Jim West Talks Chess: Nakamura from Vancouver Plays Maneuver from Vancura
In this game, grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura shows that he is well-versed in rook and pawn endings.
Jim West Talks Chess: Columbia Academy Videos from September 21st
On Saturday, September 21st, I lectured at eprof for Columbia Academy on game 6 of the 1972 world chess championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Briefly I discussed Reti-Tartakower, Vienna 1910.
Jim West Talks Chess: King's Indian Attack
Chess lessons can be a learning experience for the coach as well as the student! I teach my students to play the King's Indian Attack as White to avoid the necessity of studying countless openings. At the New Jersey Open 2013, I tried it myself...
Jim West Talks Chess: Video of My Columbia Academy Class @ eprof
You can watch the video of my introductory chess class, from May 25th, for Columbia Academy at eprof.com.
Jim West Talks Chess: Videos of My PCG Lecture
On August 14, 2012, I lectured on the Philidor Counter Gambit at the Marshall Chess Club. You can watch videos of my lecture. Here are parts one, two, and three. My lecture can be seen in high definition: parts one, two, three, and four.
Jim West Talks Chess: Double Bishop Sacrifice in Fajarowicz
In this game, playing the Fajarowicz variation, I checkmated my opponent after a double bishop sacrifice.
Jim West Talks Chess: Missed Wins for Both Sides
On Saturday, my game at Hamilton NJ against national master Dragan Milovanovic [Black] ended in a draw, but not before both sides missed wins. Milovanovic has just played 26...Nd3, attacking my bishop. The simplest way to mainta...
Jim West Talks Chess: Misplaying a Rook-and Pawn Ending
At the February 2010 quads in Hamilton, I reached this position as White in my game against NM Mark Kernighan. Instead of moving my rook from b6 to e6, I should have advanced my pawn to a5 on move 52. Black answered by playing 52....
Jim West Talks Chess: Another Win in Valvo's Line
On Saturday, I defeated an international master with a line in the Sozin Attack against the Sicilian Najdorf that was analyzed in the 1980's by IM Mike Valvo.
Jim West Talks Chess: Corner Stalemates
Here is the conclusion to my game as White against Noah Siegel [USCF 2294] from the USATE 2005. Black has just played 69...Nf3. I played my only legal move 70.gxf3 when 70...Kf2 forced my resignation. Now take a look at my game...
Jim West Talks Chess: FIDE Rated Game in Fajarowicz
At last month's Dean of Chess Academy TransNet FIDE Invitational, I drew this game against NM Arthur Feuerstein, whose lifetime score against Bobby Fischer is 1 loss and 3 draws. It features the Fajarowicz variation in the Budapest defense. USCF...
Jim West Talks Chess: Double Bishop Sacrifice
Recently I played this game where I sacrificed my bishops to force a winning queen versus rook ending.
Jim West Talks Chess: Alternatives to Alterman
At my Jim West On Chess blog, I have been using Chess Publisher to replay games. But, for several weeks, the account of Chess Publisher has been suspended. The following are three games that are alternatives to GM Boris Alterman's video on the Ph...
Jim West Talks Chess: Larsen's Opening as White
Lately I have been playing Larsen's Opening 1.b3 as White with success. For one thing, it avoids many sharp variations that my opponents may have prepared against 1.e4. Here is a recent example.
Jim West Talks Chess: Larsen's Opening with 4...f5
Against Larsen's Opening 1.b3, I have defended successfully by 1...b6 and 4...f5 with a Dutch Defense formation, as in this game.
Jim West Talks Chess: Exciting Fajarowicz Draw
Recently, I drew this exciting game against a master. It featured the Fajarowicz Variation in the Budapest Defense. I had to avoid some traps. For instance, 19...Nxf2?? loses to the brilliant queen sacrifice 20.Qb4!!. Later, 20...Ne1+? fails t...
Jim West Talks Chess: PCG with 4.Nc3 and 6.Neg5
A critical variation in the Philidor Counter Gambit occurs after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Neg5. Black is in trouble after 6...h6 7.Nf7 Kxf7 8.Nxe5+ or 6...e4 7.Ne5 Nh6 8.Nxe4. So it looks like Black must play 6...exd4, as ...
Jim West Talks Chess: Grand Prix Defense
In 1969, Bobby Fischer played a sharp pawn sacrifice 6...f4 in defending against the English Opening. The same idea with colors reversed became the basis for the Grand Prix Attack against the Sicilian Defense. Recently I achieved a dra...
Jim West Talks Chess: Sicilian Dragon, Soltis Line
Against Andy Soltis's move ...h5 in the Yugoslav Attack, I have enjoyed success with a move order that was introduced by Anatoly Karpov at the Dubai Olympiad in 1986. Here a couple of examples.
Jim West Talks Chess: Valvo's Line in Sozin Attack
In the 1980's, internatonal master Mike Valvo analyzed a sharp line in the Sozin Attack against the Sicilian Najdorf with which he defeated Orest Popovych. I have bested many strong players by following Valvo'...
Jim West Talks Chess: Wild Fajarowicz Draw
Yesterday I played a wild game in the Fajarowicz variation that ended up drawn, but there were winning chances for both players along the way.
Jim West Talks Chess: Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation 6.Bg5
At a recent tournament, knowing that my opponent likes to play the King's Gambit, I tried the Sicilian defense, rather than responding to 1.e4 with my usual 1...e5. What followed was a sharp tactical line in the 6.Bg5 Najdo...
Jim West Talks Chess: Another Fajarowicz Win
In this game featuring the Fajarowicz variation, White wins two pawns in the opening but at a loss in development. After Black sacrifices the exchange, his counterattack is irresistible.
Jim West Talks Chess: Philidor Counter Gambit 4.dxe5
In a recent FIDE-rated event at the Marshall Chess Club, I won the following game with the Philidor Counter Gambit.
Jim West Talks Chess: Sicilian Defense, Sozin Attack
In this sharp variation of the Sozin Attack against the classical Sicilian, White usually castles queenside on move 12. Instead, I experimented with kingside castling. Black should have played 17...cxd5 18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.Bxd5 R...
