Playoffs?! Don’t talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me? Playoffs?! I’m just hoping we can win a game, another game!”

Jim Mora seemed to be talking about the Arizona Scorpions this week. Luckily for them, much attention was diverted to Julio Becerra’s 12 move miniature over US Champ Hikaru Nakamura. However, there was a quarterfinal match between the San Francisco Mechanics and Arizona Scorpions going on too. To be realistic, AZ got demolished, though the beginning of some games must have affected how players proceeded in their games. Robby was forced to play risky for team purposes, while Leo turned down a repitition for team purposes. GM Handi played to a pretty solid draw (he did look a bit better after the opening). Danny Rensch achieved a lost position early on, fought back, and eventually through away a win. Robby received a better position with superior minor piece development, but FM Naroditsky capitalized on the opportunity. Leo Martinez looked solid, even better, before Liou stole a pawn and then the game. Let’s take a closer peak at the action…

Board 1: GM Handi vs. GM Wolff  http://www.uschessleague.com/games/aramirezwolff09.htm

Wolff seemed well prepared, quickly rattling off the opening. Handi had a nice space and two bishops advantage. After Handi overstepped with 17. d5, Wolff temporarily won a pawn (albeit a doubled one) and remained about equal the rest of the way. 17. Rc1 was a certain improvement for white, with a better game. As it was, Wolff played well and easily secured a draw with the black pieces against a strong GM in Ramirez.

½-½

Board 2: GM Bhat vs. IM-Elect Rensch  http://www.uschessleague.com/games/bhatrensch09.htm

It is quite common for a player to have a bad game soon after receiving a title. Danny Rensch proved to be no exception. It is hard to imagine any bigger of a disaster than what happened during this game. The game began as a rather typical Queen’s Indian. While I am not too familiar with this opening, I am fairly certain 8…c6 is the norm, whereas white sacrifices a pawn for a superior position. Great fighting chances, really. 14…Bg5 is the real culprit, as before this white was better, but still a long fight ahead. Trading the dark squared bishops did black absolutely no favors. 18. Qc3 was another winning move, as after Re7 19. Qxe5 Rxe5 20. f4 Re7 21. Nd6 Bc8 22. e4 +-

However, Rensch continued to fight in the game, and eventually even achieved a won game.  Some lines I have thought over (if anyone is using a computer, feel free to correct my analysis)..

47. g5 Kd4 48. Bg2 c3+ 49. bxc3bxc3+ 50. Kd1Ke5 51. Bf1d2 52. Bg2 +-

*After 47. b3, fans claimed Kd4 is winning for black – here is what I believe draws (again, anyone with computer analysis, feel free to ..

47. b3 Kd4 48. bxc4???? b3 0-1

BUT 48. Bg2! c3+ 49. Kd1 f3 50. Bf1 d2 51. g5 Ke5 52. h5 Kf5 53. g6! hxg6 54. Bd3+ Kf6 55. hxg6 =

 After playing 47…cxb3, simply..

1-0

Board 3: FM Adamson vs. FM Danya http://www.uschessleague.com/games/adamsonnaroditsky09.htm

Robby came out strong, had a nice development advantage after Danya played some strange Sicilian I haven’t really seen, but missed some chances. Perhaps 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Bh5 was better. White remained better most of the game, Danya should have played …g5 at some point, and after white played Bxc5 the game was pretty much over. Robby, you are still the man. Danya, well played.

0-1

Board 4: NM Liou vs. NM Martinez http://www.uschessleague.com/games/lioulmartinez09.htm

There really is not too much to say about this game. Martinez played quite well as black, holding equality for the most part. I respect Martinez’s decision to turn down a repetition to try to help his team out. Liou, proving his all-star value, won a pawn with 38. f5. The rest was technical, but this really should have been a draw. A bit boring for my taste, as pieces were traded quite quickly, but solidly played..

1-0

So Arizona’s season is over. But do not be too disappointed, it was a strong showing by the Scorpions. Instead of worrying about the upcoming lineup, Arizonians can watch their beloved 17^th ranked Wildcats in the BCS or NFC West leading Cardinals win, on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Really, though, the Arizona Scorpions did impress me, especially on boards 1 and 4, with Ramirez and Adelberg having pretty great seasons. For next season, expect Adelberg to move up a board as his rating will most likely increase with age. The usual suspects will be hungrier than ever next year, as they must certainly feel that their season was cut too short. Good bye for now. See you next USCL season!

Manager Leo Martinez Comments about the Monday Playoff Results as Well as Previews the Wednesday Playoff Matches

The playoffs definitely bring on a different atmosphere then the regular season. Everyone is preparing. Everyone is putting full effort and everyone is thinking about the team. Monday’s Eastern Conference results were very interesting. I thought the Boston – New York match was pretty close but I thought that New York had a slight edge and wouldn’t have felt like this was an upset if New York happened to win. With Kacheishvili with White on board 1 leading the way I couldn’t really see where Boston had any advantage. The reason I agree with John Donaldson in thinking that Boston should have put Esserman on board 3 is that with draw odds a win by Esserman would have been huge. In hindsight I guess it didn’t matter as Martirosov won his game in the end. This was a very interesting match that could have gone either way for sure and the result (New York won 2.5-1.5) makes for a very interesting Quarterfinal match between New York and New Jersey. This pits Benjamin vs Kacheishvili, Ippolito vs Charbonneau, Molner vs Herman, and Norowitz against many possible options for New Jersey. These are my guesses at least. Should make for an interesting match…I’m not sure who’s the favorite just looking at the lineups but you got to go with New Jersey given their momentum from the regular season.

The Miami – Seattle match up seems like a clear advantage to me for Seattle. Seattle’s lineup is pretty impressive but Miami, as they showed last year, are pretty vigilant. My feeling is that Becerra has to score in his game. A loss with White, albeit against the US Champion, in this spot would be tough on the rest of the team. Miami is a tossup on board 3 and probably a favorite on board 4 but somehow they have to score 2.5 points. Maybe a draw by Becerra and a win on the bottom two boards is the way to do it but it’ll be tough. Should be interesting to see how both teams change their play based on how the rest of their team is doing.

The Arizona – San Francisco match is a good one and has been well covered by John Donaldson and some others. As John said, this is the closest match in terms of team rating and literally is a toss up on every board. Arizona has their best player in Alejandro Ramirez leading the way on board 1. With Alejandro’s help taking control of board 1 and leaving board 2 for the others to play Arizona has been able to make it to the playoffs this season. Board 1 should be an interesting match up as youth fights against experience is this never-ending battle. Alejandro has done well with White this season but Wolff has loads of experience on his side and is a good defender so it should be very interesting. I find the USCL even more fun to watch during the playoffs as these GM’s go all out for wins with no mention of a draw in sight. You can see this even more clearly by the fact that all GM vs. GM encounters on Monday were decisive results. On board 2 Danny Rensch is fighting against Vinay Bhat. These two have encountered each other more than once, most recently fighting to a draw at the 2009 SPICE Cup. Again this match is a battle of styles as Danny is fairly aggressive while Vinay is perhaps more positionally natured, although he can also fight tenaciously when needed.

Robby is facing the very solid and strong Daniel Naroditsky. Although Daniel lost in week 8 to Danny Rensch he is always a formidable opponent and doesn’t lose any game easily. On fourth board I come back to face the young Yian Liou. Yian has played a lot more than me so far this season but hopefully I can pull this one off. Every game should be close and I wouldn’t miss any of them when watching ICC Wednesday night at 7:15 PM Tucson time.

Amanda Mateer Previews the Scorpion – Mechanics Playoff Match

Hi everyone!

So, let’s try this one more time. Last time I previewed a match, it was against Baltimore, and we definitely lost that one. So this time, I’m going to hope I’m not the kiss of death…

Basically, this match is expected to be full of craziness, and if it wasn’t, I think all around everyone would be shocked.  Last time either team could have easily won the match 3.5-0.5, and we somehow crawled out ahead – this time, let’s hope the Scorpions can win in a much smoother style – considering 2/4 players this week nearly have a heart attack each match as it is (cough cough Leo and Robby cough)…

Board 1: GM Alejandro Ramirez vs. GM Patrick Wolff

I think this could easily be the most crucial game of the match. First of all, Alejandro not only is really good on his own board, but I feel like he makes everyone around him better, too. Whenever he’s playing physically in Arizona (last week doesn’t count, since he was in Dallas!), I feel like everyone’s play just sort of goes up. Maybe it’s the GM vibes, or something else, who knows, but he just brings a different feeling to the match. Given his 3/3 record this season with the white pieces, it should definitely be exciting – and I predict Jandi will be the only one to come through with the win pretty cleanly.

Board 2: GM Vinay Bhat vs. IM!!! Danny Rensch

This is Danny’s debut on Board 2 for the Scorpions, which definitely makes it an interesting game to look forward to. Having a much better season than last and fresh off earning the IM title, Danny will be looking to prove that he can handle the internet chess world. Vinay is no pushover, though, and I’m going to guess that after a lot of chaos, the game peters out to a draw.

Board 3: FM Robby Adamson vs. FM Danya Naroditsky

This game should definitely be another exciting one – wait, who am I kidding, they’re all going to be nuts, remember the last AZ-SF match? But these two have been decent and steady performers in the past in the USCL, and after a rough week last week, Robby will definitely be looking for redemption. I have a hard time really picking someone in this game, and I feel like it may be the last one to finish – but that at the end, the game will finish up with a draw after several close calls.

Board 4: Yian Liou vs. Leo Martinez

Leo’s definitely coming out ready to fight, and there would be no better time for him to score his first USCL win then now. But SF’s board 4 in Yian has been super strong this season, and with Leo having the black pieces, it certainly won’t be easy. All I really know is that this kid plays super fast, and Leo is a lot steadier – and as long as he can control all his crazy nerves, he should be fine. I think that if anyone has chances this game, it will turn out to be Leo – in this scenario, I’m thinking the experience may mean more than ever before. But I’ll predict Yian finds a way to hold on to the draw with a significant time edge.

So overall, I predict Board 1 with Alejandro to be the only decisive result. That doesn’t mean the other three draws will be clean – in fact, I’m sure they will be anything but – and there’s no telling what can really happen with these two teams. But I’m going to go with the 2.5-1.5 win by the Scorpions, advancing them to the semi-finals and keeping their finals hopes alive!

Below is the very first puzzle of IM Mark Ginsburg’s USCL Quiz! To check out the rest of the article visit his blog.

Test Your Insight

Here’s a set of tough positions.   Each has interesting strategical and tactical elements.  No computer engines!   The harder you work, the better off you’ll be.

In each case, I’ll ask a poll question about it.   Post your answer as a comment.

Position 1

Black to play

To give you some context about position 1, this was Nakamura-Ramirez from a recent SEA-ARZ USCL match.

Continued here……

As the manager of the Scorpions I am going to dissect the season and the playoffs as I see it and how the Scorpions have fared this season. Due to the last match loss against Miami we have fallen to third place and therefore will not have draw odds unless we face Miami in week 2.

Although this last match was a disappointment we are happy to be in the playoffs after barely missing the cut last season. Other than maybe Baltimore we are perhaps one of the most improved teams in the league.  Another difference between this season and last is that although we won 3 matches last season they were all against the lower bracket of the division. This season however we have wins against the Western Division Champ Seattle, the Eastern Division champ New Jersey, and the team in 2^nd place in the West San Francisco. However, now that we are in the playoffs all is forgotten and we will go for the gold as they say. Although draw odds are an advantage for sure it would be really difficult to draw your way to the championships.  To win the championships you have to play and beat the best…not draw them!  I am extremely confident in my team and really feel that if we can defeat the teams we did during the regular season, we can defeat anyone that comes our way in the playoffs.  Below is the playoff bracket from the Western Division.

Western Division Bracket

As you can see all the team’s record are fairly close and I would say the strength of all the teams, including Seattle, are very tight. Although I fully expect the Scorpions to pull through I would not be surprised with any team coming out of the West. The Scorpions have been very hot at exactly the right time this season winning their last four out of 5 matches against New Jersey, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle before losing against Miami. This is a slightly unfamiliar position for the Scorpions as all last season we were fighting for our lives for the last playoff spot, in the end barely missing it by half a tiebreak point. However, as everyone knows a team’s standing can change very rapidly in this league where every team is capable of beating any other team. This season we have fielded six different teams out of 8 weeks of playing, playing almost every person on our team at least once. It has been a strange season as many teams that were scrapping by trying to barely make it are doing very well (such as Seattle, New Jersey, Arizona) while many of the top teams of last season are struggling.

The final two matches were two of our toughest.  Seattle was the team to beat all season drawing their first two matches followed by winning 6 matches in a row. The final match was against the always strong Miami Sharks with two-time MVP Julio Becerra leading the way. Seattle’s success is clearly on their outer boards with Nakamura going 5.5-0.5 while Serper going a very impressive 3.5/4.

On fourth board they have been doing well also with Sinanan playing most of their games and doing really well until his final two games.  With their first board doing three points better than any other team in the league (you can see below) and the bottom board performing above average they were able to get first place in the division without too much trouble.

San Francisco has maybe the most successful history of any team in the USCL in terms of the regular season. They have made the playoffs every year since the USCL was created in 2005. They have an abundance of players that they could put on their team that any manager would be jealous of. Although we beat them in week 8 by a score of 2.5-1.5 this was perhaps the craziest match I have ever seen and easily could have been won by us 3.5-0.5 or lost by us 3.5-0.5.

San Francisco’s success every year has always been on the bottom boards with Shankland and Naroditsky doing extremely well on boards 3 and 4 last season. This season was no different. Yian Liou was one of the most successful board 4’s in the entire league with a +3 record beating Zorigt in Week 10 to give San Francisco draw odds against us. As you can see from the table above they have the best board 4 score of any team in the league and when someone does so well on one board it really eases the pressure off the other boards.

Arizona, on the other hand, has taken a very different method of scoring points. Similar to last season we have not been super impressive on any single board. However, we have been solid and good on every single one this season.  If you look at the stats above you can see that Arizona has a plus record on every single board except board 3 where we are even. Other than New Jersey (who are just ridiculous) we are the only team in the league to accomplish that. On board 1 we are +1; board 2 we are +3; board 3 we are even; board 4 we are +1. The biggest improvement has been on board 2 where we were last in the league in terms of points getting only 2/10 (-6) points throughout the whole season. This season this is our best board in terms of points getting 6.5/10.

New Jersey seems to have risen over the hump this season and with their best lineups up I think it’d definitely be a big upset if any other team from the East beat them.  With the Benjamin and Gulko tandem up front and Ippolito and Molner as possibilities they have a lot of options, all pretty attractive. Boston, as always is strong, but we will have to see if they can get past their championship demons this season in the playoffs. Although obviously I know less about their team than others in the West I am a little surprised by Boston using the lineup they have (Christiansen, Perelshteyn, Martirosov, Krasik) instead of some of their other possibilities. Obviously this is a very  strong team but I thought the team Christiansen, Perelshteyn, Esserman, Wang was extremely strong and their best option, if not the strongest possible team in the league. Anyways maybe Esserman was busy or they have a lot of faith in Krasik but either way it’s interesting to look at the lineups.

In other news around the league, the blogging from some teams has risen sharply this season. Arizona, New Jersey, Chicago, and Seattle seem to be leading the way. The excitement within our team has risen this season and with almost everyone on the team having blogged or consistently blogging our team unity is as high as ever.

Playoffs

The playoff match between San Francisco and Arizona will be a tough one. During the regular season I have always said that there are literally no easy matches with even the bottom teams being fully capable of beating anyone at any point. In the playoffs this is even more obvious.  All that is certain about San Francisco’s lineup at this point is that they will be playing their star player, Yian Liou as he is their only possible board 4. In my opinion, although there are many interesting matchups in the playoffs this match is the one to watch as the match could literally go either way and if our last match was an indication of anything it will be impossible to know what will happen until the final buzzer sounds!  Stayed tuned Scorpion nation to ICC at 9:15 PM ET and 7:15 PM Arizona time for the Scorpion-Mechanics matchup!

This week I was able to sit down with soon to be crowned, IM Danny Rensch (DR). Danny held nothing back when it came to his plans for his chess future, his past performances in the USCL, and even his vision of the future of the league.

EJ: Good evening!

DR: Hey there.

EJ: Let’s start off with congratulations!

DR: For what?

EJ: Congratulations on your IM title.

DR: Oh yeah… Cool!

EJ: We haven’t forgotten.

DR: Well… it isn’t on FIDE yet. (I’m still) waiting for that “big moment”! But anyway… yeah it was cool.

EJ: So what is the process. You have your 3 norms. What’s next?

DR: Well… I have cleared the rating but it still takes sometime to become official. 6 weeks is standard I guess. That is what Walter Brown said. Actually funny story… I have four norms apparently. (At) a tournament I played in in 2002 in Moscow I earned a Norm but the organizer never told me. If you check my FIDE History…. My 2002 tournament from when I went to Russia I scored a Norm.

EJ: Was it the SPICE Cup that gave you the rating?

DR: Yeah, it was.

EJ: So all this time you had your 3 norms?

DR: Anyway, Walter found out that the SPICE Cup was actually my fourth IM Norm. Since December of last year I have had the norms. But it doesn’t really matter. I’m going for GM. I kind of wanted to skip IM but it didn’t work out that way.

EJ: Argh! That would be so frustrating! Do you feel jipped?

DR: No, I don’t feel jipped at all just kind of the story of my life. I struggle for a long time and then I overkill it.

EJ: So you’re not done? Going to go for GM?

DR: Yes, I am flying to Edmonton Canada for a GM Norm Invite in December.

EJ: So now that you have your title (soon) how have things changed for you?

DR: Well, I got a raise on Chess.com which is cool. Gotta feed the kids.

EJ: Every bit helps! More relaxed? More stress?

DR: A lot of people said congrats in a way that suggested “I was not going to get any further”, which is always motivating. I am more inspired than I was before. So that has changed.

EJ: A boost of energy?

DR: Yeah. To me, getting my GM title is like getting my degree and every title helps. My goal is to become a GM So that my business would have more “worldy respect”. Even though I know I am offering the same product that I could offer now, people think differently when you have the “GM”.

EJ: True. Well there’s no hiding that fact that you’re doing better in your USCL games. Is everything “just clicking”?

DR: Yeah but I don’t know. I mean I am still not really playing well on USCL but I haven’t lost since I made my title  which is cool. Let’s hope we can keep that going!

EJ: I hope so too.

DR: I have definitely learned that you don’t always have to play like a GM to become a GM. Just got to get better and be practical. Time management. Things like that.

EJ: So obviously your performance OTB is different than in the USCL. How are they different to you?

DR: Well it has been. Thank GOD! I am still not comfortable under time pressure online. In fact, I love time pressure OTB  because it is a rush but online…

EJ: Don’t trust the computers?

DR: I kind of get dizzy. No joke. It is confusing.

EJ: 2D vs. 3D?

DR: Maybe. Definitely different for me. I also don’t play as much on ICC as many others.

EJ: Do you use a relayer when you play?

DR: No. I like to have control. I would get nervous with a relayer, I think.

EJ: Aside from your family, you’re basically chess full time, right?

DR: Yes… I am a Chess Pro in every sense… I make my money teaching, playing, laughing, loving… etc.

EJ: As a “chess professional”, how does playing in the USCL affect your life?

DR: Well. It is kind of inconvenient to be honest. I am the type who likes to travel and “get in the mood”.

EJ: Is it taking away from your “day job” or does your “day job” hinder your USCL job?

DR: Yeah. That is the thing. I feel the biggest reason for me not playing well is that I am not in “Game Mode”. You know what I mean? The “drop you daily life and go play a serious game” is not me. I like to really, really devote myself and if I can’t I struggle… or at least I have. But I am maturing.

DR: I listen to some good country tunes before the game. The Landon Shill band, then I throw on some Dre, and then a little Eric Hutchinson! I like to mix it up. I love music…

EJ: It comes through in your blog posts. (=

DR: Thanks… glad someone noticed. I am a pop culture geek. I like to stay current and quote the past. You know, keep the kids on their toes.

EJ: Perhaps your prep work for the SPICE cup is leading to your recent USCL performance.

DR: It could be… I do have a few more lines that I didn’t get to try at the SPICE Cup. But Yermo told me to stop screwing around, just play solid and that I would get the Norm. So I did. Hell! I played too solid and drew some games I should have won. But that’s life! You also hold some games you should lose. So it works out. I tried to get something crazy against Antal in round 2 and then I stopped messing around.

EJ: Do you “experiment” more in your USCL games?

DR: Yes, absolutely! But people forget that I played 1.d4 and the Trompowsky until I was 2250. So it isn’t like I am throwing total “caution to the wind”. I know enough.

EJ: To be different? Because “the games aren’t rated”? Or because everyone studies up on opponents in the league?

DR: To be different and to setup future games…

EJ: Always keep them guessing.

DR: I am going to be one of those GMs who people study and they are like “damn, this guy could play anything! So I might as well watch some Leno”. When they are preparing I mean.

EJ: Any current players you model yourself after?

DR: Anand because I like his repertoire and Ivanchuk because he is crazy… I like that! But I appreciate all of them. They are all better than me.

EJ: I wouldn’t expect you to model yourself after anyone but the best. Have you ever played Hikaru?

DR: Yes, only one rated OTB and I lost in a Kan. I played him in blitz a while ago and I beat him 2 0 but then I lost in Blitz at the National Open 2 0 a couple years ago. He is a beast… no doubt!

EJ: I know you’ve faced off against against his brother a couple of times.

DR: Yes. I had a good record against Asuka.

EJ: Your thoughts on the Scorpions first 2 seasons. What’s the secret to this year?

DR: I think we were all a little gun shy the first year… accept for a couple players. But I believe this year we are just better. I mean, I think that the key to this year’s team, to be honest, is Alejandro. I think everyone is better around him, because he takes on the big guns. I feel more confident playing next to a GM and I really mean that! I believe that Rogelio and I have just gotten better as players to be honest. Also, who can forget David? I mean the fact is he is underrated at 2026  and he has allowed us to be a lot more flexible. Robby was the best last year, and his ICC experience is always useful, but this year I believe all the credit should go to Alejandro and Adelberg. The “AA team”.

EJ: Well, looking at the numbers everyone has elevated their game.

DR: Yes, but Jandi and David have allowed that to happen. Rogo and Robby are still as good as they were but now we have better players around them. Pretty much the team has suffered with me in there but now that I have turned the corner I invite Scorpion Nation to hop on my back to victory baby! *lol* *knock on wood*

EJ: A team is a team! There’s no “A” in… oh wait… Do you listen to music when you play?

DR: I don’t listen to music during games. It distracts me. I don’t like it… but I love music otherwise.

EJ: Do you have a routine or ritual when you play?

DR: Uuumm… OTB I do but on USCL I just say, “here we go!”

EJ: It’s just too different?

DR: Yeah, I try to say a little prayer, gather my thoughts, forget about my daily life, and like I said “buckle up”…

EJ: I think many may not know that you’re the assistant (north) manager to the team. What is that like?

DR: Ahh. I just try to calm Leo down, remind him that he is the boss, and that I will help with whatever he needs. He is doing a good job and if we win this year, he better watch out for some Gatorade on his back… oh yeah!

EJ: The Scorpions really believe in that “team” concept.

DR: Yes, I think so. I don’t but they do…

EJ: You do.

DR: Yes, of course… we are trying to come together… do what it takes to win.

EJ: You’ve been a “team player” since I first meet you and the rest of the Shelby team.

DR: Yes, I have. I love team environments… I miss them actually. Half the time I wish we still had that which is why the Scorpions are so cool. When we (the Shelby team) were winning national titles, there was nothing like it! So yes, this is very cool, and I think that it has the potential to become something great for the world of chess. I don’t kid around about what I think will help the chess world. Unlike many others, I am in this with no turning back. So anything that can help the chess world improve socially, financially, etc. I am all for! I believe that Greg Shahade is on the right path, and I think there is still much, much more to do.

EJ: Any suggestions for the future of the USCL?

DR: Yes actually, but I will keep those private… I don’t want them taken. Greg doesn’t listen to me anymore though. He is “big time” now… and you can print that!

DR: Ok! I won’t keep them private. But Greg is “big time”… I think that more sponsorship is available.

EJ: How so?

DR: It is more of a confidence thing. Chess players have to stop acting like “the starving artists who just want to be recognized” and they won’t be treated that way.

EJ: Ahh…

DR: I believe, and quote me, that there is 7 figure sponsorship out there! Really, I do. It just takes the right angle, right people, some kindness, charm, and hard work.

EJ: For chess in general or specifically the USCL?

DR: Both. But let’s make it specific. The USCL will have a lot more sponsorship down the road if we do this thing right. I believe.

EJ: Hopefully. Personally, I love following the various blogs and discussions within the league.

DR: Can’t you just picture watching a USCL game, and flashing ads of Dell, Microsoft, Apple, Insurance Companies, etc. flashing for 30 seconds on the left side for spectators… Tell me there isn’t money there. We just have to go after it! But I have said too much.

EJ: No problem.

DR: Greg has done great, no questions…

EJ: I agree.

DR: And that is all that needs to be said. Do I think there is growth potential? Absolutely! And it will. You know what I mean though?

EJ: Yes.

DR: How many spectators watch Nakamura

EJ: 50+

DR: No, no! At least 200 at times. Just type “all Nakamura”! I mean, if there are that many people watching anything it doesn’t matter if it is chess. Sponsors can pay for ad space to flash during the games. That is where the money is!

EJ: That might require some ICC connections.

DR: Yes but it is possible! It is there!

EJ: We’re just about ready to wrap up. Anything else you’d like to say?

DR: Alright, just remember, that if I said anything offensive… print it! Just joking.

EJ: No worries.

DR: Thanks for your work with the team! Really…

EJ: I’m the guy that works in the back rooms… in the shadows.

DR: Yes. Always… we should get you a mask, or a cape or something. Then you would feel really cool… and you could just come out of the darkness, like Batman! Always vigilant.

EJ: It’s my contribution. That’s what I already wear when I watch the games during the week.

DR: Ok. Good talk!

Danny Rensch is runs the American Chess Events affiliate which also hosts the Copper State International. He will be playing in the a GM Invitational this December in Edmonton, Canada and in the SPICE Cup again next year.

Sharks, Cars, and Suicide

First of all, I want to preface this preview with an apology: this will be my worst write-up for the Scorpions that I have done.  My liver is reeling from this weekend, I can’t breathe out of my nose, I’m sleep deprived, and I just got back from a class where my world famous professor rambled on about Hardy-Weinberg Principle Chi-squared testing for two hours—YAY!  Okay Elliott, stop whining.  Anyway…

both teams will make the playoffs, so not as much to play for other than seeding, but Arizona can actually tie for first in the West with Seattle if the Scorpions win and the rainy city inhabitants lose.

GM Julio “¿Hablo Inglès?” Becerra vs. GM Alejandro “I Don’t Know How To Drive” Ramirez

(Disclaimer: I have no knowledge about Alejandro’s actual driving ability, but I know it’s at least better than Robby’s and Amanda’s)

This game will be exciting, obviously because both players are Latino (although Handi somehow didn’t acquire the dominant “I love to attack crazily” allele).  Becerra will of course go for the jugular and come out with guns blazing.  These two last played with the current colors over the board at the 2008 UTD GM Invitational where the game ended in a hard-fought draw after 44 moves.  Julio will open with 1.e4 as always (once again because nearly every Latino player plays 1.e4), but the question is what will Ramirez respond with on his first move (he played Alekhine’s 1…Nf6 in the 2008 game—maybe a good choice again)?  He has many flexible choices at his disposal (i.e. Sicilian and French along with Alekhine’s), so it’s really up to Alejandro to determine what type of game he’d like to steer the position towards.  This stylistic direction will most likely determine the outcome of the game.  I recommend Alejandro plays something solid like he did last time because I think complications would favor Julio.  If Handi can successfully equalize, I think he can hold a very dangerous opponent to a solid draw.

IM Levon “I Am Going To Go For a Win This Time!” Altounian vs. IM Blas “I Have The Coolest First Name” Lugo

Levon is white, the rating favorite, and really needs to try to win this game for his team, mainly based on the fact that board 4 is a problem (sorry Amanda, love you!).  No matter how he goes for it—either via slow, methodical, python squeeze or busting out of his solid cocoon for an attempted blitzkrieg—Mr. Reliable Consistency has to try to push, force the issue, and win this game at all costs.  However, everyone knows Blas will be ready for a fight, and for those who aren’t familiar with him, he is a capable player whose strength is much greater (at least 100 points) than the meaningless four-digit number that follows his name (Lugo has also whooped me twice a few years ago).  I know Blas plays Slav as Black, which is obviously way too exciting for Levon to even come close to challenging, so maybe Altounian will open with the flexible 1.Nf3 to see how Lugo responds or maybe Levon should play English with 1.c4, which would most likely result in a reversed closed Dragon such as: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.d3 0-0 9.a3 etc. because I think Blas plays something along these lines (although I could obviously be wrong).  Of course, Levon should really play the Botvinnik variation of the Slav or one of those crazy Meran lines or something like that.  *[Wishful thinking by me]*.  Regardless of what the opening is, I believe Altounian will come through in the clutch again for his team and ultimately prevail in this intriguing match-up.

IM Alejandro Moreno “No, I Don’t Have As Many Middle Names as Handi” Roman vs. Robby “Yesterday, I Became Eligible For Senior Benefits” Adamson

Happy Birthday Robby (to the readers: it actually was his birthday)!  Congratulations, you’re old!  You also suck at driving.  Now, just don’t lose this game.  Nothing would make Robby and the Scorpions happier than a big win on Board 3.  I think this may be the most pivotal game of the match.  The winner here will most likely lead his team to victory.  Moreno Roman will actually not play 1.e4 (I will be very surprised if he does) because he clearly favors Queen-pawn systems.  What remains to be seen is if Adamson chooses to repeat his Two Knights Tango or if he tries to go into some sort of Benko or Benoni.  I will predict a toss-up: will the veteran IM secure a victory for his team or will Birthday Baby-face deliver a present with a masterful performance?

Madame Amanda “I Almost Killed Elliott Liu When He Was In My Car” Mateer vs. Eric “The Last Time I Played A Girl With Initials ‘A.M.’ I Lost In 14 Moves!” Rodriguez

Alright so for those who don’t know, these two nicknames are actually TRUE!  FACT!  CORRECT!  So…first of all, Amanda, you ARE the world’s worst driver, congratulations (yes, hard to believe, but worse than Larry)!  To make a long story short, ms. Directionally Challenged made a left turn into an oncoming semi with me in the passenger seat.  Okay, I guess I am being mean.  I only say she is a bad driver because I almost died, but besides that she isn’t too bad (“too” is the key word here).  And secondly, Eric, my homeboy, remember back in the U.S. Open in 2007 when you played another “A.M.” with Black, lost in 14 moves because you forgot how to play chess, and wanted to kill yourself?  Well, in case you or anyone else did, thought I’d revive this gem: I present to you ms. Abby Marshall vs. Eric Rodriguez.

Yo, so Amanda you have the whole “A.M” thing on your side this week.  Also, you showed the world your undercover beastly strength with that previous 300 point upset, so there’s no reason why history won’t repeat itself.  Unfortunately, I have a feeling E-Rod will play more like A-Rod this week, so just pretend you’re Madonna or something (hopefully sports enthusiasts understand).  I assume Eric will try to Benoni you, so, um, good luck with that.  But seriously, make the game cool.  In a shocker, I predict Rodriguez to win this game, but ms. Mateer is no pushover…until you actually try to push her.

Verdict: So what does all this mean?  I predict an exciting 2-2 draw this week.  No, I’m being serious, I actually think 2-2 has a good chance of happening.  Both teams have two toss-up games on Boards 1 and 3 and two games where one player is more favored than the other on Boards 2 and 4.  I still think Robby’s game is the most crucial because in this specific situation I don’t see Alejandro beating Becerra with the Black pieces unless Julio has to unnecessarily push, which I’m assuming he shouldn’t considering both teams are already in the playoffs.  I will conclude by saying it has honestly been a pleasure guest-writing for the Scorpions from time to time this USCL season, and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Peace!

Alright, back to Mendelian recombinant population genetics and lactose coevolution

IM-Elect Danny Rensch posts part 2 of his video series Isolated Queens Pawns on Chess.com. The video can been seen by clicking here while part 1 can be seen here. This is partnership between one of the Scorpion’s best players in Danny Rensch and one of the Scorpion’s great sponsors in chess.com.

Chess.com is dedicated to becoming the premier online community for chess players around the world. Chess.com aims to provide a safe and enjoyable environment where chess players of all skill levels can learn, contribute, play, build, chat, and share.

USCL Week 9 Opening of the Week (OOTW)

USCL Week 9 action sees a Caissic Horror Show brought out of the storage closet for Halloween!

Charbonneau, Pascal (NY) -Enkbhat, Tegshsuren (BAL)

Caro Hyper-Advance USCL Special

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4? LOL!  This move is not good! White ‘forgets’ to play the mainline 4. Nc3 first covering e4.  An ideal risky line in USCL fast time limit play unless black knows it (nightmare scenario).

LOL!

4…Bd7?! LOL again!  Black submits to white’s bully-boy ploy and transposes inadvisedly into an old Bronstein-Petrosian 1959 USSR Ch. game.  Note his game is not at all bad here, but students of the Nezhmet-Mackenzie Wars (striking similarities to TV’s Clone Wars) know that black should pop into the juicy square with 4… Be4! 5. f3 Bg6 and white is hurting in all variations.  For example, 6. h4 h5 7.  Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 e6 and ewww.  Or, 7. Ne2 hxg4 8. Nf4 Bh7 9. fxg4 e6 10. Nc3 c5! and black is faster.   The nice thing is that black doesn’t have to do anything special, white’s problems are all self-inflicted with the 4. g4? lunge. Consult the above link for full gory details.

In SOME Caro lines, but definitely not here, black doesn’t want to move off the c8-f5 diagonal in fear of a white sac e5-e6.  Here, though, that sac fails miserably but black didn’t know that, and this accounts for black’s mistake in the game. The reason it fails here is that white’s disgusting pawns on f3 and g4 open up the g3 square for black’s queen after Qd8-d6.

5. c4 Na6!?  A nice inventive move.  Black starts to redeem himself after the misstep last move. After the plausible but passive 5… e6 6. Nc3 Ne7 7. c5 (White might be better off not doing this) 7…b6! 8. b4 a5 9. Na4 Nc8! 10. Rb1 axb4 11. Rxb4 bxc5 12. dxc5 here Petrosian played 12…Qc7? and missed a great shot, namely: 12… Na6! 13. Bxa6 Qa5!! exploiting white’s uncoordinated army. After 14. Bd2 Qxa6 black is just better.  In the game Petrosian held on and drew, but Bronstein stood better with the space advantage (USSR Ch. Tbilisi 1959).

6. cxd5 After 6. Nc3 the move 6…Be6!? is very interesting.  For example, 7. Nh3 dxc4 8. Nf4 Qd7 9. Nxe6 Qxe6 10. f4 g6 11. b3 h5 12. f5 gxf5 13. Bxc4 Qg6 14. gxf5 Qg2 15. Rf1 Nb4 and it’s anybody’s game. Not for the faint of heart.  Even so, 6. Nc3 might be stronger; note black’s big improvement on move 6 in the game.

Knight Jump! Do it!

6… cxd5?! Boo!  Black doesn’t follow through on his nice last move!  Indicated was the logical and aesthetic knight jump 6…Nb4! exploiting the early g2-g4 opening of the c6-h1 diagonal. If  7. e6 (7. Qb3 Nxd5 8. Qxb7 Rb8 9. Qxa7 Nb4 10. Na3 Bxg4 11. Bd2 e6 and black is all right) 7…fxe6 8. Nf3 cxd5 and black is fine.  Another humorous line: 7. Nc3 Qb6!? (7…Nxd5 is dead equal) and black can always take on d5 with the knight later. This game was just one big set of black missed opportunities.

7. Nc3 e6 8. h4 h5 9. gxh5 Nh6 Here, the immediate 9…Qc7 10. a3!? Nc7!? makes sense, rerouting right away the problem knight on a6.

10. Bd3 Qb6 11. Nge2 Nc7 12. a3 a5? Last chance to be competitive with 12…O-O-O! unclear.

13. Na4 Qa7 14. Rg1 Bb5 15. Bc2 We’re far afield of the opening now, but just notice that the simple 15. Bxb5+ Nxb5 16. Bxh6 Rxh6 17. Rc1 leaves black with a completely dreadful game.  This is just to highlight that black drifted while white was purposefully developing.

15…Nf5 16. Bxf5 exf5 17. Ng3 Bd7 18. Be3 b5 19. Nc5 Bxc5 20. dxc5 Qa6 21. Rc1 O-O-O 22. c6 Be6 23. Qd4 g6 24. Bg5 Rde8 25. h6 Kb8 26. Ne2 Qa7 27. Qd2 Bc8 28. Bf6 Rh7 29. Nd4 Qb6 30. Rg3 Rxh6 31. Nxb5 Rxh4 32. Bxh4 Qxb5 33. Bf6 Ba6 34. Kd1 f4 35. Rgc3 d4 36. Rf3 Nd5 37. Kc2 Qxc6+ 38. Kb1 Qb6 39. e6 Nc3+ 40. Ka1 Qxe6 41. Qxf4+ Ka8 42. bxc3 Qb3 43. cxd4 Bd3 44. Rxd3 Qxd3 45. Qg3 1-0

Well, I hope next time we see the juicy 4…Be4! on the board!

In Other Week 9 News

I see Jan van de Mortel won Game of the Week with an interesting Dragon vs Bartholomew.  The variation as a whole does not have a good reputation.  I am still a fan of 14. Rc1! and am a) surprised Bartholomew did not play it and b) wondering how Jan would improve if Bartholomew had played it.  The full move order being

1.e4  c5  2.Nf3  d6  3.d4  cxd4  4.Nxd4  Nf6  5.Nc3  g6  6.Be3  Bg7  7.f3  0-0  8.Qd2  Nc6  9.0-0-0   Nxd4  10.Bxd4  Be6  11.Kb1  Qc7  12.Nd5  Bxd5  13.exd5  Rfc8  14.Rc1!.