Week 1: Los Angeles Vibe vs. St. Louis Archbishops Preview

So, the Vibe's USCL season starts on Monday, facing off against one of the strongest teams in the league, the St. Louis Archbishops. Fortunately for us, we will not have to face St. Louis' "Big 3," as GM Hikaru Nakamura will have just finished the Youth vs. Experience super tournament in Amsterdam. However, we will have to face two of the Big 3, in GMs Yury Shulman and Ben Finegold. Let me break down each board and explain why the Vibe will win their first match as a franchise.

Board 1: GM Yury Shulman vs. GM Melikset Khachiyan: The Vibe's GM certainly has his hands full with this one. Shulman, the 2008 US Champion, has proven himself to be one of the premier Grandmasters in American chess, and almost impossible to beat with white. Shulman is likely to open up with 1.d4, provoking Melik's pet Grunfeld Defense. If the game ends up in a Grunfeld, Melik will certainly have no trouble in the opening, and have knowledge of many middlegame positions that may occur. Melik is a natural team player, and he knows how important it is for him not to lose this game. If Melik keeps his fighting spirit and does not let his underdog status get to him, I believe this game will end up in a draw.

Board 2: FM Alexandre Kretchetov vs. GM Ben Finegold: Unfortunately for the Vibe, this game will not work in their favor. Finegold is an extremely consistent GM, and will most likely take advantage of his higher rating and pull out the win for the Archbishops, despite having the black pieces. Kretchetov has had disappointing results as of late, which makes this game even harder for him. However, I have seen Alex play a few great games. Hopefully he can prove my prediction wrong.



Board 3: IM Michael Brooks vs. FM Joel Banawa: This
game could decide who wins the match. Fortunately, I think this result will be positive for the Vibe. While both players have about the same rating, Banawa is coming off a successful US Open, while Brooks is coming off an unfortunate string of tournaments. Having drawn three GMs in the US Open, Banawa has proven he is ready for the IM title. I believe that despite the color disadvantage, Joel will win this one for the Vibe.

Board 4: NM Ankit Gupta vs. Spencer Finegold: This game is going to be decisive. Ankit is 200 points underrated in the USCL, having recently broken 2300 at the US Open. Spencer has proven himself to be a solid A player, maintaining a rating in the high 1900's for almost a year. Given this rating differential, all the pressure is on Gupta to win, giving Spencer a possible psychological advantage. Nonetheless, this game should be a win for Ankit, securing the Vibe the match.

With these predictions, the Vibe will win the match 2.5-1.5. If my predictions prove to be correct, this will be a great way to start off franchise history for Los Angeles, and I already visualize many happy faces in the Chess Palace after the match on Monday night!