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The College of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and Saint Louis College (SLU) each gained their quarterfinal playoff matches within the 2023 Collegiate Chess League (CCL) fall season on Saturday by hefty margins, owing to standout performances by GM-elect Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, in addition to GMs Benjamin Bok and Robby Kevlishvili.
UTRGV overcame a GM Nicholas Checa-led Yale College group by a margin of 12-4 whereas SLU scored half a degree higher in opposition to Columbia College (CU).
The highest 4 groups within the competitors will play for a grand ultimate spot and a shot on the $5,000 first place prize on November 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET / 19:00 CET / 11.30 p.m. IST.
Following the seven-week single round-robin that decided the highest six finalists in division one, the highest two groups—The College of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) and the College of Missouri (Mizzou)—acquired a relaxation week because the remaining 4 duked it out for a semifinals spot.
With all 4 groups fielding full-strength lineups, SLU’s group regarded the surest on paper to verify their qualification. Benefitting from Bok’s return, the powerhouse group had 4 GMs on their squad on Saturday in comparison with CU’s one (GM Brandon Jacobson).
UTRGV 12 – 4 Yale
UTRGV’s group is essentially the most balanced on paper within the CCL this season and with solely 70 ranking factors separating their boards one and 4, each member is a harmful one.
Yale, alternatively, is spearheaded by Checa on board one and has NMs Linden Lee and Siddharth Arun flanking the harmful Maxim Yaskolko on board three.
A 2-2 draw out of the gates transpired between the 2 groups and, notably, it was a 4-0 sweep for the black items. IM Gleb Dudin‘s victory over Yaskolko was maybe essentially the most spectacular as he carved a gap in his opponent’s kingside in a Sicilian Protection: Najdorf Variation.
Our Recreation of the Day has been annotated by GM Rafael Leitao.
Spherical two is the place the match opened up, and a 4-0 demolition by UTRGV positioned Yale on the cusp of elimination. Even Yale’s board-one Checa, who possesses a FIDE ranking of 2517, was dispatched by IM Jakub Fus after making an attempt to arrange an endgame fortress.
The highest scorer for UTRGV, although, was Rodrigue-Lemieux, who registered a 3.5/4 rating on Saturday. As one of many standouts for his group within the round-robin stage (9/12), the Canadian was capable of outplay every of his opponents within the quarterfinals and information his group to victory.
Twin 3-1 wins within the third and fourth rounds secured UTRGV’s spot within the semifinals the place they’ll face UT Dallas in a state derby.
SLU 12.5 – 3.5 CU
Hoping to neglect their round-seven drubbing by the hands of Mizzou, SLU began cautiously and gained their opening spherical by a rating of two.5-1.5.
In ominous indicators, SLU’s GM Nikolas Theodorou was shockingly upset by the untitled Ze Wang, who walked his a-pawn up the board and punished his opponent for taking a laissez-faire method to the sport.
CU’s board two, FM Aristo Liu, has performed an essential position in his college’s group all through the season; nonetheless, within the quarterfinals, he skilled the total pressure of SLU’s lineup and misplaced every of his video games.
In spherical two, it was GM Batsuren Dambasuren who dished out a stark reminder of why SLU is among the favorites to win the entire event.
Having scored 3.5-0.5 on this spherical, SLU discovered themselves firmly within the field seat with a 6-2 margin and saved the momentum rolling into spherical three. A 3-1 rating consisting of two wins and two attracts was sufficient to get the job performed for SLU, and sadly Jacobson was unable to crack Bok and mount a comeback after successful an trade for a pawn.
Flexing their borderline impervious squad, SLU rubbed salt into the injuries of CU’s group within the ultimate spherical, notching a 3.5-0.5 rating with solely Jacobson capable of maintain out Theodorou. For SLU, the 12.5-3.5 end result was a welcome return to the shape that had seen them ascend to the highest of the competitors standings early within the season.
Bok holds his group to a excessive commonplace: “We should play higher subsequent week.”
Their best check but, although, will are available subsequent week’s semifinals, the place a rematch with Mizzou will finally decide their destiny within the competitors.
Apparently, each semifinal matchups within the CCL will see groups from the identical states (Texas and Missouri) play in opposition to one another which means {that a} Texas-Missouri grand ultimate is assured.
Video games from the CCL quarterfinals will be discovered right here.
The CCL is the world’s premier on-line chess competitors for school college students and this season, it’s a group occasion that contains a $25,000 prize fund because of event sponsor SIG. With 5+2 video games making up the majority of the season, anticipate to see loads of pleasure on the board.
Earlier experiences:
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