Hola!
I greet you all in Spanish this time because....
A) I am getting an A- so far in Spanish this year in school.
B) We are playing the Miami Sharks this week, a team that is predominantly Cuban. Maybe next time the teams meet, the entire blog should be in Spanish?
The Vibe and the Sharks are in a stiff playoff hunt for that coveted fourth place spot in the Western Division, making this a must win week for both teams. What does that mean? This match will end in a draw! Let me explain my logic:
Board 1 sees GM Julio Becerra taking on the James Bond of chess, GM Melik Khachiyan. Although James Bond is pretty cool and tremendously skilled, he has a tough opponent in store for him. I have tremendous respect for GM Becerra, and have respected the games he has played thus far in the USCL. After all, he is the most successful player in USCL history, defeating opponents such as GMs Nakamura, Friedel, Ramirez, and Kacheishvili. Although I hope I am wrong, Julio will take down Melik with the white pieces.
Board 2 shows FM Alexandre Kretchetov facing off against GM Renier Gonzalez. Kretchetov is coming off a bad loss against GM Akobian, and is looking to redeem himself this week against Miami's other Cuban GM. Both of these players are excellent positional players, so expect Kretchetov to hold fairly easily, making a draw.
Board 3 features FM Marcel Martinez duking it out with NM Kostya Kavutskiy aka Mclovin. Martinez has had a pretty successful USCL career, featuring a win over GM Jessie Kraai. However, Mclovin just came off a very nice win over WGM Katerina Rohonyan, and I expect him to carry that solid play over into his game this week. Mclovin will come through again for the Vibe, and will hold the draw against the strong FM.
Board 4 spotlights the Vibe's Ankit Gupta playing against the Sharks' junior hockey whiz, Nicholas Rosenthal. By the way Nicholas, I admire you for not being the typical Miami beach boy and opting for a different and tougher environment! As for the chess, Ankit is coming off a win over NM Joshua Sinanan of Seattle, while Nicholas is coming off two consecutive losses. That, combined with the fact that Ankit has almost a 300 point rating advantage, makes the result pretty clear. Ankit adds another win to his USCL career.
As I did last week, I'll share a short preview of other matches coming up this week, along with predictions on outcome. Without further ado...
New Jersey vs. Manhattan: New Jersey has a large edge in rating, as well as a huge edge on board 4 with FM Arthur Shen facing off against Shaun Smith. That, combined with the fact that New Jersey seems to have a slight edge on the rest of the boards, leads me to believe that New Jersey will win this one, destroying Manhattan's playoff hopes (if the Kingfishers win). New Jersey 3-1
Baltimore vs. Philadelphia: This match features an interesting match-up on board 1, with USCL super-star GM Sergey Erenburg battling FM Tom Bartell, who has had an excellent USCL record thus far. This game will determine the match, as the rest of the games will be draws. My prediction? Erenburg pulls this one out and Baltimore solidifies fourth place in the East. Baltimore 2.5-1.5
Dallas vs. Seattle: This is another must win match for both teams, who are fighting for that fourth place spot in the wild west. Both teams have very close average ratings, which means this should be a close match. In the end, Dallas' MVP IM Julio Sadorra will pull out the win and lift the Destiny to victory. Dallas 2.5-1.5
Arizona vs. Chicago: This is a battle for first place in the west. Despite this, neither team is using their highest rated lineup. Expect this to be a fighting match, and honestly, any result is possible. Because I just can't decide on which team may prevail in this match-up, I am going to call this a draw. Tie 2-2
New York vs. New England: The undefeated Nor'easters face their toughest challenge yet in a high rated Knight's team. The Knight's are employing two of their GM's, making this lineup extremely hard to beat. New York hands New England its first loss of the season. New York 2.5-1.5
Carolina vs. Boston: The Cobras are looking to continue their mini hot streak after an upset tie last week against New York. Duke freshman Richard Herbst is making his USCL debut on fourth board for the Cobras. Despite this, Carolina is out-rated by almost 200 points, making the upset highly unlikely. Boston 3-1
St. Louis vs. San Francisco: The Archbishops are looking to pass the Mechanics into 3rd place in the west by employing their "Big 3" for the second time this season. This is almost impossible to defeat, even by a top tier team like San Francisco. That being said, this match will be close, but will end up in St. Louis' favor. St Louis 2.5-1.5
That's it, folks! Adios mis amigos, y Buenos Suerte Vibe!!!!!!
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Should be buena suerte (feminine, singular). Your grade has just been lowered to B+.
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