Time Control 90 min. with 30 sec. increment
Baltimore Kingfishers vs. New Jersey Knockouts
GM Larry Kaufman (2467) - GM Boris Gulko (2587)
IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2426) - IM Dean Ippolito (2554)
NM Jared Defibaugh (2363) - FM Arthur Shen (2291)
NM Ian Schoch (2296) - Christopher Wu (2151)
Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.
Board 1: GM Larry Kaufman vs. GM Boris Gulko. New Jersey really seems to have GM Kaufman's number as he is (-3) against them while GM Gulko's only game (+1) against Baltimore was with GM Kaufman. Having a 120-point rating disadvantage, GM Kaufman will have a tough time turning that dubious record around against GM Gulko, who is one of the best performers (in terms of win percentage and performance rating) in USCL history.
Board 2: IM Dean Ippolito vs. IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. IM Ippolito is (+3 =1) against Baltimore and IM Enkhbat is (+2 =2 -2) against New Jersey. These two players have actually squared off three times (See 1 2 3) already with 2 wins for IM Ippolito and a draw between them. IM Enkhbat did manage to draw against GM Fedorowicz last week. With the black pieces again this week and facing another large rating disadvantage (128 points), IM Enkhbat will look to hold on again.
Board 3: NM Jared Defibaugh vs. FM Arthur Shen. NM Defibaugh is (-1) against New Jersey while NM Shen is playing for the first time against Baltimore. NM Defibaugh notched the only victory for Baltimore last week while FM Shen, the only returning player from New Jersey's Week 1 lineup, drew his game. This time, with a slight rating edge and the white pieces again, NM Defibaugh has a great opportunity to make a strong start this season.
Board 4: Christopher Wu vs. NM Ian Schoch. Christopher Wu is playing his first USCL game while NM Schoch scored 2.0/3 overall last year. NM Schoch has a significant 145-rating advantage, so he will be counted on to press for victory with the black pieces.
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