Knights Win USCL Championship

In “stunning reversal of fortune,” losers are heroes in tiebreaks

Congratulations to the New York Knights, who have defeated the Miami Sharks to win the 2009 U.S. Chess League Championship. Last night's regulation match ended in a draw. As the USCL site reports:

“For the fourth year in a row the USCL Finals came down to a blitz tiebreaker. Two players lost during regulation, GM Giorgi Kacheishvili and IM Alejandro Moreno Roman. In a stunning reversal of fortune, both of these players were heros in the blitz tiebreaker. Moreno Roman knocked off everyone on New York's team except for Kacheishvili. Kacheishvili then turned around and did the exact same thing to Miami, finishing things off by defeating GM Julio Becerra with the black pieces.”

We have been remiss, I must admit, here at the Chicago Blaze blog, at covering the fairly exciting post-season action in the USCL, and as it happens I don't have time to redress that neglect at the moment with a lengthy post (all the usual excuses), but go to the USCL site to see all the playoff games.

In due course we'll try to bring Blaze fans up to speed on the thrilling 2009 USCL postseason.

It’s Over

We have one more match to go this season, but our playoff hopes have been dashed

Note to those perennial optimists among you who were sure the Chicago Blaze would come from behind in the Western Division playoff race to clinch a postseason berth at the last minute, then go on a three-match November winning streak against the best teams in the league and emerge as the 2009 USCL champions: wake up and watch the flag fall. It’s not gonna happen.

Last night the Miami Sharks played to a draw against Boston, clinching the division’s fourth playoff spot and mathematically eliminating the Blaze. And as you know, math rules. This morning Blaze assistant manager Brad Rosen spoke for all Blaze fans—nay, for all residents of Chicago and citizens of the great state of Illinois—when he said, as we so often do here in the Windy City, “Wait till next year.”

In other news, the seemingly invincible Seattle Sluggers, whom we play next week, lost their first match of the season last night to the Arizona Scorpions. What effect if any this will have on Seattle’s attitude, state of preparedness, or lineup for next week I leave it to you to speculate. (Hint: That’s why blogs have comment threads—so I don’t be talking to myself all the time out here.)

In yet other news, here’s how the New Jersey Knockouts lorded it over the Inventors in the run up to their second victory against Philadelphia this year. (The first time, you’ll recall, the KOs infringed on their opponents’ patents, or something like that, after, of course, kicking the Carolina Cobras’ asp.)


What do you think of this? I can’t decide. Please vote in our poll to the right.

Miami Puts the Shark Bite on the Blaze

But IM Young comes through again

Angelo Young always shows up.

As any Blaze fan will tell you, the popular international master and seven-time Illinois champion plays hard and always gives the team 100 percent. True to his reputation and record, Angelo came through again last night, posting an impressive victory with the Reti/King’s Indian Attack against NM Eric Rodriguez of the Miami Sharks to give the Blaze a lift and maintain his undefeated record in USCL play.

That, however, was the good news, and unfortunately, there wasn't anymore of it, as Angelo’s teammates, GM Nikola Mitkov, IM Jan van DeMortel, and expert Trevor Magness each fell to their Miami opponents. The Sharks won the match 3-1, handing the Blaze their second consecutive defeat of the new season and leaving us with an 0-2 record heading into the third week of the ten-week season.

Here are the games.

Board 1. GM Nikola Mitkov (CHC) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1

Board 2. FM Bruci Lopez (MIA) vs IM Jan van de Mortel (CHC) 1-0

Board 3. IM Angelo Young (CHC) vs NM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 1-0

Board 4. Miguel Recio (MIA) vs Trevor Magness (CHC) 1-0

Special thanks to Mike Cardinale of the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago, who served as our celebrity tournament director for the evening. Mike will be back with us again later in the season.

Next up, the Tennessee Tempo:

Week 3:
Wednesday, September 16th
Tennessee Tempo vs Chicago Blaze
7:00 PM Central Time