.Qd3 cxb4 41.axb4 Qb2 42.h5 Kg7 43.hxg6 Qxb4 44.Qd4+ Kxg6 45.Bd3+ f5 46.Ke2 Qc5 47.Ke3 Qxd4+ 48.Kxd4 Kh5 49.Be2+ Kg6 50.Bd3 Kh5 51.Be2+, draw.

My Review of "Chess Variants & Games"

The book Chess Variants & Games for Intellectual Development and Amusement by A.V. Murali has nothing to do with the game of chess as we know it.  Rather, it is an imaginative attempt to create chess variants with triagonals instead of diagonals, and to use chess in education to teach language, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and more.  

There are sports related games involving chess for basketball, table tennis, squash, cricket, and volleyball.

Would you like to solve a chess crossword puzzle or a chess sudoku? 

In the preface, the author explains "how the idea of writing this book occurred to me.  It all started when I happened to walk along a pavement tiled with stones in the shape of a hexagon."  This inspired him to wonder whether chess can be played on a hexagonal board and to consider various other geometries, as well.

Time and again, I was impressed by the amount of independent thinking and research in this book.

September Game/90, Round 4

On Wednesday, Mauricio Camejo won the September Game/90 tournament at Chess Mates.

Round Four: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation

Jim West (USCF 2210) - Art Macaspac (USCF 2176), Rahway NJ 9/26/2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.O-O Be7 9.Be3 O-O 10.f4 b4 11.Na4 Nxe4 12.f5 d5 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Nf5 Nc6

15.Nb6 Rxf5 16.Rxf5 Nc5 17.Nxa8 Nxb3 18.axb3 exf5 19.Nb6 d4 20.Nxc8 Qxc8 21.Bf2 Bf6 22.Qd3 Ne5 23.Qxa6 Qxc2 24.Qe6+, Black resigns.

FIDE Mondays 9/24/2012

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

Round Three: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (FIDE 2116) - Payam Parhami (FIDE 2037), Marshall Chess Club 9/24/2012

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bg4 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 O-O 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 c5 10.h3 Bh5 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.c3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Qb6

14.g4 Bg6 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Qd3 Rfe8 17.Qb3 Qxb3 18.Nxb3 Ne4 19.Be3 Re7 20.a3 Rae8 21.Nbd2 Nb6 22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.Nd2 R4e7 24.Kf1 Na4 25.b3 Nb2 26.b4 Nd3 27.Reb1 Bf4 28.Rb3 Bxe3 29.Rxd3 Bf4

30.Nb3 b6 31.Rdd1 Rc8 32.Nc1 Rc2 33.Nd3 Re4 34.Ne1 Rc4 35.Nf3 g5 36.Rd3 f6 37.Rad1 Kf7 38.Nd2 Bxd2 39.R1xd2 Rc1+ 40.Rd1 Rxd1+ 41.Rxd1 Ke6 42.Rd3 g6 43.f3 Rf4 44.Ke2 f5 45.Ke3 fxg4 46.hxg4 Rf7

47.Rc3 Kd7 48.b5 Re7+ 49.Kf2 Re6 50.Re3 Rxe3 51.Kxe3 Ke7, draw.

"Brooklyn Castle" Trailer

Watch the official trailer for Brooklyn Castle.

Help bring Brooklyn Castle to the people.

Snake Eyes for Cobras vs. Knockouts

In week four of the U.S. Chess League, the roll of the dice came out snake eyes for the Carolina Cobras, losing last night's match versus the New Jersey Knockouts.

The moves to the games (boards one, two, three, and four) can be seen here.

Read 'em and weep!

Marshall Chess Club Swiss 9/23/2012

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 2-0-2 in the game/45 Swiss tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Two: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

Matthew Lim (USCF 1976) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 9/23/2012

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Nxd2 6.Nbxd2 Nc6 7.e3 Qe7 8.a3 Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2 Nxe5 10.Be2 d6 11.O-O Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 O-O 13.Rad1 a5 14.Qc3 a4 15.Rd2 Ra7 16.Rfd1 b6 17.Rd4 Bf5

18.Bc6 Ra5 19.Rd5 Rxd5 20.cxd5 Bd7 21.Rd4 b5 22.Rb4 Rb8 23.Qc2 Bxc6 24.Qxc6 Rb6 25.Qa8+ Qf8 26.Qa7 Qb8 27.Qxb8+ Rxb8 28.Kf1, draw.

Rahway Grand Prix 9/22/2012

There were 20 players in yesterday's grand prix tournament at Chess Mates.

Round One: Vienna Game

Matt Boxer (USCF 1900) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Rahway NJ 9/22/2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Be3 Bb6 7.Qe2 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nd4 10.Qd1 c6 11.Ne2 O-O 12.O-O d5

13.exd5 cxd5 14.Bb3 Nxb3 15.Bxb6 Qxb6 16.axb3 d4 17.Qd2 Rac8 18.Rfc1 a6 19.Qa5 Qxa5 20.Rxa5 Rfe8 21.Ng3 g6 22.Kf1 h5 23.Ke2 h4 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.dxe4 f6 26.Rd5 Red8 27.Rxd8+ Rxd8 28.Kd3 Kf7 29.Ra1 Ke6 30.f3 f5

31.Ra4 fxe4+ 32.Kxe4 Rf8 33.Rc4 Kd6 34.Ra4 Rf5 35.Ra1 Rf4+ 36.Kd3 Rf7 37.c3 Rf4 38.Ra4 dxc3 39.bxc3 Rxa4 40.bxa4 b5 41.axb5 axb5 42.Ke4 Kc5 43.Kxe5 Kc4 44.Kf6 Kxc3 45.Kxg6 b4 46.Kg7 b3 47.f4 b2 48.f5 b1=Q

49.f6 Qf1 50.f7 Qxg2+ 51.Kh8 Qf3 52.Kg7 Qg3+ 53.Kh7 Qf4 54.Kg7 Kd3 55.f8=Q Qxf8+ 56.Kxf8 Ke4 57.Kf7 Kf4 58.Kf6 Kg3 59.Kg5 Kxh3 60.Kf4 Kg2, White resigns.