2010 SPICE Cup

     Hello everyone.  As some of you are aware, the 2010 Spice Cup FIDE Rated Open will be starting Thursday, October 28th, and runs through Sunday, November 7th.  Many of the American players in this event are also players in the U.S.C.L.  Also, a few of these players are also members of this group!  Below is a link that will take you to the official site.  In the second post of this thread will be the league players to keep an eye on as they compete in the event!

In the A Group, we have the following U.S.C.L. player:

  GM Eugene Perelshteyn     Boston Blitz

  2528  (Winner of the 2007 SPICE Cup)

In the B Group, we have the following U.S.C.L. players:

  GM Ben Finegold              St. Louis Arch Bishops

  2534 (Co-champion of the 2009 SPICE Cup B Group)

  IM Irina Krush                   New York Knights

  2490 (2010 U.S. Women's Champion)

  IM Bryan Smith                 Philadelphia Inventors

  2478

  IM Dean Ippolito               New Jersey Knockouts

  2469

  IM Danny Rensch              Arizona Scorpions

  2404

If I have added anyone incorrectly, please let me know.  Likewise, if I missed someone, please let me know this as well.  I will keep everyone updated as best as I can; feel free to click the link in post #1 and check out the action!  We wish all players a safe trip, fun, and success at the tournament! 

i have got the third post for my personal use

SPICE Cup Pairings

B Group

Thursday, October 28 2pm Round 1
Krush - Smith
Diamant - Finegold
Kuljasevic - Bykhovsky
Yang - Antal
Rensch - Ippolito

A Group

Thursday, October 28 2pm- Round 1
Robson - Meier
Almasi - Perelshteyn
So - Onischuk

Most of the players are already in Lubbock or will be shortly. Finegold will arrive before the Opening Ceremony since he has an event in St. Louis today (I wonder what event that is?  ).

   LOL  I'm gonna try to cover this event if I feel good enough and up to it. I'll post the results in the main forums and if you guys want me too..here as well 

   -Mark

I am heading out for a bit, but I did notice that the A Group games are live if anyone wants to take a look at them on the site linked to in post #1.  This section is easy to cheer for, as there is only one league player in it!  Go Perelshteyn!  

   I'm watching the games on Fritz now William and I'm going to post the results in the general forums if anyone is interested. I'm not feeling too well because of a stomach bug for the past few days so we'll see what happens.

   -Mark

   EDIT: Fritz 12/playchess.com is not showing Group B games, only Group A, so there is no way of knowing how Danny is doing unless we look at the official site, so I can't get the live games/PGNs 

where can we find these games?  too bad they don't show group b, i've played and analyzed with 3 of the players in the b group quite a few times indeedy so i was reeeallly curious how they would do.  hope chess.com does coverage on its livestream tv one of these days - its the strongest invitational tournament ever in the US.

  IM Danny Rensch                          IM Dean Ippolito

  GM Andre Diamant                    GM Ben Finegold

  GM Davorin Kuljasevic       GM Anatoly Bykhovsky

  IM Irina Krush                             IM Bryan Smith

No PGN for this game yet, that I could find.  I will post it when I can.  I know the game scored 1/2 - 1/2.

  GM Zoltan Almasi               GM Eugene Perelshteyn

TRIVIA TIME!  In post #11, I included the game:  GM Davorin Kuljasevic vs. GM Anatoly Bykhovsky.  Does anyone have a guess as to why? 

   LOL It looks like we got two threads for this going. Good job William! I'm doing double duty with this and Nanjing lol. It's getting a little nutsy but it's fun. Whatever I don't get I know you will 

   -Mark

Oh no worries Mark, I figured you had this covered.  I will only be looking at the games that connect to the group in one way or another.  If you can, make a link to your thread, so that everyone can get that coverage along with the link to the site I posted in #1!

   You got it William!!Well, it'll only be for Round 1 but I'll post the thread link now.

   Ok, here is the link for my Round 1 groups A and B coverage:

Round 1 Group A

Round 1 Group B

   -Mark

EDIT: I posted on the Polgar blog asking for the other two PGNs, hopefully they will put them up so we'll be able to as well

All rounds will have their own threads like I always do

EDIT #2: No PGNs from those two games 

Still no guesses for the TRIVIA! from post #14?  I will give it a few more hours, then give a hint. 

Hint #1:  Obviously, this event is being held in Texas.  Is there a tie in between the state of Texas and the league?  That should put everyone on the right track. 

   All the games of Round 2(Groups A&B) are being shown on Fritz today, so we should have a complete report.

   William..I need to think about this one 

   -Mark

EDIT: I'm going to make ONE thread of the SPICE Cup Results, just posting ALL the games in one thread. Makes it easier for me to report everything LOL