End of the Line

Well, that is that. New England has been eliminated from the US Chess League by the New York Knights. We had a good run, and my teammates all had very good seasons, but at the end of the day we came up short. To be honest I am not completely sure where I will be living next year, but it definitely won't be anywhere in this area, so yesterday would be my swan song as a Nor'Easter, and possibly though not definitely for the USCL altogether. However, it is not all bad. I played a really interesting game yesterday, a certainly far from perfect affair where I was not better for most of the game, but I managed to win and avenge my loss to the same opponent last year. [EDIT: This game would go on to win game of the week] 

So, that's all she wrote. Maybe it is because I am not a true New Englander, but I believe in good sportsmanship, so I'd like to congratulate New York on a fine match, with GM Charbonneau winning a beautiful game on board 2. And I am glad we managed to keep things civil, as the New England-New York rivalry has been known to produce other outcomes, such as the following (if you are offended by anything un-civil I would advise against watching):

Best of luck to all, in particular the Miami Sharks next week,

GM Sam Shankland