"Pawn Sacrifice" Clip

Tobey Maguire (Bobby Fischer) is recruited by Michael Stuhlbarg (Paul Marshall) in this clip from Pawn Sacrifice.

Marshall Sunday Game/45 8/9/2015

On Sunday, I finished with a score of 3-0-1 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round One: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2206) - Samuel Zhang (USCF 1839), Marshall Chess Club 8/9/2015

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.dxe4 e5 5.Ngf3 Bd6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O 9.c3 Bg4 10.h3 Be6 11.a4 a5 12.Qc2 h6 13.Re1 Qd7 14.Kh2 Bc5 15.Nf1 Rad8

16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 Qd6 18.Rad1 Qc5 19.Nf5 Qb6 20.Rxd8 Rxd8 21.Qe2 Qb3 22.Ra1 Bc4 23.Qe1 b6 24.Nd2 Qxb2 25.Nxc4 Qb3 26.Nfe3 Rd3 27.Bf1 Rxc3 28.Ra3 Rxe3 29.Qxe3, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Two: King's Indian Defense, Orthodox Variation

Nico Chasin (USCF 1953) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/9/2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.h3 Nh5 10.Ne1 Nf4 11.Bxf4 exf4 12.Nd3 g5 13.Bg4 Ng6 14.Rc1 Re8 15.Re1 b6 16.b4 a5

17.Bxc8 Qxc8 18.a3 axb4 19.axb4 h6 20.c5 bxc5 21.bxc5 dxc5 22.Nxc5 Ne5 23.f3 h5 24.Nd3 Qa6 25.Nxe5 Bxe5 26.Qe2 Qxe2 27.Rxe2 Reb8 28.Rec2 Ra3 29.Nd1 Rba8 30.Kf2 Ra1 31.Rxa1 Rxa1 32.Ke2 Kf8 33.Kd2 Ke7

34.Nc3 Rg1 35.Kd3 Bxc3 36.Kxc3 f6 37.Kd3 Kd7 38.e5 Rd1+ 39.Ke4 Re1+ 40.Kf5 Rxe5+ 41.Kxf6 Rxd5 42.Kg6 h4 43.Kf6 c5 44.Rc4 Kc6 45.Rc2 Kb5 46.Ke6 Rd8 47.Rb2+ Kc4 48.Rc2+ Kb4 49.Kf5 Rg8

50.Rb2+ Kc3 51.Rb7 c4 52.Rc7 Kd3 53.Rd7+ Kc2 54.Rc7 c3 55.Rc6 Kd2 56.Rd6+ Ke2 57.Rc6 Kd2 58.Rd6+ Kc1 59.Rc6 c2 60.Rc7 Rd8 61.Kxg5 Kd2 62.Kxf4 c1=Q 63.Rxc1 Kxc1 64.Kg5 Rg8+ 65.Kxh4 Rxg2

66.f4 Kd2 67.f5 Ke3 68.f6 Ke4 69.Kh5 Ke5 70.f7 Rf2 71.Kg6 Ke6 72.h4 Rxf7 73.h5 Rf1 74.h6 Rg1+ 75.Kh7 Kf7 76.Kh8 Ra1 77.Kh7 Rh1, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Three: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2206) - Wesley Hellner (USCF 1994), Marshall Chess Club 8/9/2015

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.g3 Bd6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 Qc7 9.Qe2 dxe4 10.dxe4 e5 11.c3 Qe7 12.Nc4 Bc7 13.a4 Bg4 14.h3 Be6

15.Nh4 h6 16.Nf5 Bxf5 17.exf5 Qd7 18.g4 e4 19.Be3 b6 20.Rad1 Qe7 21.f4 Rad8 22.g5 hxg5 23.fxg5 Nd5 24.Qh5 Ne5 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Bxe4 Rdd8 27.g6 fxg6 28.fxg6 Qh4 29.Qxh4 Nf3+ 30.Bxf3 Rxf3 31.Qh7+ Kf8 32.Bxc5+, Black resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Caro-Kann Defense, Exchange Variation

Boris Privman (USCF 2324) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/9/2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 c5 5.c3 cxd4 6.exd4 O-O 7.h3 d5 8.Nbd2 Nc6 9.Be2 Bf5 10.O-O h5 11.Re1 Qb6

12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.Nxb3 Nd7 14.Bb5 Bf6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Na5 Rfc8 17.b4 Be4 18.Nd2 Bf5 19.Ndb3 g5 20.Bg3 Bc2 21.Re2 Bxb3 22.axb3 e6 23.Nb7 Be7 24.Rea2 f5 25.f3 f4 26.Bf2 Rc7 27.Nc5 Nxc5 28.bxc5 Kf7 29.b4 Bf6

30.Kf1 e5 31.dxe5 Bxe5 32.Bd4 Bxd4 33.cxd4 Rb7 34.Ra4 Kf6 35.Re1 Rab8 36.Ra6 Rc7 37.Rb1 Kf5 38.Ke2 g4 39.hxg4+ hxg4 40.Kd3 gxf3 41.gxf3 Re8 42.b5 Re3+ 43.Kd2 cxb5 44.Rxb5 Rxf3 45.c6 Ke4

46.Rb7 Rxb7 47.cxb7 Rb3 48.Rxa7 Kxd4 49.Kc2 Rb6 50.Kd2 Kc5 51.Ra4 Rxb7 52.Rxf4 Rb3, draw.

Marshall Saturday Game/60 8/8/2015

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

Round Three: Philidor Counter Gambit

Adi Murgescu (USCF 1603) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/8/2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.Nc3 O-O-O 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Nh6 13.O-O-O Bg4 14.Qd2 Bxd1 15.Qxd1 Ne7 16.Qd2 c6 17.Be2 Rxh8 18.Rf1 Qe5

19.g3 Kb8 20.Kb1 Nhf5 21.Rf4 h5 22.Na4 g5 23.Rf1 d4 24.exd4 Nxd4 25.Nc3 Nd5 26.Nxd5 cxd5 27.Rd1 Nxe2 28.Qxe2 g4 29.Qd2 Rd8 30.c3 e3 31.Qe2 Qe4+ 32.Ka1 Qf3 33.Re1 Qxe2 34.Rxe2 d4 35.cxd4 Rxd4 

36.Kb1 Rd1+ 37.Kc2 Rh1 38.Kd3 Kc7 39.Kxe3 Rf1 40.Rc2+ Kd7 41.Rd2+ Kc7 42.Rc2+ Kb6 43.Rf2 Rc1 44.Rf6+ Kc7 45.Rf7+ Kb6 46.Rf6+ Kc7 47.Rf7+ Kd6 48.Rxb7 Rc2 49.Rxa7 Rxb2 50.Ra6+ Kc7 51.a4 Rxh2

52.a5 Ra2 53.Kf4 Ra3 54.Ra8 Kb7 55.Rh8 Rxa5 56.Rh7+ Kc6 57.Rh6+ Kd7 58.Rg6 Ke7 59.Rh6 Kf7 60.Rd6 Kf8 61.Rh6 Kg7 62.Rb6 Ra3 63.Rd6 Rf3+ 64.Kg5 Rxg3 65.Rd7+ Kf8 66.Kxh5 Rg1 67.Rd5 g3

68.Rg5 Rh1+ 69.Kg6 Rh8 70.Kf5 Rg8 71.Rxg8+ Kxg8 72.Kf4 g2 73.Ke4 g1=Q, White resigns.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Pirc Defense

Wesley Hellner (USCF 1994) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/8/2015

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Nc6 9.Be3 e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.Qd2 Nd7 12.Bg5 f6 13.Bh6 f5 14.Bg5 Nf6 15.Rae1 Qd7

16.Re2 c6 17.dxc6 Nxc6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.exf5 gxf5 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qh6 Qg7 22.Qh5 Qg6 23.Qf3 e4 24.Qe3 d5 25.Qc5 f4 26.f3 Bxc3 27.bxc3 e3 28.Rb1 Rfb8 29.Rb3 a5 30.a4 Rxb3 31.cxb3 Qb1+ 32.Kh2 Qxb3  33.Qxc6 Rf8

34.Qe6+ Rf7 35.Qe8+ Rf8 36.Qe6+ Rf7 37.Qe8+, draw.

Pix from First Tuesday Action 8/4/2015

During Tuesday's tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, I photographed the players.

Westfield Quads at Bauer Family Branch

On August 9th, the Westfield quads will be held in the YMCA's Bauer Family Branch at 422 East Broad Street.

Pix from August Grand Prix 8/2/2015

On Sunday, I took these pictures during the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

 

Master Class by Boris Gelfand on Sunday

Master Class by legendary Boris Gelfand on Sunday, August 9th from 3:30pm to 5:30pm at Pepela, 104 East 30th Street (Park Avenue South), New York, NY 10016. 

This Master Class will be based in part on Mr. Gelfand's 2012 World Championship match with Viswanathan Anand and his newly released book Positional Decision Making in Chess.  It is to be followed by a Q&A session and book signing.  Best suited for players rated 1700+. 

Boris Gelfand: 2012 World Championship finalist; six-time World Championship candidate (1991, 1994-95, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2013); won the World Cup 2009 and the 2011 Candidates Tournament; world's former #3. 

Admission $100.

$25 off for players listed as top 10 on any of the USCF's top 100 lists for ages 10 and up. 

The Master Class will be followed by an optional informal dinner (not included in the admission). 

To reserve your seat, please email to info@lichessmates.com.

Space is limited. 

Please note that there is no on-site registration.

For additional information: 
e-mail info@lichessmates.com; 
phone (516) 225-0600, international grandmaster Gennady Sagalchik.

Sponsored by: Long Island ChessMates: www.lichessmates.com.

Summer Chess Academy for Talented Youth: www.lichessmates.com/premier-camp.

First Tuesday Action 8/4/2015

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

Round One: Philidor Counter Gambit

Katrina Wong (USCF 1831) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/4/2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 f5 4.d4 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bb4 9.Be2 O-O 10.O-O c6 11.f3 Qe8 12.fxe4 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nxe4 14.Bd2 Nd7 15.Nf3 Ndf6

16.c4 Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Ne4 18.Qe1 Bg4 19.cxd5 cxd5 20.Ne5 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qe6 22.c4 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Rf8 24.Rxf8+ Kxf8 25.cxd5 Qxd5 26.Nf3 Nf6 27.Qb2 a6 28.Qb4+ Kg8 29.a4 h6 30.Qe7 Qe4 31.Qd8+ Kh7

32.Qb6 Qe3+ 33.Kf1 Ne4 34.Qb2 Qd3+ 35.Ke1 Nc3 36.Qd2 Qb1+ 37.Kf2 Ne4+ 38.Ke3 Nxd2 39.Kxd2 Qb4+ 40.Ke3 Qxa4 41.Ne5 b5 42.Ke4 b4 43.Nd3 b3 44.Ke3 Qa3 45.Kd2 b2 46.Nxb2 Qxb2+ 47.Ke3 Qxg2

48.h4 Qg3+ 49.Ke4 Qxh4+ 50.Ke5 a5 51.d5 a4 52.d6 a3 53.Ke6 a2 54.d7 a1=Q 55.Kf7 Qhf6+ 56.Ke8 Qae5#.

"Winter is Coming" in October

In October, Garry Kasparov's new book Winter is Coming will be released.

Marshall August Grand Prix 8/2/2015

With a perfect score, GM Alexander Ivanov [pictured] won the August Grand Prix tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Five: King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation

John Walton (USCF 1769) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/2/2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.Nf3 d6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qc2 c6 10.Rd1 Qc7 11.e4 a5 12.h3 Re8 13.Be3 Bf8 14.a3 b6 15.Rac1 Ba6

16.Qb3 Nc5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Qa2 Rab8 19.Ne1 Nh5 20.Nd3 Ng7 21.b4 cxb4 22.axb4 Bxb4 23.Nxb4 Rxb4 24.Na4 Ne6 25.c5 Nd4 26.Nb6 Ne2+ 27.Kh2 Nxc1 28.Rxc1 Rb5 29.Rd1 Bc8 30.Qa3 Be6 31.Bf1 Rxb6 32.cxb6 Qxb6 33.Qc3 Qxf2+ 34.Bg2 Qe2

35.Rd6 Bxh3 36.Rd2 Qg4 37.Bxh3 Qxe4 38.Bg2 Qb4 39.Qxc6 Qxd2 40.Qxe8+ Kg7 41.Qxe5+ Kg8 42.Qe8+ Kg7 43.Qe5+ Kf8 44.Qh8+ Ke7 45.Qe5+ Kf8 46.Qh8+ Ke7 47.Qe5+ Kf8 48.Qh8+, draw.

Marshall August Grand Prix 8/1/2015

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

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jonathan Maxwell (USCF 2067) - Jim West (USCF 2206), Marshall Chess Club 8/1/2015

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.O-O Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Nbd2 Nge7 7.e4 O-O 8.c3 d6 9.Re1 Rb8 10.a4 a6 11.Nf1 e5 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Qc7 14.Qd2 b5

15.axb5 axb5 16.Bh6 b4 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Ne3 bxc3 19.bxc3 Bd7 20.d4 exd4 21.cxd4 cxd4 22.Nxd4 Ne5 23.Nef5+ Nxf5 24.Nxf5+ Bxf5 25.exf5 Rbd8 26.Rec1 Qd7 27.fxg6 Qf5 28.Rc7 Qxg6 29.Bd5 Rc8 30.Raa7 Rxc7 31.Rxc7 Qg4

32.Kg2 Ng6 33.Qb2+ Kg8 34.Qf6 Nh8 35.Rc4 Qg6 36.Qf3 Kg7 37.Rf4 f5 38.Qd3 Qf6 39.Qd1 Ng6 40.Rb4 f4 41.Qxh5 fxg3 42.Rb7+ Ne7 43.Qg5+ Qxg5 44.hxg5 Rxf2+ 45.Kxg3 Re2 46.Kf4 Re5 47.Bb3 Kf8

48.Rb8+ Kg7 49.Rd8 Nd5+ 50.Bxd5 Rxd5 51.Kg4 Rd1 52.Kf5 Rf1+ 53.Ke6 Re1+, draw.

Saint Louis Checkmates Las Vegas in Court

The World Chess Museum in Saint Louis has won its trademark dispute with the World Chess Federation in Las Vegas.