US Chess League, Week 5: Queens Continue Winning Streak
US Chess League week 5 continued on with some heated action. As the season goes on each match and each game becomes increasingly more important. With that said let's take a look at all the chess from this week:
The first match of the week featured the undeated Queens Pioneers against the New York Knights who are off to a rough start. This match had all 4 decisive games with Queens taking 3 of the 4 to win the match with a 3/4 score.
IM Dmitry Schneider
Now lets take a look at the board two matchup where Queens pulled a slight upset with the black pieces:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: GM Stripunsky(QNS) - GM Fedorowicz(NY) , 1-0
Board 2: IM Krush(NY) - IM DSchneider(QNS , 0-1
Board 2: IM Krush(NY) - IM DSchneider(QNS , 0-1
Board 3: IM Vovsha(QNS) - IM Bonin(NY) , 1-0
Board 4: WFM Zenyuk(NY) - Ostrovskiy(QNS) , 1-0
Overall match score: Queens Pioneers - New York Knights , 3-1
The next match was between the Miami Sharks and the Tennessee Tempo. The Miami Sharks had a late lineup change which gave them a penalty on board 3. However, Miami was able to hold a draw on that board so the penalty did not really have much of an impact. The match only had two decisive games with each team splitting the victories to draw the match with a 2-2 score.
NM Eric Rodriguez
Now let's take a look at the board 4 match up which allowed Miami to hold the draw in the match:
Board results from the match:
Board 1: FM Lopez(MIA) - GM Ehlvest(TEN) , 0-1
Board 2: IM Burnett(TEN) - IM Lugo(MIA) , 0.5-0.5
Board 3: FM Perea(MIA) - FM Bereolos(TEN) , 0.5-0.5
Board 4: FM Bick(TEN) - NM Rodriguez(MIA) , 0-1
Overall match score: Miami Sharks - Tennessee Tempo , 2-2
The next match was between the Philadelphia Inventors against the New Jersey Knockouts. As expected New Jersey who outranked their opponents by 91 rating points won the match with a 3-1 score winning the only two decisive games.
GM Boris Gulko
Now let's take a look at veteran GM Gulko and his victory to help carry his team on to a win in the match:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: GM Kudrin(PHI) - GM Benjamin(NJ) , 0.5-0.5
Board 2: GM Gulko(NJ) - IM Smith(PHI) , 1-0
Board 3: IM Costigan(PHI) - IM Ippolito(NJ) , 0.5-0.5
Board 4: Ng(NJ) - NM Wilson(PHI) , 1-0
Overall match score: New Jersey Knockouts - Philadelphia Inventors , 3-1
The next match saw the Baltimore Kingfishers and the Chicago Blaze, both of who strongly needed a match win. The match came down to 1 decisive game which the Chicago Blaze took to win the match at a 2.5-1.5 score.
IM Emory Tate
Now let's take a look at this critical decisive game from the match:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: FM Enkhbat(BAL) - FM felecan(CHC) , 0.5-0.5
Board 2: IM Tate(CHC) - IM Kaufman(BAL) , 1-0
Board 3: FM Kaufman(BAL) - FM Pasalic(CHC) , 0.5-0.5
Board 4: IM Young(CHC) - NM Kahn(BAL) , 0.5-0.5
Overall match score: Chicago Blaze - Baltimore Kingfishers , 2.5-1.5
The next match featured two teams which can always be considered playoff contenders, the San Francisco Mechanics and the Boston Blitz. This match saw two decisive battle on the top two boards where Boston took both of these games to win the match with a 3-1 score.
GM Larry Christiansen
Now let's take a look at the board 1 matchup where it amazingly was decided by a time forfeit:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: IM Bhat(SF) - GM Christiansen(BOS) , 0-1
Board 2: NM Sammour-Hasbun(BOS) - IM Pruess(SF) , 1-0
Board 3: NM Shankland(SF) - NM Esserman(BOS) , 0.5-0.5
Board 4: NM Krasik(BOS) - FM Naroditsky(SF) , 0.5-0.5
Overall match score: Boston Blitz - San Francisco Mechanics , 3-1
The next match was between the Seattle Sluggers and the defending champions Dallas Destiny. This match was split 2-2 when the top two boards were drawn and then boards 3 and 4 had decisive games with one for each team.
NM Michael Lee
Now let's take a look at a game from Seattle's young superstar:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: GM Serper(SEA) - IM Zivanic(DAL) , 0.5-0.5
Board 2: IM Boskovic(DAL) - FM Mikhailuk(SEA) , 0.5-0.5
Board 3: FM Readey(SEA) - IM Bartholomew(DAL) , 0-1
Board 4: WFM Vazirova(DAL) - NM Lee(SEA) , 0-1
Overall match score: Seattle Sluggers - Dallas Destiny , 2-2
The final match of week 5 was between the Arizona Scorpions and the Carolina Cobras both of whom are 2-2 after 4 weeks. And ironically this match was drawn 2-2 after two draws and two decisive games which were split by the teams. So both teams continue on an equal standing after 5 weeks.
NM Warren Harper
Now let's take a look at the decisive game for the Arizona Scorpions to hold a draw in the match:
Board results from this match:
Board 1: IM Altounian(ARZ) - IM Milman(CAR) , 0.5-0.5
Board 2: FM Zaikov(CAR) - IM Ginsburg(ARZ) , 1-0
Board 3: FM Adamson(ARZ) - FM Simpson(CAR) , 0.5-0.5
Board 4; NM Jones(CAR) - NM Harper(ARZ) , 0-1
Overall match score: Arizona Scorpions - Carolina Cobras , 2-2
League Standings:
Eastern Division:
1) Queens (5/5)
2) New Jersey (3.5/5)
3) Boston (3/5)
4) Carolina (2.5/5)
5-7) Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York (1/5)
Western Division:
1-2) Dallas, San Francisco (3.5/5)
3-6) Miami, Chicago, Arizona, Seattle (2.5/5)
7) Tennessee (1/5)
For more information on the US Chess League you can visit the official website at www.uschessleague.com
