Pix from Columbus Day Action 10/8/2018

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

Video of K+B+N versus K Endgame

In this video, from the FIDE Blitz tournament at the Marshall Chess Club, Nico Chasin checkmates Nicholai Kravitz with bishop and knight.

Columbus Day Action 10/8/2018

On Monday, I finished with a score of 3-1-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Sicilian Defense, Accelerated Fianchetto

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Cameron Hull (USCF 1701), Marshall Chess Club 10/8/2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 a6 9.f3 b5 10.Qd2 Bb7 11.O-O-O Rc8 12.Kb1 Qc7 13.h4 Rfd8

14.h5 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 e5 16.Be3 Nxh5 17.Bg5 Nf6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Qh6 Bg7 20.Qxh7+ Kf8 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.Rxd5 a5 23.Rxb5 d5 24.a4 d4 25.Rd5 Rxd5 26.exd5 d3 27.cxd3 Qb6 28.Bc4 e4 29.Qh8+ Bxh8 30.Rxh8+ Ke7 31.Rxc8 e3

32.Bb5 Qd4 33.Re8+ Kf6 34.Re4 Qc5 35.d4 Qxd5 36.Rxe3 Qxd4 37.Re2, draw.

          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Round Four: Philidor Counter Gambit

William O'Brien (USCF 1466) - Jim West (USCF 2208), Marshall Chess Club 10/8/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qd2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nh6 10.Qf4 Ng4 11.Qxf6 gxf6 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Nxe3 14.Kd2 Nxf1+ 15.Rxf1 Ke7 16.Nc3 c6 17.g4 Nd7 18.g5 Rxh8 19.gxf6+ Nxf6

20.Rg1 Rg8 21.Rxg8 Nxg8 22.Rg1 Kf7 23.Ke3 Ne7 24.Ne2 Ng6 25.Rf1+ Ke7 26.Nd4 Bd7 27.Nf5+ Bxf5 28.Rxf5 Ke6 29.Rf1 Ne5 30.Rh1 Nf3 31.c3 c5 32.h4 Ke5 33.Rd1 d4+ 34.cxd4+ cxd4+ 35.Ke2 d3+ 36.Kf2 Nxh4

37.Kg3 Nf5+ 38.Kg4 Ne3+, White resigns.

Westfield Octos 10/7/2018

On Sunday, I won this game in the tournament at Westfield.

Round Two: French Defense, Exchange Variation

Jim West (USCF 2208) - Daniel Girsh (USCF 2114), Westfield NJ 10/7/2018

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 Bf5 8.Bg5 Bxd3 9.Qxd3 f6 10.Bh4 Ng6 11.Bg3 Be7 12.c4 c6 13.cxd5 Qxd5 14.Nc3 Qd7 15.Rad1 Na6

16.d5 Rfd8 17.d6 Bf8 18.h4 Nh8 19.Ne4 Nf7 20.h5 Kh8 21.Bh4 Bxd6 22.Qb3 Qc7 23.h6 Nc5 24.hxg7+ Kg8 25.Nxf6+ Kxg7 26.Qc2 Rh8 27.Qf5 Qc8 28.Nh5+ Kf8 29.Qf6 Nd7 30.Qg7#.

Harry Benson & Bobby Fischer

[photo by Harry Benson]

Photographer Harry Benson was the only person to have private access to Bobby Fischer during the 1972 world championship match.

Pix from Thursday Night Action 10/4/2018

During Thursday's tournament, I snapped these photos at the Marshall Chess Club.

Thursday Night Action 10/4/2018

On Thursday, I finished with a score of 2-0-2 in the tournament at the Marshall Chess Club.

Round Three: Budapest Gambit, Fajarowicz Variation

David Wasdahl (USCF 1935) - Jim West (USCF 2207), Marshall Chess Club 10/4/2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Qd5 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Nxd2 6.Nxd2 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Nc6 8.Nf3 Qe7 9.Qc3 O-O 10.e3 Re8 11.Be2 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.Qc2 d6 14.Bd3 h6 15.O-O b6 16.Rae1 Bb7

17.f4 Qc5 18.Qf2 Be4 19.Be2 Re7 20.a3 a5 21.Bf3 Rae8 22.Qd2 Qxc4 23.Rc1 Qe6 24.Qd4 Bxf3 25.Rxf3 Qe4 26.Qxe4 Rxe4 27.Rxc7 Rxe3 28.Rxe3 Rxe3 29.Rc6 Rb3 30.Rxd6 Rxb2 31.Rd3 b5 32.Rd5 g6 33.h4 h5

34.f5 Kg7 35.fxg6 fxg6 36.Rd7+ Kf6 37.Ra7 a4 38.Ra6+ Kf5 39.Rc6 Kg4 40.Rxg6+ Kxh4 41.Kf1 b4 42.axb4 a3, White resigns.

Pix from Sunday Game/50 9/30/2018

During Sunday's tournament, I took these pictures at the Marshall Chess Club.

Chess at Harvard

Dozens of players competed in Community Chess Weekend at Harvard University.

How Chess Prepared a CEO

To this CEO, chess is an enduring game of strategy.

Marshall Sunday Game/60 9/30/2018

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

Round Two: Philidor Counter Gambit

Aarav Dogra (USCF 1560) - Jim West (USCF 2204), Marshall Chess Club 9/30/2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Nd2 Nf6 8.Qe2 Bd6 9.f3 O-O 10.fxe4 dxe4 11.Qc4+ Kh8 12.Nb3 Nbd7 13.Bg5 Nb6

14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Nxe4 Qh4+ 16.g3 Qxe4+, White resigns.