Win one for the Gimper! CON vs BOS

 (Beat Reporter:  Mark LaRocca)

The Blitz move into their week 8 match with the Connecticut Dreadnoughts  with the season and their pride on the line.  Connecticut can virtually rap up a playoff spot with a win…  the Blitz need a win to get back in the race.  But, can they do it?  CON fields a very strong two GM lineup in this match and the Blitz have been weak at top board all year… a  fact we can’t deny…. just look at the stats…

All this doesn’t bode well for a turnaround in week 8.  So, I am counting on pride… yes, an intangible… Yet, you can’t make  chicken salad out of chicken @#$%^&…. unless… you are inspired… that’s it… the Blitz need something to play for… or someone. 

Now, I have been hobbling around on a bad ankle tendon all season… and last match, while carrying PC, chess set, and camera back to my car… and weeping uncontrollably over the result… I re-injured my ankle.   And all I ask in return… is a win this week over Connecticut...   one win for ol’ Gimpy.  If that don’t inspire them, nothing will.

And here is how we can get it done…

Marc has had a miserable season… and he s facing one of the top GMs in the country, Black against GM Hess.  However, given such inspiration, I expect a fighting Najdorf… I, ol’ Gimpy, expect him to have chances to win… and take a draw for the team.

Denys is playing WHITE! (unbelievable!) against GM Michael Rhode….  Having had 5 Blacks in a row… this should be like trying to bench press 250 lbs… and then switching to 80 lbs..   and with my ol’ Gimpy added incentive… let’s go with… Hmmmm!... the better side of a draw… 1.d4 d5…. Slav?

Vadim will have Black agains IM Bonin.  For some reason, everyone in the league seems to play 1.e4… against Vadim… you really need to go back to 2010 to find a d4 opening. And IM Bonin, might do the same… however, I expect 1.d4… and maybe a Tarrasch?

But, there I go using my ESP again… and that failed miserably last week.  A fighting draw… is my prediction.

That leaves the whole match and, really, the whole season in the capable hands of Ilya, win-the-exchange-and-draw, Krasik….  this time…. Ilya will win the exchange and win… after all, he’s had enough practice. Playing Black (Oops... White) against expert Zachary Tanenbaum...  Let’s say 1 e4 c5 (correction... 1.d4 d5) and some form of e6 Sicilian (make that a Slav!)…  It’s all up to you, Ilya!  And who better to trust withthe fate of the free world than the manager of the Boston Blitz.

There you have it… Blitz win  (2.5 – 1.5)… in no small part due to their fine inspiration.

And  You!  You Blitz fans…. Need to come to this match.  Who knows, they may need more than just my Gimpy ankle to inspire them.  

Be there!.... Tuesday 7:20pm, Harvard Soch, 59 Shepard st, Cambridge MA.

I’ll be a little late… I have to walk slowly these days… my ankle is killing me.  Go Blitz!!