Boston 3.0 - Miami 1.0

The first night of USCL 2.0 is done! Last year we played our matches at my home club, the Metrowest Chess Club, and since I set up the wireless network there, I became the de facto manager of the team. Most of my duties were just keeping the network alive, and dealing with reconnects to ICC when it wasn't. This year we are playing where I work, at the Harvard Observatory in Cambridge, MA. (Thanks to the Harvard Chess Club for acting as our official liaison, making it "legal" for us to use one of the classrooms here.) We're tapping into the wired network which makes my life easier; and the location much closer to the city makes life easier for the players. In fact, Larry Christiansen walked to the site!

The night began with the usual routine for a chess organizer/TD; setting up the tables and chairs. I swear, that is how TDs spend most of their time. I did get help from the official TD for the Blitz, Philip Nutzman, a near-expert player himself who works and studies here. Then wires were strewn about for the laptops; one per board. In a fit of end-user-itis, I panicked when one of the laptops couldn't connect to ICC, even though I had tested each port of our router. Was it a bad cable? Could I get a new one in time? Fortunately, no one else was there to witness my red face as this system administrator made the ultimate error of "not plugging it in." Once the wayward network cable was inserted into it's proper place, all was well.

The players all made it in plenty of time, after a few cell phone calls to guide them to the new location. I took advantage of my lofty position to relay the Christiansen - Becerra game. There's a lot to be said for letting a lifelong club player sit across from a world class GM, and make the moves of another GM. Philip relayed the Blas Lugo - Foygel game, Vadim Martirosov took care of the computer himself (though he first made the moves on a live board to protect him from mouse slips), and a stalwart volunteer from last year, Mark La Rocca, relayed the moves for the Cabrera - Krasik match-up on board 4. Later in the evening Blitz team members Bill Kelleher and Eugene Perelshteyn (fresh from a lecture at the Boylston Chess Club in neighboring Somerville, MA) came, including a few spouses and even a couple of spectators.

I won't comment on the games themselves; I'll leave that to others more qualified, but I have a few impressions that I remember.

Larry's win was very nice. Becerra's menacing looking passed pawns were stymied by the bishop pair vs. rook, and those raking bishops were also attacking, trapping the black king with the help of a pawn on g6. Larry simply dinked the h-pawn forward and there was nothing Becerra could do to prevent it from coming down the board and administering mate on g7. 1-0 Boston.

Click here for the Christiansen - Becerra game.

Ilya's position early on and in the middlegame looked butt ugly. Apparently he agreed with my assessment judging by all the heavy sighs and grunts he made (Note to self: Invite Ilya to a poker game!) He admitted he was playing "the worst ever." Somehow he wriggled a little free, then Cabrera went pawn hunting and a timely exchange sac by Ilya unleashed his queen and bishop for the kill. Larry muttered "Lucky Bastard," and there was much back slapping and pumping of fists. 2-0 Boston.

Click here for the Cabrera - Krasik game.

I didn't get much chance to watch Vadim's game, but at the end he sacked his bishop on g7, which looked like it forced a perpetual. Apparently Marinez thought he should try to win given the match score, and interposed his bishop instead of allowing the repetition. It was soon lost, and then check, attack the queen, check, mate! 3-0 Boston.

Click here for the Martirosov - Martinez game.

Likewise, I didn't watch most of Igor's game either. But at the end white got a killer passed a-pawn. I remember joking outside, after Igor was forced to play Qa8 with the pawn on a7, that Igor had it soundly blockaded with his queen. 3-1 Boston. Igor asked me if he was still on the team; I told him I'd think about it.

Click here for the Lugo - Foygel game.

It was an excellent start to the season, no technical glitches to speak of, and some exciting chess!

I'll post some pictures soon.