US Chess League Standings
The United States Chess League is entering its final week of regular season matches. The league is split into 2 divisions of 10 teams, with 6 teams in each division qualifying for the postseason / playoff matches. As we enter week 10 (of 10), nine out of the ten teams in both divisions are still in the hunt for those six playoff spots, keeping things exciting until the last minute.
The tiebreak system is: 1. Match points 2. Game Points 3. Average Opponent Rating by August USCF ratings 4. Head to Head result
The top six teams from each the Eastern and Western divisions qualify for the playoff matches.
Playoff Structure
Wildcard Round - both divisions
- 1st and 2nd seeds receive a bye
- 3rd seed vs 6th seed, 3rd seed receives draw odds AND color choice
- 4th seed vs 5th seed, 4th seed receives draw odds OR color choice
- 1st seed vs lower seeded Wildcard winner, 1st seed receives draw odds AND color choice
- 2nd seed vs higher seeded Wildcard winner, 2nd seed receives draw odds
- The 2 winners of the above Quarterfinal matches play each other, higher seed receives draw odds
- Eastern Division Semifinal winner vs Western Division Semifinal winner. The team with the better regular season record gets color choice. Drawn match = blitz tiebreaker.
Eastern Division Standings
| Team | Match Points | Game Points | Opp Avg | Week 10 / Playoff Situation |
| New York Knights | 6.5/9 | 21.5/36 | 2364 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win = guaranteed at least 2nd place. |
| New England Nor'easters | 6.5 | 21.0 | 2379 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win = guaranteed at least 2nd place. |
| Manhattan Applesauce | 6.5 | 21.0 | 2365 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win = guaranteed at least 2nd place. |
| New Jersey Knockouts | 6.0 | 22.5 | 2379 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win or draw = guaranteed at least 3rd place. Match loss = 4th place. |
| Connecticut Dreadnoughts | 4.5 | 18.0 | 2383 | Playoff berth unless Connecticut loses 0-4 AND Atlanta wins 4-0. Week 10 win or draw = 5th place. |
| Boston Blitz | 3.5 | 17.0 | 2392 | Week 10 win = playoff berth. A draw or loss would eliminate them if Atlanta wins. |
| Atlanta Kings | 3.5 | 14.0 | 2388 | Must outscore Boston in Week 10 match points for 6th place (i.e. win and hope that Boston does not win, game points are not relevant) |
| Philadelphia Inventors | 3.0 | 18.5 | 2387 | Must outscore Boston and Atlanta in Week 10 match points. Automatically eliminated if Boston OR Atlanta win |
| Carolina Cobras | 3.0 | 14.5 | 2388 | Must win and hope that Boston and Philadelphia lose. Automatically eliminated if Boston wins, Atlanta wins or draws, or Philadelphia wins or draws. |
| Miami Sharks | 2.0 | 12.0 | 2402 | Eliminated from playoff contention |
Tuesday 10/27 Matches - Eastern Division - 7pm EST
New Jersey - Philadelphia A win or draw for New Jersey guarantees them at least 3rd place in the Eastern Division leading to the playoffs. A Philadelphia win means New Jersey will clinch in 4th place. Philadelphia is automatically eliminated if Boston OR Atlanta win.
Carolina - Atlanta Atlanta must outscore Boston in Week 10 match points to clinch 6th place (i.e. win and hope that Boston does not win). Carolina must win and hope that Boston and Philadelphia lose. Carolina is automatically eliminated if Boston wins, Atlanta wins or draws, or Philadelphia wins or draws.
New England - Boston A win for New England guarantees them at least 2nd place and a bye in the first week of the playoffs. A win for Boston guarantees them a playoff berth, while a draw or loss would eliminate them if Atlanta wins.
New York - Manhattan A win for either team guarantees that team at least 2nd place and a bye in the first week of the playoffs
Miami - Connecticut Unless Connecticut loses 0/4, they are guaranteed playoff berth. A win or draw for Connecticut clinches them 5th place. Miami cannot make the playoffs under any circumstances.
Western Division Standings
| Team | Match Points | Game Points | Opp Avg | Week 10 / Playoff Situation |
| Dallas Destiny | 6.0/9 | 22.0/36 | 2404 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win or draw = guaranteed first place in Western Division. |
| St. Louis Archbishops | 6.0 | 21.0 | 2409 | Guaranteed playoff berth. Week 10 win = guaranteed first place. Week 10 draw = second place unless Las Vegas scores 4/4 over San Diego |
| Las Vegas Desert Rats | 5.5 | 19.5 | 2400 | Guaranteed playoff berth. 4/4 win over San Diego clinches second place. |
| San Francisco Mechanics | 5.0 | 17.0 | 2399 | Win or draw clinches playoff berth. Some chances of clinching playoff berth with a loss if they are not passed by three lower teams. |
| Seattle Sluggers | 4.5 | 19.0 | 2406 | Win or draw clinches playoff berth. |
| Arizona Scorpions | 4.5 | 18.5 | 2405 | Win clinches playoff berth. Draw allows slim chances of being eliminated. |
| Lubbock Tornadoes | 4.0 | 18.0 | 2384 | Win clinches playoff berth. |
| Rio Grande Ospreys | 4.0 | 16.5 | 2388 | Must win by a large margin, and hope Lubbock loses, and Seattle draws Arizona for Rio Grande to clinch 6th place. |
| Minnesota Blizzard | 3.5 | 14.5 | 2394 | Not mathematically eliminated, but must win by a large margin and hope for many specific results for a chance at 6th place. |
| San Diego Surfers | 2.0 | 14.0 | 2401 | Eliminated from playoff contention. Guaranteed last place in Western Division |
Wednesday 10/28 Matches - Western Division - 8pm EST
Minnesota - Lubbock A win for Lubbock clinches playoff berth. Minnesota must win by a large margin for any chances of making 6th place.
Dallas - St. Louis If either team wins, they will clinch first place in the Western division. A draw would mean Dallas would clinch first place, and St. Louis would get second place unless Las Vegas scores 4/4 over San Diego.
San Francisco - Rio Grande A win or draw for San Francisco clinches them playoff berth. San Francisco retains some chancees of a playoff berth even if they lose, as long as they are not passed by three of the teams trailing them. Rio Grande must win by a large margin, and hope Lubbock losess, and Seattle draws Arizona for Rio Grande to clinch 6th place.
Arizona - Seattle A Seattle win or draw clinches them playoff berth. An Arizona win clinches playoff berth, and a draw allows slim chances of eliminating Arizona.
Las Vegas - San Diego If Las Vegas wins 4/4, they clinch second place. San Diego cannot make the playoffs or improve from 10th place under any circumstances
See uschessleague.com for more details. Week 10 matches are Tuesday 10/27 and Wednesday 10/28 on ICC.
Grant Oen
Manager, Atlanta Kings
