The beginning of the event, as usual, looked very good for the Pawngrabbers as they went 3 - 1 against the London Lions and immediately placed high in the rankings. Unfortunately, the following games all yielded diminishing returns for the Pawngrabbers, and the team didn't score enough points against the Miami Champions in the last round when the moment of truth came.

The team had this to say:

Unfortunately, couldn't get it done. We fall 1.5-2.5 in our #PROChessLeague finale against @Miami_Champions and unfortunately looks like we'll be relegated. #PROChess

— Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers (@pghpawngrabbers) March 12, 2019

It's been a hard fought season for the Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers, but as the team places 7th in the third Battle Royale, the team's 7th place overall finish cements it inside the relegation zone. 

Match Highlights

In these 28 games, the one that stood out among the rest is the rematch between GM Sergey Erenburg and GM Sergei Azarov. In the Pawngrabbers' match against the New York Marshalls, GM Erenburg lost to GM Azarov in their game. The game below shows just how much GM Erenburg has improved since then.

On move 26, GM Erenburg successfully trapped his opponent's queen, and on move 33, 7 moves later, GM Azarov resigned. To defeat a grandmaster in such a dominating fashion is a feat anyone can be proud of, but to defeat an opponent who beat you in an earlier event exemplifies GM Erenburg's hard work and determination. 

Going Forward

Sadly, despite some amazing performances from their talented pool of players, the Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers fell into the relegation zone of the Atlantic Division. With no more events in the regular season, the Pawngrabbers will be relegated at the end of the 2019 season. This doesn't, however, mean that the Pawngrabbers are gone from the PRO Chess League. During the coming Fall, the Pawngrabbers will have an opportunity to re-qualify for the League.

Don't miss the Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers as they climb their way up to the summit!