Week 9 Lineup/Preview

Monday, 7:15 PM EDT
Time Control 90 min. with 30 sec. increment

Boston Blitz vs. Baltimore Kingfishers
SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (2604) - GM Larry Kaufman (2467)
IM Jan van de Mortel (2499) - IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2426)
NM Vadim Martirosov (2329) - FM Ralph Zimmer (2280)
NM Ilya Krasik (2264) - NM Ian Schoch (2296)

Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.

---

Board 1: SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun vs. GM Larry Kaufman. SM Sammour-Hasbun is (+4 -1) on the season and (+2 -1) against Baltimore. GM Kaufman is (=3 -3) on the season and (=2 -4) against Boston. SM Sammour-Hasbun has a large rating advantage and the white pieces so it will be all GM Kaufman can do to try to at least hold a draw.

Board 2: IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat vs. IM Jan van de Mortel. IM Enkhbat is (+2 =3 -3) on the season and (+2 =1 -3) against Boston. IM van de Mortel is (=3) on the season and has not played Baltimore. IM van de Mortel has a rating edge but IM Enkhbat has the white pieces so this match-up seems about even.

Board 3: NM Vadim Martirosov vs. FM Ralph Zimmer. NM Martirosov is (+2 =1 -2) on the season and (=4) against Baltimore. FM Zimmer is (=1) on the season and (=2 -1) against Boston. These two played to a draw during last year's Quarterfinals. NM Martirosov has a slight rating advantage and the white pieces.

Board 4: NM Ian Schoch vs. NM Ilya Krasik. NM Schoch is (+3 -1) on the season and (+1) against Boston. NM Krasik is (+1 -4) on the season and (+3 =1 -3) against Baltimore. This time, NM Schoch has the only rating edge for Baltimore, albeit a slight one, and the white pieces.

Both teams are fighting for a playoff berth with Boston currently holding the 4th and last spot in the Eastern Division. Baltimore, which is 1 match point behind, can tie Boston (and be ahead on the first tie-break) with a win this week. Also, either the New England Nor'easters or Carolina Cobras could take control of that coveted final playoff spot if Baltimore wins.

A drawn match would still keep some faint playoff hopes alive for Baltimore, but it would depend on having at most one team of Manhattan, Boston, New England, and Carolina passing 4.5 match points for the season and Baltimore being able to pass those teams in game points. Of course, Baltimore would like to avoid such a dire scenario.

Finally, a match loss would eliminate Baltimore from playoff contention.

Week 8 Lineup/Preview

Wednesday, 7:15 PM EDT
Time Control 90 min. with 30 sec. increment

Manhattan Applesauce vs. Baltimore Kingfishers
IM Eli Vovsha (2531) - GM Giorgi Margvelashvili (2538)
IM Dmitry Schneider (2522) - GM Larry Kaufman (2467)
FM Andrei Zaremba (2417) - IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2426)
NM Matan Prilleltensky (2186) - Charles Yang (2046)

Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.

---

Board 1: IM Eli Vovsha vs. GM Giorgi Margvelashvili. IM Vovsha is (+1 =1) on the season and (+2 =1 -1) against Baltimore. GM Margvelashvili is (=1 -1) on the season and has not played Manhattan.

Board 2: GM Larry Kaufman vs. IM Dmitry Schneider. GM Kaufman is (=3 -2) this season and (+2 -1) against Manhattan. IM Schneider is making his season debut and is (+1 =1) against Baltimore.

Board 3: FM Andrei Zaremba vs. IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. FM Zaremba is (=1) on the season and (+1 =1) against Baltimore. Meanwhile IM Enkhbat is (+2 =3 -2) this season and (=2 -2) against Manhattan.

Board 4: Charles Yang vs. NM Matan Prilleltensky. Charles Yang is making his USCL debut for the Baltimore Kingfishers. NM Prilleltensky is (+1 -1) on the season and has not played Baltimore.

The top 3 boards in this match are all fairly even match-ups, but Manhattan has a relatively good advantage on Board 4 as NM Prilleltensky has a 140-point rating advantage over Baltimore's youngest and newest team member, Charles Yang. Manhattan currently sits with 3.5 match points in 3rd place in the Eastern Division. Baltimore is only half a match point back along with 3 other teams (5th place by tie-break). With only 3 weeks to go and practically just 2 playoff spots up for grabs, every game point could turn out to be the difference between a post-season berth or season's end for either team.

Week 7 Lineup/Preview

Wednesday, 7:15 PM EDT
Time Control 90 min. with 30 sec. increment

Baltimore Kingfishers vs. Carolina Cobras
GM Larry Kaufman (2467) - IM Jonathan Schroer (2435)
IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2426) - FM Kassa Korley (2368)
NM Jared Defibaugh (2363) - FM Ron Simpson (2317)
FM Ralph Zimmer (2280) - NM Craig Jones (2305)

Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.

---

Board 1: GM Larry Kaufman vs. IM Jonathan Schroer. GM Kaufman is (+3 =1 -1) against Carolina and (=2 -2) on the season while IM Schroer is (+1 =3 -1) against Baltimore and (+1 =1 -2) on the season. These two have played twice before: a draw in 2007 and a GM Kaufman win in 2010. This is a pretty even match-up but having the white pieces and a win in their previous head-to-head game bodes well for GM Kaufman.

Board 2: FM Kassa Korley vs. IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. FM Korley is (+2 =1 -1) on the season but he has not yet played Baltimore while IM Enkhbat is (+3 =2 -2) against Carolina and (+2 =3 -1) on the season. IM Enkhbat has the slight rating advantage but FM Korley has the white pieces. This game may come down to which team needs to press for a win as the match situation clears up.

Board 3: NM Jared Defibaugh vs. FM Ron Simpson. NM Defibaugh is (=1) against Carolina and (+3 -2) on the season while FM Simpson is (-2) against Baltimore and (+2 =2) on the season. NM Defibaugh has the slight rating edge and the white pieces. He will be looking to snap the recent (-2) cold streak after starting (+3) this season.

Board 4: NM Craig Jones vs. FM Ralph Zimmer. NM Jones is (+1 =2 -3) against Baltimore and (=2 -2) on the season while FM Zimmer is making his season debut and (+1 =1 -2) against Carolina. These two have also played twice before: a NM Jones win in 2007 and a draw in 2006. Another fairly even match, but this time, Carolina's NM Jones has the white pieces and the plus score in the head-to-head.

Week 6 Lineup/Preview

Wednesday, 8:00 PM EDT
Time Control 75 min. with 30 sec. increment

Chicago Blaze vs. Baltimore Kingfishers
GM Mesgen Amanov (2576) - GM Giorgi Margvelashvili (2538)
GM Dmitry Gurevich (2547) - IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2426)
IM Angelo Young (2415) - NM Jared Defibaugh (2363)
NM Gopal Menon (2222) - NM Ian Schoch (2296)

Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.

---

Board 1: GM Mesgen Amanov vs. GM Giorgi Margvelashvili. GM Amanov is (+2) this season while GM Margvelashvili is (-1) this season. Amazingly, GM Amanov will be playing on the third different board in his third game. He faces fellow-GM Margvelashvili who will be looking to rebound from the loss in his first USCL game. This is one of the few times Baltimore has not been heavily out-rated on Board 1 this season, so they would definitely like to make the most of the opportunity.

Board 2: IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat vs. GM Dmitry Gurevich. IM Enkhbat is (=1) against Chicago and (+1 =3 -1) on the season while GM Gurevich is (+2 =1) on the season. A tough match-up for IM Enkhbat as he at a 121-point rating disadvantage and GM Gurevich has only conceded 1 draw in 6 USCL games against non-GM opponents.

Board 3: IM Angelo Young vs. NM Jared Defibaugh. IM Young is (=1) against Baltimore and (+2) on the season while NM Defibaugh is (+3 -1) on the season. IM Young will face his toughest opponent so far this season while NM Defibaugh looks to put last week's loss behind him. IM Young has the rating edge and the white pieces while this will be NM Defibaugh's first game with the black pieces this season.

Board 4: NM Ian Schoch vs. NM Gopal Menon. NM Schoch is (+3) on the season while NM Menon is (+1) on the season. NM Schoch has the only rating advantage for Baltimore in this match and he will have the white pieces. That bodes well for continuing his excellent record from the first half as he faces another league newcomer in NM Menon.