2024 Collegiate Chess League Fall 2024: Virginia Upsets Prime Seeded Missouri, Saint Louis Defeats Athens

The CCL has returned for its ninth season. Groups compiled of the strongest faculty gamers worldwide compete to show that their college belongs on the high. 

Division 1 options the eight high groups by ranking. All different divisions will embody 16 groups every. Groups will compete in a seven-week round-robin of all-play-all matches. The highest six groups will progress to the playoffs and compete for his or her share of the $25,000 prize fund. 

Backside Boards Rise: Athens 6-10 Saint Louis

Although Saint Louis is the reigning champion, SLU is fielding a really totally different group this season as their earlier high two boards, GMs Nikolas Theodorou and Benjamin Bok, have graduated. How would the brand new group fare with such giant footsteps to comply with?

Athens is making their second look within the CCL after qualifying for the playoffs of their debut season within the spring. 

In spherical one, Saint Louis took a one-point lead, supported by their board 4, Oberoi, who defeated the opposing board one in his first-ever CCL sport. 

Within the subsequent spherical, Saint Louis stretched their result in two factors. Oberoi struck once more, this time beating Konstantinos Tsarsitalidis with a compelling mixture. Can you discover it within the puzzle under?

Black to maneuver.

FM Vasilios Kasioumis restricted Athens’s deficit with a win vs. SLU’s board one, GM Robby Kevlishvili. The Greek FIDE grasp discovered a superb tactical transition from an attacking place to a queen ending with a complicated passer. That is our Recreation of the Day. Evaluation by GM Rafael Leitao is coming quickly.

The groups cut up the rating 2-2 in spherical three. Kevlishvili chased his opponent’s king throughout the board, making a passer within the course of and profitable within the ending. 

Oberoi, Batsuren, and GM Nikolozi Kacharava all received within the final spherical to clinch the match for Saint Louis. Oberoi displayed his rook endgame approach to defeat FM Grigorios Drakoulakos.

Whereas it is no shock to see the defending champions achieve their first win of the season, unexpectedly nearly all of factors had been scored by boards three and 4 for each groups. 

Underdogs Triumph vs. Prime Seed: Virginia 9-7 Missouri

As the highest seed of Division I, Missouri was undeniably the favourite. They fielded two of their high gamers from final season, GMs Mikhail Antipov and Harshit Raja, together with two worldwide masters.

In sharp distinction, Virginia is the eighth seed, led by a FIDE grasp with help from a trio of nationwide masters. 

Virginia held their very own in spherical one with a 2-2 cut up. Their board three, NM Alex Shrauger scored an upset vs. Missouri’s seasoned board two, Harshit. 

In spherical two, the tie continued. NM Owen McCoy discovered a knight maneuver to jumpstart his king hunt vs. IM Marta Martin.

Coming back from halftime, the underdogs seized the lead. Virginia scored three wins in spherical three. Morefield survived Harshit’s prolonged sacrifice-fueled king assault. 

Coming into the final spherical, the highest seeds discovered themselves in a must-win place, needing to attain three factors out of 4 video games. Main Missouri with a 3-0 rating to date, Antipov, shockingly blundered vs. his fellow board one, Morefield. 

This introduced Virginia inside a half level of victory, may the remainder of the group take it residence?

IM Isik Can fought again for Mizzou, unleashing a queen-sacrifice, mating assault vs. Shrauger. 

Ultimately, McCoy and Lu each drew, securing a sensational upset victory for Viriginia with a 9-7 closing rating. 

WHAT AN UPSET VIRGINIA HELD IT https://t.co/RVhvhtw1ze

— Collegiate Chess League (@CollegiateChess) September 28, 2024

The Collegiate Chess League is the premier on-line chess competitors for faculty college students. The 2024 CCL Fall Season is a group occasion beginning September 28 at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST and that includes a $25,000 prize fund. 

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