The Blaze Ignite

Chicago finally gets on the board with a 2.5-1.5 victory over Tennessee


Photos: Daniel Parmet

It’s good to win. That was the sentiment at the Holiday Inn Skokie last night as the Chicago Blaze finally posted their first victory of the 2009 season, beating the Tennessee Tempo 2.5-1.5 and breaking a five-match losing streak that extended to the end of last season.

As might be expected, it was the ever-reliable IM Angelo Young, still undefeated in USCL play, who hit the Volunteer State crew first, with a victory over FM Todd Andrews to spur his teammates and even the score, after FM Florin Felecan, with the Black pieces and a near-impossible match-up against Jaan Ehlvest on Board 1, had fallen to his super-GM opponent.

That left IM Mehmed Pasalic on Board 3, and NM Jon Burgess, Board 4, with the burden of determining the outcome of the match. Both games looked iffy, and a somber mood momentarily descended on the venue until both players rallied, Mehmed to victory over FM Peter Bereolos and Jon to hold FM John Bick to a draw.

Here are the games:

1. GM Jaan Ehlvest (TEN) vs FM Florin Felecan (CHC) 1-0

2. IM Angelo Young (CHC) vs FM Todd Andrews (TEN) 1-0

3. FM Peter Bereolos (TEN) vs IM Mehmed Pasalic (CHC) 0-1

4. NM Jon Burgess (CHC) vs FM John Bick (TEN) 1/2-1/2

Tennessee was one of the weaker teams in the league last year, but with Ehlvest and former U.S. Champion GM Alexander Shabalov now playing for the Nashville cats, they started this season strong and, as the USCL site put it, look like “a different team” this year. Last night’s match was their first defeat of the season. It came harder, and is in some ways more satisfying, than the two Blaze victories over the Tempo last year.

Special thanks to Larry Cohen, who served as our Celebrity Tournament Director for the evening’s match. Kudos also to Blaze Assistant Manager Daniel Parmet, who ran the match superbly in the absence of Manager Glenn Panner.

It’s a short week, and there won’t be much time to celebrate. We come back and play the mighty San Francisco Mechanics on Monday. Tune in to the Internet Chess Club, or watch the live coverage by Chicago’s Midway Chess Club.

Blaze Slip Past Tennessee

We beat the Tempo, just not as resoundingly as last time

Ilan Meerovich (above) made a triumphant return to the Blaze lineup. IM Jan Van De Mortel (below) beat FM Todd Andrews for the second time this year.

It was a different kind of match from the last time the two teams met, but the result that mattered was the same, as the Chicago Blaze defeated the Tennessee Tempo last night for the second time this season.

The Tempo, which had definitely retooled since the 4-0 drubbing they took at the hands of the Blaze in Week 3, this time inflicted some damage in the match, which ended 2.5-1.5 in Chicago’s favor.

Meerovich Returns
The evening saw the triumphant return to the Blaze lineup of Niles North High School chess star Ilan Meerovich, who beat FM Jerry Wheeler on Board 4, giving Ilan a 2-0 record on the season.

The other Blaze victory came from IM Jan Van De Mortel, who beat the Tempo’s FM Todd Andrews, just as he had in the first match. This time, however, Tennessee got in some licks. IM Ron Burnett avenged his earlier loss to Chicago’s GM Nikola Mitkov by beating him this time on Board 1; and FM Peter Bereolos, who lost to IM Angelo Young in the team’s previous encounter, this time managed to eke out a draw against IM-elect Mehmed Pasalic.

Playoff Picture Improves
The victory gives the Blaze a 4-3 record in seven matches and lifts the team over the .500 mark for the first time in its young history. It certainly boosts our playoff chances with three weeks left in the regular season, though just how much it helps will become clearer after the rest of the leagues plays on Wednesday night. More on this later.

Many thanks to Tom Sprandel of the Evanston Chess Club, who served as tournament director for last night’s match. Here are the games, by board number:

1. IM Ron Burnett (TEN) vs GM Nikola Mitkov (CHC) 1-0
2. IM Jan van de Mortel (CHC) vs FM Todd Andrews (TEN) 1-0
3. FM Peter Bereolos (TEN) vs Mehmed Pasalic (CHC) 1/2-1/2
4. Ilan Meerovich (CHC) vs FM Jerry Wheeler (TEN) 1-0

The Snake, Coiled and Waiting

For the first time in the illustrious three-week history of the Chicago Blaze, we have a tie for the honor of the Blaze Game of the Week. Our distinguished panel of judges agrees that IM Jan Van De Mortel’s victory over FM Todd Andrews with the Sicilian Dragon should share honors with this game by IM Angelo Young.

I had the privilege of being in the car last Wednesday night after the game, when IM Emory Tate, who wasn’t playing that night but had come to cheer his team, characterized IM Angelo’s style of play. As Angelo mentions here, Emory said Angelo is like a snake: he sits lying in wait, camouflaged, as it were. By the time his opponent realizes he’s a snake, it’s too late: he’s set his trap and is ready to strike.

Here’s Angelo’s game, annotated by him personally. He dedicates the game to all Chicago Blaze Fans.

M Young, A. - FM Bereolos, P [E67]USCL CHI- TEN Chicago USA, 2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3
King's Indian (g3 System)

3...Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. c4 d6 6. 0-0 Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5
All book.

8.e3
This is not the first time I used this line. Solid and good for the team play.

8...c6 9.Qc2 Qe7 10.b3 Ne8? 11.Ba3 f5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nd4!

Quiet and effective.

13...Bd7 14.Rad1 Rd8 15.Rfe1
After the game IM Tate mentioned comparing my play to a snake, waiting to strike anytime, and when the venom is injected it will paralyze the victim.

15...Bc8 16.f4
The first strike!

16...Nf7
Noticed black pieces.

17.e4 fxe4 18.Nxe4 Qc7 19.Kh1 Qa5 20.Bb2 Nc7 21.Bc3 Qh5 22.Nxc6!!
A very deep move considering I don't have much time to think as I have to see the end when I played this move.


22...bxc6 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.Qc3+ Kh6
Only move! bad was [24...Kg8 25.Nf6+]

25.Nf6
The root of the combination.

25...Qc5 26.g4 g5 27.Ne4!

Brutal! After the game IM Tate said people watching from all over the world and there is no need to play this fancy but brilliant move although the move stops Bg4 when Ne4 is already enough to win. Maybe with Nd7!! it can be considered a brilliant game.

27...Bxg4 28.Qf6+ Kh5 29.Nxc5 Bxd1 30.Rxd1 Nd5 31.Bxd5
Black resigned, not waiting for Ne6, Bf3+, Bf7+. 1-0

Play through the whole game:

photo: Sevan Muradian

The Blaze Sweep Tennessee

Windy City woodpushers get on the board with blowout against the Tempo

When Ron Burnett’s flag fell at about 11:00 last night, the din that went up in Patios A/B at the Holiday Inn Skokie was deafening. Despite the hurt it put on my ears, however, I was neither surprised nor irritated by the applause—from players, fans, managers, even the players’ parents—because it signaled that GM Nikola Mitkov, playing in his first game for the Chicago Blaze, had beaten IM Burnett of the Tennessee Tempo on the first board of this week’s U.S. Chess League match.

Of course, it meant much more than that. As the last game of the night to end, it meant not only that the Blaze had won the first match in the team’s brief history, but that they had done it in stunning fashion, sweeping all games against the Tempo to finish 4-0 on the night. It was the first sweep in the league this season.

Look at all those ones in the Blaze colunm

Moments before Nikola’s game ended, the Tempo’s John Bick resigned his game against Adam Strunk of the Blaze, in a hard-fought game that represented the most challenging matchup of the night for a Chicago player as measured by ratings difference. Earlier, the old pros, IMs Jan Van De Mortel and Angelo Young, disposed of their opponents, both in very exciting games. Here are the games. The Blaze players are in bold:

GM Nikola Mitkov vs. IM Ron Burnett 1-0

FM Todd Andrews vs. IM Jan Van De Mortel 0-1

IM Angelo Young vs. FM Peter Bereolos 1-0

FM John Bick vs. Adam Strunk 0-1

Which game to choose as Blaze Game of the Week? Tough call. What do you think?

It was an exciting night, and it means that the Blaze have arrived and demonstrated that they belong in the USCL. We’ll try to have details and analysis in the next couple of days, but there’s not much time to celebrate: the Blaze have a short week and face the Seattle Sluggers on Monday night.

Once again: thanks to Betsy Dynako for first-rate tournament direction.