"NY Times" Article on GM Caruana and LSC

[photo by Kevin Hagen]

In The New York Times, James Barron writes an article on grandmaster Fabiano Caruana and the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

Knights Score TKO against NJKO

In the quarterfinals round of the U.S. Chess League, the match between the New Jersey Knockouts and the New York Knights ended in a technical knockout, with New Jersey being eliminated from the playoffs by draw odds.

With every game drawn, the players were pulling their punches on boards one, two, three, and four.

Marshall November Weekend FIDE 11/8/2015

On Sunday, I drew this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Four: Philidor Defense

Jim West (FIDE 2062) - Boris Privman (FIDE 2169), Marshall Chess Club 11/8/2015

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.Ng5 O-O 7.Bxf7+ Rxf7 8.Ne6 Qe8 9.Nxc7 Qd8 10.Nxa8 b5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.O-O Bb7

13.Nxb5 Bxa8 14.Nc3 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Be3 Qc8 17.f3 Bb7 18.Bxa7 Qa8 19.Bd4 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Rxf3 22.Qe2 Qd5 23.Rd1 Qf7 24.Re1 Bf8 25.c3 Rf4 26.Qe6 Rf1+ 27.Kg2 Rxe1 28.Qxe1 Qxa2

29.Qf2 Qb3 30.Qe2 h6 31.c4 Qb7+, draw.

Marshall November Weekend FIDE 11/7/2015

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

Round Three: Pirc Defense

Joris Katz (FIDE 1854) - Jim West (FIDE 2062), Marshall Chess Club 11/7/2015

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Qd2 d6 5.e4 c6 6.f3 b5 7.O-O-O Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 b4 10.Nb1 Qa5 11.a3 bxa3 12.Nxa3 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Qxa6 14.Qe3 Nb6 15.Ne2 h5 16.Rhe1 Kf8 17.Nc3 Kg7 

18.d5 cxd5 19.exd5 Rhe8 20.Qd4 Qc8 21.Re2 Rb8 22.Rde1 Rb7 23.Nab5 Qc5 24.Qxc5 dxc5 25.Nd6 exd6 26.Rxe8 Nxe8 27.Rxe8 Rd7 28.Kd1 f5 29.Ke1 Kf7 30.Re2 g5 31.Kf2 Re7 32.Rxe7+ Kxe7 33.f4 g4 34.b3 h4 35.g3 h3

36.Nb5 Nxd5 37.Nxa7 Nb4 38.c3 Nd3+ 39.Ke2 Nxf4+ 40.Kf1 Nd5 41.b4 cxb4 42.cxb4 Nxb4 43.Nc8+ Ke6, White resigns.

After School Chess in Ferguson

[photo by Tom Gannam]

Listen to a radio interview of Tony Rich, executive director of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

Pix from Marshall Halloweekend

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

                                           Saturday

                                              Sunday

Boy Scout Chess Tournament

Register.

Knockouts Sidestep Cobras in Wildcard Round

In the wildcard round of the United States Chess League, the match between the Carolina Cobras and the New Jersey Knockouts ended in a tie; but NJKO advanced to the quarterfinals by draw odds.

Beware of the venomous attacks on boards one, two, three, and four!

"Pawn Sacrifice" in "The Dartmouth"

In The Dartmouth, the Bobby Fischer biopic Pawn Sacrifice is reviewed by Andrew Kingsley.

"NY Times" Review of "Winter is Coming"

In the Sunday edition of The New York Times, Serge Schmemann reviews Winter is Coming by Garry Kasparov.

Marshall Halloweekend 11/1/2015

On Sunday, I played this game in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Five: Philidor Counter Gambit

Jack Grills (USCF 1800) - Jim West (USCF 2200), Marshall Chess Club 11/1/2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Nd2 Nf6 8.Be2 Bd6 9.O-O O-O 10.Nb3 c6 11.Be3 Qe8 12.Re1 Qg6 13.Bf1 Ng4 14.g3 Nd7 15.Qd2 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Nf6 17.Re2 Bg4

18.Rd2 Bf3 19.Bg2 Ng4 20.Qe1 Rae8 21.Nd1 Bf4 22.Ne3 Bxe3 23.fxe3 Qh6 24.Bxf3 exf3 25.Rf2 Rxe3 26.Qd2 Nxf2 27.Kxf2 Re2+ 28.Kf1 Qh3+ 29.Kg1 Qg2#.

Marshall Halloweekend 10/31/2015

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

Round Three: French Defense, King's Indian Attack

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Jose De Villa (USCF 1906), Marshall Chess Club 10/31/2015

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.O-O Qc7 8.Re1 O-O 9.e5 Nd7 10.Qe2 f6 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.c4 Bd6 13.b3 d4 14.Ng5 e5 15.Nde4 Be7

16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Bd5+ Kh8 18.Nxh7 Rd8 19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Qh5+ Qh7 21.Qxh7+ Kxh7 22.Bxc6 bxc6 23.Ba3 Bf5 24.Rad1 Kg6 25.Bxc5 a5 26.f3 a4 27.b4 Rh8 28.a3 Rh3 29.Re2 Bd7 30.Rdd2 Re8 31.Rb2 Rc8 

32.Bd6 Bf5 33.Red2 Bd7 34.f4 exf4 35.Bxf4 Bg4 36.b5 cxb5 37.Rxb5 Re8 38.Rb1 Bf3 39.Rf1 Bc6 40.Bd6 Rh5 41.h4 Re6 42.Bf4 Rh7 43.Rdf2 f5 44.Bc1 Rf7 45.Bb2 Re3 46.h5+ Kxh5 47.Rxf5+ Rxf5 48.Rxf5+ Kg4 49.Rf6 Be8

50.Bxd4 Rxg3+ 51.Kf2 Rxd3 52.Bc5 Rc3 53.Rf8 Bg6 54.Rg8 Kf5 55.Ra8 Rxc4 56.Bb4 Rf4+ 57.Kg3 Rg4+ 58.Kh3 Re4 59.Rxa4 Kf4 60.Bd6+ Kf3 61.Rxe4 Bxe4 62.a4 Ke3 63.Kg4 Kd4 64.Kf4 Bb7 65.Bc7 Kd5 66.a5 Ba6 67.Bb6 Kc6 68.Ke5 Kb7 69.Kd6 Bf1, draw.