Semi-Finals Recap

November 26th, 2008 Ilya Krasik

Boston chokes out the Cobras after a tough struggle.

How many times have you heard the expression “better to be good than lucky?”  Well, after last Wednesday’s Semi-Final action perhaps the converse couldn’t be more true as it relates to the win that propelled us into the USCL Finals.  To say that the Boston Blitz were very fortunate would be an understatement – for a large part of the match we were worse or losing on every single board!

Going into the match we couldn’t help but feel very confident in our chances despite Carolina holding the “Draw Odds.”  How could we not?  We have never lost to Carolina in our history, in fact we gave them a lot of good beatings over the years, including one this year, 3-1 in week 2.  Before the playoffs began, I called Carolina “a very weak team” and predicted they would lose to NY.  Although they proved me wrong, I can at least take solace in the fact that ultimately I was the one most responsible for their elimination.

Before the match, Jorge and I brainstormed that a draw in my game should be enough to win the match, given what we perceived to be a big edge on board 2 and an edge on 3.  I was also able to guess correctly what kind of opening Jones would choose.  Looking at his games, a Reti Defense seemed likely because it usually leads to quiet strategical and theoretically-light type of positions where the the player who thinks he is stronger can try to outmaneuver his opponent.  Carolina chose white on boards 2 and 4, likely to add more firepower to Jones who was already a favorite here with the the expectation that he will take me down, also Zaikov (who should change his last name to Huidini ) was given white to help make up for the 200 points he was missing.

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Recap of Final Week

October 30th, 2008 Ilya Krasik

Well, the regular season just ended but not before a lot of drama in final rd 10 action where Boston took on Queens. It was a strange match from the get go because both Queens and Boston had already clinched a playoff spot, yet the result would determine whether we play again or not. We brought a two GM lineup along with Marc and myself, I was a bit surprised to see I’m playing because I told Matt that I am taking this week off. Why such overkill I asked Esserman on Sunday night… he murmured something about them disrespecting us and that we need to teach them some respect… OK I guess we did.

The match didn’t start so well for us as it was clear Esserman was suffering in his game vs Lenderman aka the only true Professional. I don’t know why but Lenderman has a penchant to suck up to other players but in this instance he was shouting things like GO Knights and I will beat hated Boston for you… He also said Esserman has no technique and that he is no more than 2250-2300 strength. I am sure Marc prepared quite seriously for Lenderman, addictive style he calls it. Yet it was Lenderman with a huge edge out of the opening. I kept hearing grunts behind me, it was quite “heavy.” At some point Marc put on his heavy winter coat that looks warm enough to withstand Alaskan winter and even put a hood over his head, this evoked heavy laughter from Chrissy the Bear Williams sitting in the first row who almost collapsed.

We drew first blood when Larry plowed through Schneider’s position like a bulldozer, the game was soon over.  Larry tried to downplay the win in speaking to local fans, OK Schneider is not Karpov but I was quite impressed.  In the meantime my game (will be annotated later) was going quite well, I had a good position and built up quite a significant time edge due to probable confusion of Mr Katz. It became especially acute after I played 11…f6!, which killed another 25 minutes off his clock, the clocks now read 61 Black, 21 white. Katz decided on a pawn sac which I anticipated but that didn’t bring him much relief. My technique in converting my advantage was quite terrible, I missed many chances to completely shut him down. I went for complication grabbing pawns on b2 and a3, 24…e4! instead of Qxb2?!. Eventually Katz uncorked a stunning 27. Nh4!! which after my inaccurate 29…Kh6 (but even Kg8 isn’t so simple to win) should have led to a draw with a simple Rf4. In time pressure, to my amazement Katz missed this opportunity and played the very greedy and bad 30. Qxd4???? after which I played the decisive 31…Qe7!. That was a game winner because White is unable to regain back the piece due to a back rank mate! After taking once on f8, Rxf8 Katz realized this and resigned… too bad as I would have loved to mate him :)

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Ilya Krasik talks to Marc Esserman

September 3rd, 2008 Ilya Krasik

Marc Esserman - Photo by Betsy DynakoIlya Krasik – Marc, hello and welcome to the Boston Blitz. Where were you born, grew up? Do you remember your first steps in chess?

Marc Esserman – Good evening. I was born and grew up in Miami. My first steps… I sharply remember going for the four move checkmate as a 7 year old but when I played Qxf7 and announced mate to my shock my opponent took my queen as he had already played e6! I have not made this mistake since. I would play often with my older brother who was a national champion in elementary school and he started my interest in chess. From ages 7-13 I worked with my first coach from Miami, Randall Smith, and he took me to around 1000 to 2000 strength. Along the way I won a national title in middle school which I was very proud of. However, I quickly realized there was much to learn, and I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by so many strong Cuban chess players in Miami. All of the difficult games from blitz to classical time controls at IM Blas Lugo’s club were a constant reminder of how much I didn’t know about chess. For example, players like Blas and Marcel Martinez would just beat me over and over in the Friday night game/10 tournaments for years.

Who were your biggest influences in chess as far as top players, did you study with any prominent coaches?

From 14-19 I studied with IM Calvin Blocker. As he was in Ohio and I in Miami/Cambridge, every single one of our lessons was via telephone. Calvin introduced me to the great history and depth of chess and how to approach chess at a more professional level. Calvin is most responsible for the style of chess that I try to adopt today. In college I also worked with both Grandmasters Anatoly Lein and William Lombardy, both famous players and coaches whose accomplishments and deep knowledge of chess speak for themselves. While in Moscow for a month I got to work a little with Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev as well. My favorite player is Paul Morphy, and its not because I am American :)

What made you recently trade Miami for Boston, do you envision dropping anchor in Boston or are you going to cut tail and run away back to Miami when winter hits?

Now to the serious business, I’m not sure I will be able to handle Boston in a few months with the Miami tennis shorts that got me through 5 long New England winters. I am older now and frostbite will take its toll. I think I may run to the beach after the finals.

How would you describe your style of play?

You know me, I like to trade the pieces and go for technical endings :)

What other hobbies, sports and activities do you enjoy?

I’ve played tennis seriously my whole life, and some friends recommend I get into chess boxing but I don’t think that will be a wise idea. I also pretend to speak Russian.

Do you have any weird superstitions, beliefs?

“I believe, whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you, stranger…”

I know you are a crazy advocate of Batman, what in the world attracts you to this movie and how will this movie make you a better chess player?

Yes, speaking of quoting the Batman, I actually took a chess student of mine to see this movie tonight as training and he started snoring and disturbing the audience. I am not sure I can work with this student anymore :) Another very strong chess player, who shall remain anonymous and who happens to be a member of the Blitz, dismisses the Batman as superficial and the product of the dumbing down of American society, but of course he hasn’t seen it yet. I cannot reveal any of my preparations regarding the Batman, but my second in Batman studies, Eric Rodriguez of the Miami Sharks may be able to divulge more information. All I can say is “do I look like a guy that plans things?”

Tell us something about Marc Esserman that no one knows, it can be a curious fact, an interesting story.

Surely at least one person will have heard any story worth telling, so as a child I used to bring little plastic pigs to tournament games for good luck. One pig even sat lounged in a beach chair sipping some kind of fruit drink. Some opponents found the pigs cute, others not so much.

There is a rumor flying out there that you have nowhere to live and you might have to live out of a cardboard box, what’s the story here?

Yes, yes. As my lease expired last minute I was caught in the chaotic rush for Boston fall housing, and the Bolyston Blog made a desperate post “Chess Player Needs Housing, Support the Boston Blitz.” One comment read “you can stay in my cardboard box in the garage.” It was an intriguing offer which I politely declined because I felt it could get cold in the garage, but the price was unbeatable.

Let’s talk about the USCL a bit, you played for Miami, last Wednesday you were a spectator at the Blitz match and hung out with your new teammates afterwards, what is the difference between the Sharks and the Blitz?

For Miami I only played one game and played board 1, for Boston I will be playing my first game on board 4, so this is quite a difference :) I was mostly disappointed that Miami, known for its beautiful women, did not have any adoring female fans in attendance. However, in Boston, this is not a problem!

Last week, Boston won a huge match vs NY by a score of 3-1, it is rumored some Knights players displayed poor sportsmanship after the match (those players were not actually present in NY at the time), making ridiculous accusations, what’s your take on this issue and how do you think the league should deal with these infractions in the future?

I think that those who made the accusations should come to Boston and get the full experience of playing Jorge live in blitz, in a money match, of course. Accusing someone of cheating is a serious allegation and these things cannot be tossed around trivially, as the accuser is basically saying that for all the energy the player has poured into chess, he is willing to throw that all away and risk his reputation to win a game by copying moves from a computer. The league should have a zero tolerance policy for this sort of talk, which should result in suspensions like any other professional league. Cheating allegations should be dealt with by the commissioner like other professional leagues.

This week we face Carolina Cobras, what do you know about your opponent and what do you think of Carolina in general?

Why so serious a question? I will not give the underdog any motivational fire.

I am sure being from Miami you have seen “Scarface.” Do your best Tony Montana expression and tell us what you are going to do to Craig Jones on Wednesday.

Ok, if you insist. “You wanna play? Ok. Ok. Say chello to my little friend.” “I’ll bury those cockroaches.”

Thanks for your time and good luck on Wednesday.

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Impressions from Week 1

August 28th, 2008 Ilya Krasik

So, 2008 USCL Season has finally rolled around, hard to believe, but it’s been 3 long eventful years, this being the 4th season. The league has expanded and so has the fan base, with it of course comes new challenges as well, how to manage the team, how to attract interest, how to market and raise money etc. Forgive my slight digression and let’s delve into last night’s match itself.

As soon as I arrived at the Boston Blitz home location I definitely could feel the winds of change.

Besides welcoming David Vigorito, I was quite surprised to see another fellow with him, FM Braden Bournival. Last year it was simply unthinkable that he would come to watch our games unless he planned to leave on a stretcher but of course one cannot keep old grudges forever and sometimes circumstances force you to become more amenable as well. Another thing I noticed was this guy with a huge camera, rather a huge lens, well I sort of assumed he was some local photo enthusiast and really didn’t pay much attention to him. I am talking to my friends and teammates while the guy was unloading his shots. Then I decided to be a little nosy so I ask the guy who the hell he is and to my great amazement he tells me he is from the Boston Globe. My jaw almost dropped. What is Boston Globe doing at our match?!

I think my tone even changed as I began to talk to him with much more attentiveness. Anyhow he took some pictures and left only to be replaced by another fellow, he had a notepad and was asking questions, also from the Globe. He was especially interested in talking to Jorge (no idea why :) ) and my friend Alla, who is basically a chess groupie, just kidding… she is just a good friend and a loyal fan.

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Ilya Krasik talks to “The Bee” Denys Shmelov

November 24th, 2007 Chris Bird

Ilya Krasik – Denys, Where were you born, grew up, what was your childhood like?

Denys Shmelov – I was born in Kharkov, Ukraine (then Soviet Union) and spent there 19 years of my life. Growing up in a country with stagnating economy, exorbitant crime rate, rampage unemployment and desperate people was a lot of fun. Good thing I was too young to understand what’s going on.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Hmm… Russian classical literature. I remember myself obediently reading all huge novels we had on reading list. I am one of those few maniacs who read the whole “War and Peace”. I am so proud of this fact that I always mention it even if no one asks :)

How were you introduced to chess, did anyone in your family play the game? Was there a particular player(s) that you idolized?

Both my parent knew how to play, my father had pretty decent strength back in the days. There was no one I really idolized, I always tried to learn a little bit from everyone.

Who will win the current Fide Knockout in Khanty-Mansisk, Anand-Kramnik match, next US Ch.? Who will win the US presidency in 2008?

Fide-Knockout… I will be rooting for Shirov even though he will not win. I think Anand will beat Kramnik, even though it’s a close battle. Hillary wins 2008 that’s a no-brainer.

What are your hobbies besides chess? (Pollination does not count :) )

I really like reading (duh… someone crazy enough to read Tolstoy), listening to music, watching baseball. Nothing much really, life doesn’t leave much time for hobbies.

A few years ago your native Ukraine went through so-called Orange Revolution, the opposition sported Blue, are you “Orange or “Blue” at heart?

Now that’s a question no living American could ever ask me :) Definitely orange, I even smuggled a CD of Orange Revolution music when I came to US. Still sometimes listen to it when I feel a bit nostalgic :)

When and did you immigrate to the US, how hard was the transition process, i.e. adaptation to new language and new culture? Do you have any family here? What was most surprising to you upon arrive to U.S.?

I came here in November 2005. Transition process… yeah wasn’t really easy, took me quite a bit of time. I live with my mom, stepfather and two sisters from the second marriage, so I can’t complain about lack of family support. Most surprising thing… probably Nashua mall, one of the very first things I saw :)

Why are you nicknamed the “Bee”, do you mind it or love it?

Yeah, they called me that since high-school. Bumble-bee to be precise :)   I don’t mind it at all, feel like it kind of suits me.

You must be eating your Wheaties because your rating jumped from around 2230 last year to almost 2400 today, what is the real for this jump, do you have a secret improvement method?

I think I am just recapturing what I’ve lost. I don’t feel like I really improved since I moved here, just started playing more frequently, that’s all. And I hate cereal by the way, ugly creation of American culinary.

Are you currently offering chess lessons in person or online?

I tried it some time ago but demand was so overwhelming that I gave up on this idea :)

You are a pretty active tournament player, is there a particular tournament you enjoy, do you have a favorite chess club?

My favorite is Metrowest Chess Club in Natick, MA, which offers slow time control, competitive crowd and convenient location. That’s the only place where I play consistently.

Jorge introduced the term “customers”, guys whom you have played many times and with a lopsided result in your favor, do you have any such customers?

I guess this doubtful honor goes out to Chris Chase, who seems to have no luck playing me.

Let’s talk about the US Chess League, did you know about its existence before this season, did you follow your current team? How did you land on the Blitz?

Yeah, I was following Boston’s progress last year. I remember being quite upset after Blitz was eliminated by Knights in semi-finals. Even back then I though it would be nice to be a part of Boston squad. Be careful what you wish for… In July, when my rating was 150 points up from what it was year ago Matt contacted me and officially invited to the team. Needless to say I didn’t hesitate a second.

You’ve had a remarkable rookie season, your were the most active regular season player and you went undefeated. Did you expect to as well as you did, how do you prepare of your games?

I expected to be competitive, but I didn’t think I will do that well. I mean, in many games I was out-rated, outclassed, had black most of the games, always would get in some doubtful positions. And yet I managed to score few points here and there…

It seems that you are very tenacious as a player, you can be in a bad position but you don’t collapse, where others would… Do you agree with that statement (modesty sucks in America)? Do you think this quality of hanging in there is coachable, is it mental control or something else?

Yes, I guess you can call me tenacious player. It would be nice to have some other chess qualities to go with it, but that’s about all I have :) This quality is coachable, like anything else in chess, even though I can’t think of a way to actually do it. I never was good with openings so I would always get into bad positions and try to hold for my dear life. And, most importantly, I didn’t quit chess after playing like this and having 7 consecutive tournaments with rating loss :)

Did you enjoy your mini-match (3 games) against Jay Bonin, and how did beating the “Knights” feel?

I can’t really say I enjoyed playing Bonin that much. I felt really intimidated facing the guy who plays more tournament games in one year that I played in my entire life. And his openings were also so boring… I remember preparing for semi-final and going through all his white games trying to find more or less off-beat line he might play. I spent several hours looking at all kinds of lines, even those I never played before. Fortunately he took care of that problem starting game with 1.b3. That was really rare move, I bet he started his games like this only few hundred times.

Beating the Knights sure felt good, even though I spoiled a celebration for myself. But still, for true New Englanders (which I am not yet, even though I am trying my hardest) beating New York is an experience to die for.

Boston is through to the Finals, in a few days you will be facing one of the only guys on Dallas whose last name I dare spell, IM Jacek Stopa, what do you think of him as a player?

The day I found out I will be facing Stopa was one of the worst days in my entire life. Lineups were posted on Thursday night, right in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner. I remember when the terrible news arrived I choked on my gravy and spilled my wine all over white tablecloth. The rest of my night was spoiled. What am I going to do? How am I going to face this monster, this ultimate killing machine? Since Thursday I’ve been restless and anxious, I stopped eating, sleeping, doing my homework and even making ironic jokes… it is really that bad.

I have read several interviews with Dallas players: they all clamor how great Stopa is and are drunk with optimism that he is going to beat you. Do you think their celebration is premature, how do you approach your game vs IM Stopa ? What city will the parade go through?

As I mentioned before I haven’t slept since Thursday and the gravy I choked on was the last meal I had… Considering this the game should be a totally easy walk for Stopa. All he needs is to show up and make the first ten moves not blundering his queen. I don’t think I will be able to do the same… but there are other three boards which I am sure will do better than me. Therefore we are expecting a parade in Boston.

Things won’t be that clear incase Dallas wins though. They will probably hold their parade in Belgrade… or maybe Zagreb, Warsaw or Ulaan-Bator? I am sure they will work it out…

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Ilya Krasik talks to “The Bear” Chris Williams

November 24th, 2007 Chris Bird

Ilya Krasik – Chris tell us a bit about yourself, where were your born, who introduced you to chess and how, what are your favorite books? When did you play your first tournament and how well did you do?

Chris Williams – Well I was born actually not to far from where we play our matches, Cambridge Hospital. I was taught the rules of chess by my 3rd grade teacher with those fat plastic pieces that say the way the pieces move on the fronts. I didn’t play much after that until I turned 10-11 then I played my first tournament, some little scholastic at the Metrowest Club, I went 3-1.

Chess players are a superstitious bunch; do you have any weird superstitions?

I’m the most psychologically soft person I know when it comes to chess and am affected by everything at the board, which is why I use music before and during play to keep my self in sync.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial life (aliens)? Do you believe in God?

I won’t go much into detail about it, I am Jewish, and I also have kind of joked/preached about a philosophy of mine called the “Bonus Question” to some friends, lol.

You are currently a senior in high school, what are your plans for next year?

I plan to go to college next year.

What is your number one college choice? Do you plan to continue playing actively when in college?

Chess messed up my life, school especially, my performance in school and energy, I do not recommend to anyone who wants to live a happy life as it totally destroys your spirit. My #1 choice is U Mass Boston as I can go for free and it’s not far from where I live, about a 40 minute train ride.

How did the nickname “Bear” come about? And what’s the story behind your ICC handle “Exiledbear?”

A very, very close friend of mine, Vanessa Diaz, (an incredibly gifted, vivacious, beautiful chess girl) gave me the nick name chrissybear. It quickly spread and I’m now known by that name not only in chess but everywhere. I gave my self the handle Exiledbear because at the time I bought it I was feeling exiled by chess and life in general.

Who are favorite chess players?

Fischer is my favorite legend while Christiansen is my favorite player of all time; his style and commitment to chess are most inspiring to me. I agree whole heartedly with Fischer’s view and theories about corrupt chess at the highest level and I agree it is quite possible that they fixed all those games. I think Fischer has a lot of interesting points actually; he’s really quite sane if you look past his stupid rants such as the Jewish-hate nonsense, which is totally ridiculous so I don’t even acknowledge it.

Have you heard about new FIDE regulations requiring certain top players to undergo a drug test, is this the stupidest thing ever or does it make sense in the context of chess competition?

Well I wouldn’t be surprised if they started doing drug testing. I myself admit to taking drugs that by sheer luck have also contributed to my chess improvement. Adderal really heightens all of the senses, extra senses needed while playing, and it should not be allowed as I think it gives me an unfair advantage, lol. There was only one game this season I wasn’t on it for, that game against the little kid where I mated him in like 12 moves, yeah so I didn’t need it for that, lol.

Any plans to play in Russia, say in Aeroflot, and maybe meet some real Russian Bears?

Hmmm, my good friend, Ilya Krasik, did introduce me to that opportunity and I will have to give it some thought, logistically speaking, but of course I’d love to if I’m able and available.

Recently there has been much discussion about women’s chess in the US: some people feel that women get undue privileges, i.e. special tournaments, special prizes and unwarranted publicity, others feel that we need to do what it takes to attract more women to chess, what is your take on this issue and who in your opinion is the most talented Junior female player in the U.S. today?

Well I agree that this sexist stuff is totally not needed, but because of past history, we will have to just look the other way. Women were treated so unfairly in the past, thought to not be as smart or capable as men in any area except the house and childcare, that they deserve special accommodations and privileges for having the courage to come out into a field dominated with men and prove they are just as capable.

I have met many young talented chess girls throughout my chess life, I mean I can’t really say special things about their chess skills in relation to their gender as I am a firm believer in one’s intelligence not being linked with whether they are male or female, but I will say that chess girls are much, much, better at separating their ferocious chess feelings from their sweet personalities than dudes are. You would never be able to tell from being around chess girls in public places that they were capable of such cut throat determination.

Let’s talk about the US Chess League, did you know about the existence of USCL before this season? What are your impressions from your rookie season in the league, tell us about your team, teammates and the general atmosphere? How do you prepare for USCL matches? Do you play differently in USCL than in OTB tournaments because it is an online team event and because you know many folks are watching?

I became aware of the USCL’s existence in the middle of last season and fell in love with it right away. It’s a great concept, brilliant, and I think it’s great for chess and is very entertaining both chess wise and socially, and I take my hat off to Greg Shahade and company for putting it all together. We have an amazing team this year, I think Eugene, Larry and Jorge are monster top boards to have in our arsenal, and Denys is a pimp. Denys and I getting a discount, rating wise, to play is pretty good. I think Bill Kelleher has displayed some huge chess this season too and I was very impressed with his games even though his results weren’t all that good, and as for Ilya, people need to stop hating as I know from personal experience that Ilya is a very strong master, and that he is just going through an unlucky/bad slump that we all go through. I did for like 2 years straight and we should all just chill.

Last week the Blitz defeated the NY Knights, which you came through with a big win over Iryna Zenyuk. Tell us about that game, what was Bd2 all about?

LOL, yeah, New York is a very strong team although I think they would be much stronger without Nakamura. He doesn’t seem to much care for his team’s performance and has sort of just been like an ornament for them this whole season. I will say again, Iryna is a phenomenal player, a very sweet person who was very kind to me in between games and everyone just says how nice she is as a person. I really enjoyed playing with her, she is a very good sport and we need more people like her in chess. As for Bd2, I did that for Charbonneau, when I played him in Miami I was having some weird reactions from my Adderal and while I was playing him I was kind of thinking differently and had the urge to play this move. I actually got a winning position and messed it up, but yeah I thought I would spice up the match with some good memories for him to think about while he played Jorge, lol.

As the NY-Boston match was winding down, Nakamura started coming out with excuses about how unimportant he views the whole enterprise, yet I have heard from several sources that at the same time, Knight’s manager/player, Irina Krush, was upset realizing NY was knocked out. How important is team chemistry in your opinion, what is your take on Blitz’s togetherness?

Oh yeah I mean you have to be with your team through thick and thin, be there to celebrate and also to console when you lose, but most important, above all, always give your best for your team, always. Admitting you don’t care, or using it as an excuse is totally ridiculous and I think Nakamura should be cut from the team. Who wants an arrogant ball hog on their team? Not me. The Blitz have fun and are fierce as a team and that is why we win.

Your next opponent is Dallas; it’s the USCL Finals so the stakes couldn’t be higher. What do you know about your finals opponent, she has a complicated last name that I dare not spell, have you seen her games? Dallas players claim they will win the match, and that they believed they would win it all from the very beginning, what do you think about their cockiness, who will prevail in the upcoming match?

I am going to use my best judgment for this game. I am still not sure how I am going to approach this, preparation wise, but I think the Blitz are going to win the title for sure.

At the start of this USCL season you have said on many occasions that you feel you aren’t getting the respect, after finishing the season with a remarkable 6/8 score, do you feel you are finally getting that respect?

I mean people can say what they want, I have talked a lot of trash, yeah, but I have closed it all off for each and every one of my games and tried to play the best chess I can with all the seriousness I have, that’s what you do when you’re on a team, Nakamura should pay attention to that.

Thanks for your time Chris, and best of luck against Dallas.

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So Far So Good or a Work in Progress?

September 25th, 2007 Chris Bird

I got tired of reading nonsense from other team’s blogs and decided to write my own masterpiece today, I think, I didn’t get enough sleep or something so please forgive me in advance. All is good in Blitzland. We jumped out of the gate again this year and find ourselves at the top of the standings. We are at the same location this year so all Bostonians are welcome to swing by (don’t even think of coming without bringing us beer or at least coffee). Yet the team is somewhat different: new editions namely Jorge (call him heywhore at your own risk), the Bee, and the Bear add personality and color. All three new editions have been carefully selected and groomed from the vast talent pool that we are so fortunate to have here in Boston. All three have performed remarkably well, Jorge is 2/2, the Bee 3/4 (no losses), and the Bear is 3/3! Kudos to Matt Phelps, who is already drawing comparisons to Bill Belichick. Let’s break down the matches so far…

Week 1, Seattle: The match was preceded by some carryover hype from the previous season, when Seattle’s then-in-charge manager Mr. Ballard made a number of bold statements, namely that the League is biased toward the East (I hope the sun isn’t biased also) and that I should play him down a rook for some reason, for money! He kept threatening to play all year and, despite being on the roster in 2006, he didn’t play a single game. When 2007 rolled around he had found something better to do and the match-up so many have been waiting for, never materialized… oh well. I was scheduled to play in this one but knowing how badly the Bear wanted to play, I conceded my spot to him. He surely didn’t disappoint, coming through with a big and the only win of the night, handing Boston its first victory of 2007. Uraaaaa… 2.5-1.5 Boston

Week 2, Queens: My game vs. Coleman is still giving me nightmares. I completely outplayed him from a bad opening position, missed some winning chances and then threw away a draw too in severe time pressure. (Qd4+ followed by Ne4, instead of Ne2+?? And also d3!, instead of Bb5). However, my teammates had my back, both Larry and Jorge winning on bds 1 and 2. Larry won a smooth game against Ibragimov, where it looked like Ildar missed some nuances, and Jorge was in big trouble, but defended well and won. It all came down to the Bee and the infamous mouse slip. Missing in all this chaos was the fact that Denys was reemerging from any troubles he may have had and at the point of the slip he looked like he was going to hold a draw, thereby giving us the victory. In general, I have got to say that he is one tough player; and some of the positions he has managed to salvage in this young season, look very impressive. 3-1 Boston

Week 3, Philadelphia: The battle between the leaders and the only perfect teams in the League wasn’t close at all. Boston played confidently and purposefully from the start. On board 2 Jorge’s relayer played 1.e4, instead of the intended 1.d4 but Instead of allowing Philip to take the move back, Jorge saw it as a sign and overruled him, who cares what move you win with right!? Looking at the board 15-20 moves later, I was quite happy with his choice and by the looks of it, so was he! Denys was nowhere to be found, his time kept ticking away, and then as I was outside, having a cigarette, I see a figure emerging out of the darkness. It was Denys. He mumbled something and ran into the playing room, his game was the first one to finish as he trapped his opponent’s Queen on move 25 or so, forcing immediate resignation. On board 4, the Bear was possessed or something because he really tore up Philadelphia’s Elvin Wilson, sacking his piece on a6, and then finding the cute Qe4 move which forced a winning endgame, which he easily converted. Not to be outdone, Jorge defeated Bryan Smith on board 2 in a game that particularly stood out for its many fireworks, Bxa6, Rxc3, Rxd6, Qc4! etc. Most amazing was his ability to play the very best moves in a complex position and in time pressure for the second game in a row; maybe we ought to take away some of his time in the beginning of the game, cause he seems to play stronger when he doesn’t have any. Eugene drew comfortably despite feeling sick that day and the rout was finished, the match separated the men from the boys. 3.5-.5 Boston

Week 4, NY: As many guessed beforehand, it would be the first match in League history to pit two GMs a-piece on the top boards. NY came into the match having scored a miserable .5/3 and Boston was sitting on top of the mountain. It was important for us not to have a let down. Nakamura-LC game was the first one to finish. Larry initiated complications with 20…e3!, which lead to an exchange sac for several pawns, soon fizzling out to draw. With the black pieces, it was a result the Blitz was quite satisfied with. However, the Bee’s game looked like a wreckage of a derailed train; it didn’t seem likely he would hold against Jay Bonin. Eugene had a typical kind of English position that I couldn’t yet assess and Chrissy looked worse after the opening. However soon, Boston started making a run, we always do. Vicary seemed confused after banging out her opening like a robot, she started retreating on all fronts and lost quickly after a few precise moves by the Bear. Boston was in the lead. The Bee, as I mentioned before is one tough player and he kept digging in and digging in, what seemed like a sure loss no longer seemed certain at all. Then the game Bonin-Bee reached a point when it looked like Bee was going to secure a draw with perpetual. Bonin, having woke up, I think decided to play for a win with Kh3!?, given the team score. As a result an interesting endgame arose, which was up and down and at one point, Denys came one square away from finding a beautiful textbook win based on zugzwang (the move was Rh3! instead of Rg3). However, Denys found a cute draw trick that we had all anticipated and so it now all came down to the match up between former UMBC buddies Eugene and Pascal. Unfortunately Pascal’s knight (no pun intended) was a real pain in the butt and the time factor didn’t favor us as well. It was a position I am sure Eugene can hold in a normal game, but here, given the time the pressure and the overall exhaustion, he eventually ended up in a mating net, a hard fought battle, 2-2.

I am sure the rest of season promises to be even more exciting. Tune in to watch your beloved Blitz kick butt all over the country, and if you live close, come by and cheer us on. Be sure to keep checking our new home: www.Boston-Blitz.com for all official team information and photos, as well as Blitz merchandise. Big thanks goes out to Chris Bird for creating and maintaining this page.

In case you still didn’t get it… Bee = Denys Shmelov (Shmel – bumble bee in Russian) and Bear = Chris Williams… Chrissy Bear or Exiled Bear, so many names I get confused myself!

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Boston Blitz Team


Jorge Sammour
Manager
Larry Christiansen
GM
Eugene Perelshteyn
GM
Denys Shmelov
 

Marc Esserman
IM
Vadim Martirosov
 
Anya Corke
WGM
Ilya Krasik
 

Andrew Wang
 
David Vigorito
IM (Alternate)
Stuart Finney
(Alternate)
Matt Phelps
Assistant Manager

Blitz Benefactors