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Jim Marfia

Number of games in database: 24
Years covered: 1971 to 1999
Highest rating achieved in database: 2000
Overall record: +11 -9 =4 (54.2%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games.

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A04 Reti Opening (3 games)
C15 French, Winawer (2 games)
A58 Benko Gambit (2 games)


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JIM MARFIA
United States of America

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 page 1 of 1; 24 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. J Marfia vs L Binet Tapaszto  0-142197172nd US OpenB01 Scandinavian
2. R Finegold vs J Marfia  1-030197172nd US OpenA14 English
3. J Brattin vs J Marfia  1-0141974Detroit ch-MI opA45 Queen's Pawn Game
4. J Marfia vs J Berg  1-057197980th US OpenC62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense
5. P O'Neal vs J Marfia  0-150197980th US OpenE81 King's Indian, Samisch
6. J Marfia vs A Slonskis  1-039197980th US OpenA17 English
7. V McCambridge vs J Marfia  1-040197980th US OpenD34 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch
8. J Marfia vs C Blair  1-048197980th US OpenC15 French, Winawer
9. Allen Coffey vs J Marfia  0-142197980th US OpenA04 Reti Opening
10. J Marfia vs Z Gajic  ½-½15197980th US OpenC01 French, Exchange
11. O Kroll vs J Marfia  0-142197980th US OpenD32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch
12. J Marfia vs J Bradford  0-135197980th US OpenC00 French Defense
13. V Pupols vs J Marfia  1-058197980th US OpenA04 Reti Opening
14. J Marfia vs A Mengelis  1-049197980th US OpenB56 Sicilian
15. Joe Silverman vs J Marfia  0-129197980th US OpenB39 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer Variation
16. J Marfia vs P Ruggiero  0-123198182nd US OpenE54 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System
17. J Marfia vs D Gordon  1-032198182nd US OpenE88 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 7.d5 c6
18. T Weinberger vs J Marfia  1-017198384th US OpenA04 Reti Opening
19. I Shtern vs J Marfia  ½-½541988Midwest MastersA57 Benko Gambit
20. J Marfia vs K Wallach  ½-½261988Midwest MastersC15 French, Winawer
21. T Radermacher vs J Marfia  0-1441988Midwest MastersA58 Benko Gambit
22. J Marfia vs R Vandenburg 1-0291991USA corrC27 Vienna Game
23. J Marfia vs D C Taylor  ½-½491997USA Queen corrA58 Benko Gambit
24. A Sirota vs J Marfia  1-0421999CP..P.00001D85 Grunfeld
 page 1 of 1; 24 games  PGN Download 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Marfia wins | Marfia loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-16-09  whiteshark: Recently on ebay:

Botvinnik On The Endgame

by Mikhail Botvinnik

Translated by <Jim Marfia>

Moon Township, Pennsylvania: Chess Enterprises, 1985. Softcover, fine condition. 81 pages, 8 1/4" tall.

no. 390031338420

Feb-16-09  NakoSonorense: You take out the "r", and you'll get one of the most intimidating last names ever.
Feb-16-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: As intimidating as this one:

Gotti

Feb-16-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheAlchemist: <You take out the "r", and you'll get one of the most intimidating last names ever.>

Kind of like Hirtler

Feb-16-09  Jim Bartle: I wouldn't want to meet John Cappon in a dark alley, either.
Dec-19-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: <whiteshark>Recently on ebay:

<whiteshark>
Marfia co-authored with John Watson a book on the 1983 US Open, also published by Chess Enterprises.

Jan-28-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Those of you acquainted with Jim might not know that he was in a serious auto accident in late 2009 which left him in a coma for several months. He is now beginning to emerge from rehab, but still far from resuming full activities.
Mar-28-15  zanzibar: An update from May 2011:

<It was great to see National Master Jim Marfia playing again, as "The Marf" begins to work off the rust after a lengthy post-accident convalescence. Some games from the tournament can be found here:

http://www.westmichiganchess.com/Sh... >

http://www.westmichiganchess.com/re...

Mar-28-15  zanzibar: Maybe not many know that Marfia was the translator of Bronstein's famous Zurich (1953) book (if I'm not mistaken):

https://books.google.com/books?id=s...

Mar-28-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Retireborn: <z> Interesting. My own copy is a Batsford hardback and the translator is Oscar D. Freedman (about whom I know nothing.)

John Watson consider's Najdorf's book to be superior to Bronstein's; I've been meaning to get hold of it.

http://www.theweekinchess.com/john-...

Mar-28-15  zanzibar: Yes, <RB> I've seen others say similar... and not just Watson.

But I remember seeing most of this discussion before the English translation came out.

An excerpt sample is available here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...

There's also an entire supplement of computer analysis of the games provided by Russell Enterprises:

http://russell-enterprises.com/imag...

The translator, Taylor Kingston, provided a public notice of the work here:

http://www.chessbanter.com/rec-game...

Najdorf's original was a two volume set published in 1954.

Mar-28-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Retireborn: Thanks for those links, <z>.

i fear one could spend a lifetime studying games from this tournament alone...!

Mar-28-15  zanzibar: <Retire> yes, sadly true.

(Or should that be gladly true, seeing how enjoyable playing over those games is?)

Here's another example of Marfia's work as a translator, with his signature "The Marf" clearly on display:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/sport-...

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