Hey USCL Fans!!!
This is my first blog in 3 weeks, as I have been very busy. My junior year at Loyola High School of Los Angeles (shout out to all you Cubs reading this!) is proving to be time-consuming, but here is the LA Vibe's biggest fan writing a preview for their next match. This week we face off against the Seattle Sluggers, a team that at first looked dangerous in the pre-season, but has the same mediocre record as the Vibe thus far in the season. Therefore, this match is a must win for both teams, giving the winner significantly better chances of securing a playoff birth. So let's cut to the chase and break down each board, along with predictions for the other matches around the league!
Board 1: FM Alexandre Kretchetov vs. GM Varuzhan Akobian: This match features a very solid IM vs. one of the strongest GM's in the country. An ironic aspect to this match is that Akobian resides in Los Angeles, yet is playing for Seattle. Moreover, Var just returned from the Chess Olympiad in Russia, coaching the USA team to a tie for fifth place, taking ninth overall. Congrats to the entire USA team!! Varuzhan has been immersed in world class chess for the past two weeks, so I expect him to come out strong. Although Kretchetov has drawn two GM's this season, I expect Varuzhan to deliver the victory for Seattle in this face-off.
Board 2: FM Slava Mikhailuk vs. FM Joel Banawa: Our very own FM is coming off a tough loss last week to FM Andrei Zaremba of Manhattan. Knowing Joel, I think this loss will motivate him to play better chess and be better prepared this week, and I expect him to deliver his second win. This game will be the last to finish and Banawa will be the hero for the Vibe, similar to the week 1 result against St. Louis.
Board 3: NM Kostya "Mclovin" Kavutskiy vs. WGM Katerina Rohonyan: Alright, so the Mclovin effect didn't work last time against Chicago with the black pieces, so we decided to try it again, only with the white pieces. We are confident Mclovin is not going to lose this time with his stronger white pieces, and will hold a draw against Katerina.
Board 4: NM Joshua Sinanan vs. NM Ankit Gupta: I personally know both of these players, and can confidently say that they are equal in strength, with similar positional playing styles. That being said, both Sinanan and Gupta are fighters, and will play a long game, resulting in a draw.
So I predict this match will end up in a tie, despite Seattle's near 100 point rating advantage. Now, onto my other brief predictions for the rest of the matches in the league:
Carolina vs. New York: The struggling Cobras take on the cruising Knights. The result should be pretty obvious, with New York sporting GM's Kacheishvili and Lenderman. New York 3-1
Manhattan vs. Baltimore: The Applesauce need this one for any hopes of the playoffs, while a win for Baltimore would give them extremely high possibilities for the playoffs. The two teams squared off in week 2, with Baltimore coming off on top 3-1. However, the colors are reversed this time around. Expect a tie 2-2
Miami vs. Dallas: The Sharks are coming out strong after a huge win over New York last week. This match will feature a battle between two GM's on board one, with Julio Becerra taking on Alejandro Ramirez on 1st board. Miami will extend it's winning streak to two games, winning 2.5-1.5
San Francisco vs. Arizona: This match features a battle between two competitive teams for either first or second place in the Western Division. San Francisco is employing their MVP this season on third board in FM Daniel Naroditsky. He will get the job done this week against our friend FM Robby Adamson. The rest of the lineup looks even for the most part. San Francisco 2.5-1.5
Boston vs. New Jersey: To everyone's surprise, the Knockouts are having a pretty anemic season this year, with a below average record of 1.5-4.5. They are having a rematch with the strong Boston Blitz, whom they faced recently in week 5. This match features the battle of two classic GM's, Larry Christiansen and Joel Benjamin. Boston comes out on top 2.5-1.5
Philadelphia vs. New England: The first place Nor'easters are facing off against a mediocre Philadelphia, equipped with a 102 point rating advantage. The Nor'easters will continue their undefeated season. New England 3.5-0.5
St. Louis vs. Chicago: With the return of GM Hikaru Nakamura from the Olympiad, St. Louis needs to win this one for a shot at the playoffs. For Chicago, a win would keep them in first place and virtually guarantee a playoff birth. These two teams squared off in week two, with the result ending peacefully. The outcome this time will be different; the Blaze will come out on top and add another victory to their franchise. Chicago 2.5-1.5
Until next time!
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