The Knockouts have one task this week -- to beat the Baltimore Kingfishers.
And not just beat them... utterly destroy them by a score of 4-0.
Because unless the ultimate destruction occurs, there will be no more United States Chess League season for the Knockouts. A 4-0 win by New Jersey will propel the Knockouts into the playoffs. Any other score will send the Knockouts to the phones to set up their tee times.
Watch all the action on the Internet Chess Club, Monday October 25, 2010, at 7:45pm.
Showing posts with label preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preview. Show all posts
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Knockouts Roster 2010
KNOCKOUTS KNEWS
by Robert N. Bernard, NJKO Manager
The New Jersey Knockouts are getting prepared for their fourth season in the United States Chess League. Last year, the NJKOs had the best regular season record in the USCL, but were vanquished in the divisional final by the eventual USCL champion, the New York Knights.
This year, the Knockouts have returned with many of the same players as last year, and a new face. GM Joel "Señor Sombrero" Benjamin (pictured at right), captain and founder of the Knockouts, once again leads the team on the top board. GM Boris "The Incredible Gulk" Gulko, hopes to continue his streak of eight straight USCL wins on Board 2, which made him a USCL Board 2 All-Star last year.
IM Dean "501" Ippolito, also a 2009 USCL Board 2 All-Star, returns to the team as well, despite preparing for his world record simultaneous exhibition attempt in November. Newly minted IM Mackensie "Big Mac" Molner will capitalize on all his recent tournament successes to take down the Knockouts' opposition.
Also returning are FM Victor "No Longer Eligible for U-2400" Shen, who won the U-2400 section of the World Open this year, and IM Albert "Dr. Theory" Kapengut who returns after his two victories last season.
The team's rookie, FM Gregory "The Fridge" Markzon, will fill a valuable hole in the team's roster, filling the mid-2200 range. FM Arthur "Bro-Bro" Shen, returns as a formidable fourth board.
Finally, we have Sean "Dorsal" Finn, last year's late season replacement, returning to more success. And, finally, Anna "Gonna Drop You To The" Matlin, will anchor the final position.
Currently three of the Knockouts, Victor Shen, Arthur Shen, and Anna Matlin are competing in the North American Youth Championships, for which you can see up to the minute results by clicking here. Anna has all but sewn up her division (Girls Under 16) already, and the Shen brothers are in contention for the top prizes in their divisions as well.
Stay tuned for more Knockouts' Knews!
Monday, November 9, 2009
First Round Playoffs: Knockouts Look to Piscatorially Dethrone Kingfishers
by Joseph Criscuolo
The New Jersey Knockouts enter their first playoff game in team history in a great position to contend for a US Chess League Championship. To get there, they must first concentrate on defeating the Baltimore Kingfishers. By virtue of finishing first, the Knockouts own draw odds and thus a score of 2-2 will be good enough to advance to the Eastern Division finals. The Knockouts defeated the Kingfishers in Week 7 by a score of 3.5-0.5, but both lineups in this match definitely have a different look to them. For the Knockouts they feature a lineup of Joel Benjamin, Dean Ippolito, Mackenzie Molner, and Sean Finn against a Baltimore Kingfishers' lineup of Sergey Erenburg, Tegshsuren Enkhbat, Shinsaku Uesugi, and Tsagaan Battsetseg. The Knockouts will own white on boards one and three, and black on boards two and four. If Knockouts can stay consistent with history they have a good shot at winning, the Knockouts own the record against the two teams with a record of 3.5-1.5.
GM Joel Benjamin makes his USCL playoffs debut as white against GM Sergey Erenburg on board one. Joel Benjamin had a huge season for the Knockouts earning five out of nine points in nine games with three wins, four draws, and only two losses. The two grandmasters met two times last season with Sergey Erenburg winning both of those matchups. Sergey Erenburg is undefeated in five games with two wins and three draws.
On board two is IM Dean Ippolito facing off as black against IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. Dean Ippoltio had a huge regular season, in five games he won three, drew one, and only lost once. Tegshsuren Enkhbat’s season has featured him earning points in six out of seven games, with five draws and one win, with one of those draws coming against Knockouts top board Joel Benjamin. The two international masters have met twice, in 2008 and 2007 with Dean Ippolito winning both of these matches for the Knockouts.
SM Mackenzie Molner plays as white on board three against FM Shinsaku Uesugi. These two have never faced each other before in the US Chess League. Mackenzie Molner played four games this season, earning a win and two draws, and only losing one game. Shinsaku Uesugi earned three out of the team’s six points, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in his first season in the US Chess League. Uesugi lost to the Knockout's IM Albert Kapengut in the New Jersey - Baltimore this year.
Sean Finn faces off against WIM Tsagaan Battsetseg with black on board four. In the short time he’s been a Knockout, Finn has done his job well, earning a win and a draw. Finn’s first win came against WGM Jennifer Shahade in a big upset that helped solidify the Knockouts in the game that clinched the Eastern Division. Tsagaan Battsegseg played two games this year, winning one and losing once.
This match can be seen at the Internet Chess Club as always at 7:15 PM Eastern Time, tonight. Time control will be the traditional game 90 with 30 second increments. The other game affecting the Knockouts as long as the Knockouts win, is the game between the New York Knights and Boston Blitz, with the winner of that match facing the winner of the Knockouts-Kingfishers game. The Boston Blitz will win the match if they draw, as they too have received draw odds. Games in the Western Division can be seen on Wednesday, November 11th.
The New Jersey Knockouts enter their first playoff game in team history in a great position to contend for a US Chess League Championship. To get there, they must first concentrate on defeating the Baltimore Kingfishers. By virtue of finishing first, the Knockouts own draw odds and thus a score of 2-2 will be good enough to advance to the Eastern Division finals. The Knockouts defeated the Kingfishers in Week 7 by a score of 3.5-0.5, but both lineups in this match definitely have a different look to them. For the Knockouts they feature a lineup of Joel Benjamin, Dean Ippolito, Mackenzie Molner, and Sean Finn against a Baltimore Kingfishers' lineup of Sergey Erenburg, Tegshsuren Enkhbat, Shinsaku Uesugi, and Tsagaan Battsetseg. The Knockouts will own white on boards one and three, and black on boards two and four. If Knockouts can stay consistent with history they have a good shot at winning, the Knockouts own the record against the two teams with a record of 3.5-1.5.GM Joel Benjamin makes his USCL playoffs debut as white against GM Sergey Erenburg on board one. Joel Benjamin had a huge season for the Knockouts earning five out of nine points in nine games with three wins, four draws, and only two losses. The two grandmasters met two times last season with Sergey Erenburg winning both of those matchups. Sergey Erenburg is undefeated in five games with two wins and three draws.
On board two is IM Dean Ippolito facing off as black against IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. Dean Ippoltio had a huge regular season, in five games he won three, drew one, and only lost once. Tegshsuren Enkhbat’s season has featured him earning points in six out of seven games, with five draws and one win, with one of those draws coming against Knockouts top board Joel Benjamin. The two international masters have met twice, in 2008 and 2007 with Dean Ippolito winning both of these matches for the Knockouts.
SM Mackenzie Molner plays as white on board three against FM Shinsaku Uesugi. These two have never faced each other before in the US Chess League. Mackenzie Molner played four games this season, earning a win and two draws, and only losing one game. Shinsaku Uesugi earned three out of the team’s six points, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in his first season in the US Chess League. Uesugi lost to the Knockout's IM Albert Kapengut in the New Jersey - Baltimore this year.
Sean Finn faces off against WIM Tsagaan Battsetseg with black on board four. In the short time he’s been a Knockout, Finn has done his job well, earning a win and a draw. Finn’s first win came against WGM Jennifer Shahade in a big upset that helped solidify the Knockouts in the game that clinched the Eastern Division. Tsagaan Battsegseg played two games this year, winning one and losing once.
This match can be seen at the Internet Chess Club as always at 7:15 PM Eastern Time, tonight. Time control will be the traditional game 90 with 30 second increments. The other game affecting the Knockouts as long as the Knockouts win, is the game between the New York Knights and Boston Blitz, with the winner of that match facing the winner of the Knockouts-Kingfishers game. The Boston Blitz will win the match if they draw, as they too have received draw odds. Games in the Western Division can be seen on Wednesday, November 11th.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Benjamin Frankly: GM Joel Previews New Jersey's Playoffs
by GM Joel Benjamin
The New Jersey Knockouts find itself in an unaccustomed position. We weren’t quite prepared to clinch a playoff spot midway through the season, not after the brutal finishes to our first two seasons. And clinching the Eastern Division title with a round to spare…we kind of had to pinch ourselves after that. So we go into the playoffs with the top seed, giving us draw odds and choice of colors in the opening round. Our opponents, the Baltimore Kingfishers, are a formidable squad with a strong first board and good balance in their lineup. You can throw out the regular season records when you get to the playoffs, a point driven home to me by the Sunday Sports section of the New York Times. They assessed the strength of all 27 World Series Champion Yankee teams, rating the 2000 team as the worst, one of the worst World Series winners in history. That team, which won only 87 games, defeated my beloved Mets in five games. So while we remain confident, we temper our optimism with caution.
Lineups are affected by player availability. Probably every team will be kept from its ideal lineup at some point in the playoffs by logistical concerns. Both teams will have one of the two grandmasters on the roster in the match. Sergey Erenburg beat me twice last season, so I will be particularly determined to make a good showing on Monday night. We are going with Dean Ippolito and Mac Molner, two of our core players from the beginning, on two and three. Both of them played a bit less than in the past this year, but will be primed for the playoffs. Our fourth board, Sean Finn, was added to the roster late in the season as insurance for the playoffs. He looked good in two games for us—a draw with David Adelberg of Arizona, and a win over Jennifer Shahade of Philadelphia—so we think he’ll do a good job as well.
As the top seed, we got choice of colors. We had to choose before we knew their lineup, though they are fielding pretty much what we expected. With some teams, in may be clear on which boards you want the White pieces, but not always. I think the conventional wisdom is to choose White on one and three, on the theory that color makes a bigger difference for higher rated players than lower rated players. That seemed as good a reason as any to choose white on the odd boards. Indeed, New York and Arizona made the same call, with only Seattle choosing Black. I’m not surprised by the Sluggers’ decision, as Nakamura feels he can beat anybody with either color. If I were that good, maybe I would feel the same way. (If we make it through to the final against Seattle, we will have choice of color.)
The Kingfisher trio of Enkhbat, Uesugi, and Battsetseg are not particularly well versed in opening theory, but they are scrappy players who can be strong if they get the right type of position. On paper the teams are pretty even, but only needing to score two points to advance should make us a slight favorite. Hopefully we will be able to “reel in” their kings (or any other Baltimore-themed phrase in Bioniclime style) and advance to the Division finals.
The New Jersey Knockouts find itself in an unaccustomed position. We weren’t quite prepared to clinch a playoff spot midway through the season, not after the brutal finishes to our first two seasons. And clinching the Eastern Division title with a round to spare…we kind of had to pinch ourselves after that. So we go into the playoffs with the top seed, giving us draw odds and choice of colors in the opening round. Our opponents, the Baltimore Kingfishers, are a formidable squad with a strong first board and good balance in their lineup. You can throw out the regular season records when you get to the playoffs, a point driven home to me by the Sunday Sports section of the New York Times. They assessed the strength of all 27 World Series Champion Yankee teams, rating the 2000 team as the worst, one of the worst World Series winners in history. That team, which won only 87 games, defeated my beloved Mets in five games. So while we remain confident, we temper our optimism with caution.
Lineups are affected by player availability. Probably every team will be kept from its ideal lineup at some point in the playoffs by logistical concerns. Both teams will have one of the two grandmasters on the roster in the match. Sergey Erenburg beat me twice last season, so I will be particularly determined to make a good showing on Monday night. We are going with Dean Ippolito and Mac Molner, two of our core players from the beginning, on two and three. Both of them played a bit less than in the past this year, but will be primed for the playoffs. Our fourth board, Sean Finn, was added to the roster late in the season as insurance for the playoffs. He looked good in two games for us—a draw with David Adelberg of Arizona, and a win over Jennifer Shahade of Philadelphia—so we think he’ll do a good job as well.
As the top seed, we got choice of colors. We had to choose before we knew their lineup, though they are fielding pretty much what we expected. With some teams, in may be clear on which boards you want the White pieces, but not always. I think the conventional wisdom is to choose White on one and three, on the theory that color makes a bigger difference for higher rated players than lower rated players. That seemed as good a reason as any to choose white on the odd boards. Indeed, New York and Arizona made the same call, with only Seattle choosing Black. I’m not surprised by the Sluggers’ decision, as Nakamura feels he can beat anybody with either color. If I were that good, maybe I would feel the same way. (If we make it through to the final against Seattle, we will have choice of color.)
The Kingfisher trio of Enkhbat, Uesugi, and Battsetseg are not particularly well versed in opening theory, but they are scrappy players who can be strong if they get the right type of position. On paper the teams are pretty even, but only needing to score two points to advance should make us a slight favorite. Hopefully we will be able to “reel in” their kings (or any other Baltimore-themed phrase in Bioniclime style) and advance to the Division finals.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Knockouts to Force Queens' Abdication
by Joseph Criscuolo
Now that the N
ew Jersey Knockouts have won the Eastern Division Title in the US Chess League, there is one more thing at stake for them, and that is owning the best record league. They can earn this with a great performance against the Queens Pioneers, who themselves have to win big to make it to the US Chess League playoffs. To own the best record in the league, the Knockouts simply need to clinch, but to own the best record via the first tiebreaker, the Knockouts simply need to get one win out of the four games in this match!
The Knockouts will have a change of scenery for this match as they will be playing at the Dean of Chess Academy in Branchburg, New Jersey which is owned by the Knockouts' own Dean Ippolito. The Knockouts' regular site, Chapel Hill Academy, is closed this week. Because of the location change, the match begins at 8:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday November. The time control has changed as well, with the game being in 75 minutes with 30 second increments. For the season finale Joel Benjamin, Mackenzie Molner, Andrew Ng, and Arthur Shen face off against Alex Stipunsky, Lev Milman, Elizabeth Vicary, and Fritz Gaspard. Even though everything is set, the Knockouts can't afford a letdown. Even though the Pioneers appear to be the weakest team that still have playoff hopes, losing big to them and being forced to face them again in the first round of the playoffs facing them again would give a huge amount of momentum to Queens.
Queens can only make the US Chess League playoffs they must beat the Knockouts, while hoping the Baltimore Blitz lose to the Tennessee Tempo and the Philadelphia Inventors lose or draw to the Carolina Cobras. To make that a less likely opportunity for Queens the Tennessee Tempo and Carolina Cobras currently are last place in their division. In terms of game points, which are the first tiebreaker, the Queens Pioneers have to earn more points than the Baltimore Kingfishers, who have two more points than them, and the Philadelphia Inventors who only are up by half a game. If Queens wins 4-0 and Baltimore loses 1.5-2.5, Queens would win that tiebreaker over Baltimore by only a half a point. However they also need Philadelphia to lose as well, in the same situation where Queens sweeps and Philadelphia draws, Queens would win the game point tiebreaker as well. Thus, a sweep seems like the only thing Queens can do to better their chances of making the playoffs. Perhaps if Stripunsky’s mouse didn’t slip in week one, the Pioneers could have gotten a draw that week and be even closer to the playoff picture.
GM Joel Benjamin will have white and face off against GM Alex Stripunsky on board one playing. Benjamin's season has been nothing short of spectacular -- in eight games, he has only lost once. His three wins and four draws made it so that the Knockouts had true support at their first board. His performance has put him fifth in the 2009 MVP Standings with 12 points. Alex Stripunsky has performed well this season with two wins, one draw, and one loss in four games. Stripunsky’s lone loss came against Larry Christiansen due to an unfortunate mouse slip late in the game. In three games between these two players, the two grandmasters have both have won once, drawn once, and lost once. A win will give Joel Benjamin a great case for making the US Chess League All Star team!
SM Mackenzie Molner will be using the black pieces on board two against IM Lev Milman. In the three games Molner has played, he has one win and two draws, with one of the draws being a game where he could have won but decided to go with the draw to earn what was most important, a Knockout victory. In Lev Milman’s two games, he has lost both of them against John Donaldson of San Francisco and Gregory Serper of Seattle.
Playing as white at board three, Andrew Ng faces off against WFM Elizabeth Vicary. Ng has played two games this season with a win and a loss. His win came in the week eight Boston Massacre, where the Knockouts won by a decisive score of 4-0. In her two games, Elizabeth Vicary has lost both of them, one against Tsaagan Battsetseg of Baltimore and the other against Yaacov Norowitz of New York.
On board four is Arthur Shen facing off with the dark pieces against Fritz Gaspard. This is Arthur Shen’s third game of the season, in his previous two games he has lost both matches against opponents that were rated much higher than him, Craig Jones of Carolina and Yaacov Norowitz of New York who was up by at least 200 points in rating.
This match can be seen along with six other matches at the Internet Chess Club. Game time is 8:00 PM Eastern time . This looks to be an exciting match as the Knockouts gear up for the playoffs!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
New Jersey Turns Pike on Philadelphia
by Joseph CriscuoloThe New Jersey Knockouts look to cap off an excellent season by earning the Eastern Division title in the United States Chess League. If they are to do that, a good idea is to defeat the Philadelphia Inventors this week, who need a win to stay alive in the playoff race. The last time these two teams met earlier this season, the Knockouts defeated the Inventors by a score of 2.5-1.5 under a strong lineup headed by Joel Benjamin who certainly has to be one of the most important players in the US Chess League.
The Knockouts control their destiny in the East and can clinch first place this week with one of two situations, a Knockouts win combined with a Blitz draw or loss, or a Knockouts draw combined with a Blitz loss. Should one of these happen, the Knockouts will finish first place in the East with the advantage draw odd sand color choice in the first round against the fourth place team in the playoffs. This week's matchup features the Knockouts lineup of Joel Benjamin, Boris Gulko, Victor Shen, and Sean Finn against a tough Inventors lineup of Sergey Kudrin, Tom Bartell, Richard Costigan, and Jennifer Shahade. Time control for this match is game in 90 with 30 second time increments.
Board one features a matchup that was seen in week two, this time GM Joel Benjamin will be playing as black against GM Sergey Kudrin. In their first matchup, Joel Benjamin was victorious against Kudrin, in a 2.5-1.5 win for the Knockouts. Joel Benjamin has an undefeated record of 2-1 against Kudrin in the US Chess League. In the five games he has played, Kudrin has lost all five, it’s hard to imagine him losing a sixth consecutive game, but it’s also hard to see anything stopping Joel Benjamin whose lone loss came against the Arizona Scorpions.
GM Boris Gulko looks to go for his fifth win of the season with the white pieces against former New Jersey Knockout, FM Tommy Bartell. Last week, Gulko came in second the Game of the Week voting. The game will make Boris Gulko eligible to for the USCL All-Star Team, and with a record like his, he is likely to make it. The Knockouts definitely can look forward to having him in the playoffs. With a Benjamin-Gulko one-two punch in the playoffs, the Knockouts certainly give themselves a lineup that is hard to beat.
Off of his big win against the Boston Blitz, Victor Shen plays black on board three and looks to win his third game of the season against IM Richard Costigan. In the two games this season, Victor Shen has two wins including his Game of the Week third place in last week’s sweep of the Boston Blitz against Marc Esserman.
Sean Finn will be playing his second US Chess League match at board with the white pieces against WGM Jennifer Shahade. In his first match, Sean Finn managed to draw David Adelberg of the Arizona Scorpions in the only match which the Knockouts have lost this season so far. This is also Jennifer Shahade’s second game of the year, she defeated Jared Defibaugh of the Baltimore Kingfishers last week. Sean Finn will not be hula hooping during the match. No word on Shahade.
This match can be seen online at the Internet Chess Club on Wednesday, October 28 at 7:00 pm Eastern time. It is one of four matches that can be observed that night, which should be an exciting night in the US Chess League.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fun Night at the KO Corral: New Jersey vs. Boston Preview
by Joseph Criscuolo
Now that the New Jersey Knockouts have officially clinched a playoff berth for the first time in their three season history, they can set their sights on their first division title. They must finish ahead of this week's opponent, the always tough Boston Blitz. This could be the match that decides who finishes first in the Eastern Division. After seven matches, both teams have won six games and not lost a single match against a division opponent, with both teams losing their only match in interleague play. Boston currently holds the lead in the tiebraker, as they have more game points with 19 against the Knockouts who have 17.5. The teams have played two USCL matches in their history, with the New Jersey Knockouts owning the better side of the 1.5-0.5 score. Last season the Knockouts defeated the Boston Blitz in week four by a score of 3-1.
The New Jersey Knockouts will field the lineup of Boris Gulko, Dean Ippolito, Victor Shen, and Andrew Ng against the Boston line up of Eugene Perelshteyn, Jorge Sammour-Hasbun, Marc Esserman, and Andrew Wang. There are many stories in this matchup. This is the first matchup without GM Joel Benjamin, who has played every game on first board this season, and has been influential in making the team what it is today as he has earned at least a draw in every game the Knockouts have won. Filling in for Joel Benjamin on board one is GM Boris Gulko, whom was asked to join the team by Joel Benjamin to join the team in the summer of 2008 when the two did a photo shoot for a local magazine; Boris Gulko was happy to join, and the rest was history. While the Knockouts top rated player isn’t playing, neither is the Boston Blitz’s top player, Larry Christiansen, who has played four games for the Blitz this season. Instead, Eugene Perelshteyn will be on board one for the Blitz. The matchup appears even, as the Knockouts are fielding higher rated players on boards one and four while the Blitz feature higher rated players on boards two and three.
GM Boris Gulko plays his first game on board one as white against GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Boris Gulko’s has won all six of his USCL games, with three of them coming from this season, two of them coming against fellow grandmasters Larry Kaufman and Pascal Charbonneau and the other one being an incredible game of the week against Oleg Zaikov. Gulko’s opponent Eugene Perelshteyn is undefeated this season in four games, with a 3.5-0.5 record.
On board two IM Dean Ippolito will face off with the black pieces against Jorge Sammour-Hasbun. The two have faced off before in the United States Chess League in a game where the Knockouts tied the Blitz in week eight of 2007, a game that Jorge Sammour-Hasbun won. This season Dean Ippolito has a record of 2.5-1.5 with two wins, one draw, and one loss, while Sammour-Hasbun has a win and a loss.
On board three, Victor Shen faces off as white against Marc Esserman. This will be Shen’s second game of the season, with the only game for Shen coming in week one with a win against Matt Herman of the New York Knights in a 2.5-1.5 win for the Knockouts. In six matches this season, Esserman has an excellent record of 4.5-1.5.
Playing as black on board four is Andrew Ng against Andrew Wang. Andrew Ng looks for his first win of the season, with his only game being a loss at board four against Eric Rosen of the Chicago Blaze. Last season, Andrew Ng had a record of 1.5-1.5 with a win, a draw, and a loss, his only win coming against Elvin Wilson of the Philadelphia Inventors. In two games, both against fourth boards of the Queens Pioneers, Andrew Wang has two wins this season.
This exciting match can be seen on the night of Monday October 19 at 7:00 PM Eastern time on the Internet Chess Club. As with all games between east coast teams, the time control will be game in 90 minutes with time increments of 30 seconds. Fans of the US Chess League can also see the Dallas Destiny play the Miami Sharks at 8:00 PM and the Chicago Blaze play the Arizona Scorpions at 9:00 PM. Those games have a big impact of the playoff picture in the US Chess League.
Now that the New Jersey Knockouts have officially clinched a playoff berth for the first time in their three season history, they can set their sights on their first division title. They must finish ahead of this week's opponent, the always tough Boston Blitz. This could be the match that decides who finishes first in the Eastern Division. After seven matches, both teams have won six games and not lost a single match against a division opponent, with both teams losing their only match in interleague play. Boston currently holds the lead in the tiebraker, as they have more game points with 19 against the Knockouts who have 17.5. The teams have played two USCL matches in their history, with the New Jersey Knockouts owning the better side of the 1.5-0.5 score. Last season the Knockouts defeated the Boston Blitz in week four by a score of 3-1.The New Jersey Knockouts will field the lineup of Boris Gulko, Dean Ippolito, Victor Shen, and Andrew Ng against the Boston line up of Eugene Perelshteyn, Jorge Sammour-Hasbun, Marc Esserman, and Andrew Wang. There are many stories in this matchup. This is the first matchup without GM Joel Benjamin, who has played every game on first board this season, and has been influential in making the team what it is today as he has earned at least a draw in every game the Knockouts have won. Filling in for Joel Benjamin on board one is GM Boris Gulko, whom was asked to join the team by Joel Benjamin to join the team in the summer of 2008 when the two did a photo shoot for a local magazine; Boris Gulko was happy to join, and the rest was history. While the Knockouts top rated player isn’t playing, neither is the Boston Blitz’s top player, Larry Christiansen, who has played four games for the Blitz this season. Instead, Eugene Perelshteyn will be on board one for the Blitz. The matchup appears even, as the Knockouts are fielding higher rated players on boards one and four while the Blitz feature higher rated players on boards two and three.
GM Boris Gulko plays his first game on board one as white against GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Boris Gulko’s has won all six of his USCL games, with three of them coming from this season, two of them coming against fellow grandmasters Larry Kaufman and Pascal Charbonneau and the other one being an incredible game of the week against Oleg Zaikov. Gulko’s opponent Eugene Perelshteyn is undefeated this season in four games, with a 3.5-0.5 record.
On board two IM Dean Ippolito will face off with the black pieces against Jorge Sammour-Hasbun. The two have faced off before in the United States Chess League in a game where the Knockouts tied the Blitz in week eight of 2007, a game that Jorge Sammour-Hasbun won. This season Dean Ippolito has a record of 2.5-1.5 with two wins, one draw, and one loss, while Sammour-Hasbun has a win and a loss.
On board three, Victor Shen faces off as white against Marc Esserman. This will be Shen’s second game of the season, with the only game for Shen coming in week one with a win against Matt Herman of the New York Knights in a 2.5-1.5 win for the Knockouts. In six matches this season, Esserman has an excellent record of 4.5-1.5.
Playing as black on board four is Andrew Ng against Andrew Wang. Andrew Ng looks for his first win of the season, with his only game being a loss at board four against Eric Rosen of the Chicago Blaze. Last season, Andrew Ng had a record of 1.5-1.5 with a win, a draw, and a loss, his only win coming against Elvin Wilson of the Philadelphia Inventors. In two games, both against fourth boards of the Queens Pioneers, Andrew Wang has two wins this season.
This exciting match can be seen on the night of Monday October 19 at 7:00 PM Eastern time on the Internet Chess Club. As with all games between east coast teams, the time control will be game in 90 minutes with time increments of 30 seconds. Fans of the US Chess League can also see the Dallas Destiny play the Miami Sharks at 8:00 PM and the Chicago Blaze play the Arizona Scorpions at 9:00 PM. Those games have a big impact of the playoff picture in the US Chess League.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Knockouts "Pun-Tinged-Verb-Meaning-'Plan-To-Defeat'" Kingfishers
by Joseph Criscuolo and Robert N. Bernard
The New Jersey Knockouts battle the Baltimore Kingfishers in a United States Chess League match that means a great deal to both teams and will determine how the Eastern Division Standings will look the next week. With last week's tragic loss to the Scorpions, the Knockouts are now tied with the Boston Blitz for first place with 5-1 records. The match that may determine who wins first place in the East will happen next Monday, but both teams have to take things game-by-game because a loss to a weaker team could negate any advantage. This week's match begins at 7:15 PM Eastern tomorrow night, Wednesday October 14, 2009.
The Knockouts face a Baltimore Kingfisher team that must approach every match like it is a playoff game. A win against Baltimore will solidify the Knockouts in the standings, as it will only allow Baltimore to tie the Knockouts at the end of the season. The Knockouts know not to take the Kingfishers lightly, as the Kingfishers are desperate. The Knockouts are employing a powerful double-GM lineup with Joel Benjamin, Boris Gulko, Albert Kapengut, and Anna Matlin against the Kingfisher lineup of Tegshsuren Enkhbat, Larry Kaufman, Shinsaku Uesugi, and Jared Defibaugh. The Baltimore Kingfishers have white on boards one and three, while the Knockouts will have black on boards two and four. Knockouts have a big advantage in rating on boards one and two, as well as a smaller advantage in rating on board three.
Playing as black on board one, GM Joel Benjamin takes on USCL veteran IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. Benjamin looks for to rebound from his only loss this season, against Arizona's Ramirez, a game that won the USCL Game of the Week. Aside from that lone loss, Benjamin has been the Knockouts top scorer as he has dominated with points in all of his first five games; without him, who knows where the Knockouts would be?
Playing as white on board two is GM Boris Gulko who can earn an impressive 6-0 USCL player record against World Senior Champion, GM Larry Kaufman. Gulko is arguably the most dangerous board two player in the history of the US Chess League, with two big wins this season against the New York Knights and Carolina Cobras. There are definitely many teams that wish they had Boris Gulko on their first board, much less second.
On board three, famous trainer and theoretician IM Albert Kapengut faces off as black against FM Shinsaku Uesugi. Albert Kapengut made a huge difference on board three against Mehemed Pasalic of the Chicago Blaze in week five, which was the difference maker, when the Knockouts won their fifth consecutive match.
Playing as white on board four, Anna Matlin faces off against Jared Defibaugh. Defibaugh clearly owns the higher rating, but Matlin has had USCL success against higher rated players, winning upset of the week in week two against Rahul Swaminathan of the Philadelphia Inventors. Anna Matlin is currently 1-1 this season, with the one loss against Yaacov Norowitz of New York.
The match can be seen Wednesday October 14 at 7:15 PM ET at the Internet Chess Club. The Knockouts look to reserve their ticket to the playoffs and prepare for a USCL blistering barn burner next week against the Boston Blitz.
The New Jersey Knockouts battle the Baltimore Kingfishers in a United States Chess League match that means a great deal to both teams and will determine how the Eastern Division Standings will look the next week. With last week's tragic loss to the Scorpions, the Knockouts are now tied with the Boston Blitz for first place with 5-1 records. The match that may determine who wins first place in the East will happen next Monday, but both teams have to take things game-by-game because a loss to a weaker team could negate any advantage. This week's match begins at 7:15 PM Eastern tomorrow night, Wednesday October 14, 2009.
The Knockouts face a Baltimore Kingfisher team that must approach every match like it is a playoff game. A win against Baltimore will solidify the Knockouts in the standings, as it will only allow Baltimore to tie the Knockouts at the end of the season. The Knockouts know not to take the Kingfishers lightly, as the Kingfishers are desperate. The Knockouts are employing a powerful double-GM lineup with Joel Benjamin, Boris Gulko, Albert Kapengut, and Anna Matlin against the Kingfisher lineup of Tegshsuren Enkhbat, Larry Kaufman, Shinsaku Uesugi, and Jared Defibaugh. The Baltimore Kingfishers have white on boards one and three, while the Knockouts will have black on boards two and four. Knockouts have a big advantage in rating on boards one and two, as well as a smaller advantage in rating on board three.
Playing as black on board one, GM Joel Benjamin takes on USCL veteran IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. Benjamin looks for to rebound from his only loss this season, against Arizona's Ramirez, a game that won the USCL Game of the Week. Aside from that lone loss, Benjamin has been the Knockouts top scorer as he has dominated with points in all of his first five games; without him, who knows where the Knockouts would be?
Playing as white on board two is GM Boris Gulko who can earn an impressive 6-0 USCL player record against World Senior Champion, GM Larry Kaufman. Gulko is arguably the most dangerous board two player in the history of the US Chess League, with two big wins this season against the New York Knights and Carolina Cobras. There are definitely many teams that wish they had Boris Gulko on their first board, much less second.
On board three, famous trainer and theoretician IM Albert Kapengut faces off as black against FM Shinsaku Uesugi. Albert Kapengut made a huge difference on board three against Mehemed Pasalic of the Chicago Blaze in week five, which was the difference maker, when the Knockouts won their fifth consecutive match.
Playing as white on board four, Anna Matlin faces off against Jared Defibaugh. Defibaugh clearly owns the higher rating, but Matlin has had USCL success against higher rated players, winning upset of the week in week two against Rahul Swaminathan of the Philadelphia Inventors. Anna Matlin is currently 1-1 this season, with the one loss against Yaacov Norowitz of New York.
The match can be seen Wednesday October 14 at 7:15 PM ET at the Internet Chess Club. The Knockouts look to reserve their ticket to the playoffs and prepare for a USCL blistering barn burner next week against the Boston Blitz.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
New Jersey Aims to Scor' Six over the 'Pions
by Joseph Criscuolo
The New Jersey Knockouts took care of business the first five matches
this season, now they go for a USCL-record six straight wins against the Arizona Scorpions, a team that needs to win to stay in the playoff battle in the Western division. In their second and final interleague match of this season, the Knockouts face the Scorpions for the first time in USCL history. As the match starts at 9:00 pm in Jersey, the time control will shortened again, to game in 60 minutes with a 30 second increment. The Knockouts lineup features Joel Benjamin, Dean Ippolito, Mackenzie Molner, and Sean Finn. The Arizona Scorpions look to get back to .500 with a lineup of Alejandro Ramirez, Rogelio Barcenilla, Daniel Rensch, and David Adelberg. The ratings are close on each board, and this will be a good test for the Knockouts if they want to have a playoff feel in the regular season, as the Scorpions will have to be in playoff mode if they want to make the playoffs.
GM Joel Benjamin faces off with Black against the young GM Alejandro Ramirez. Benjamin won last week to help win the match for the Knockouts over the Chicago Blaze. In all five matches the Knockouts have played, he has been there and has not lost one. Joel Benjamin is a real candidate for league MVP.
IM Dean Ippolito returns to action on board two against IM Regelio Barcenilla. Dean Ippolito’s performance of 2.5-0.5 in the first 3 games this season has been another great story for the Knockouts, now he returns looking to help the Knockouts earn win number six!
SM Mackenzie Molner faces off against Daniel Rensch on board three. Mackenzie Molner played his second game of the season last week and gave the Knockouts exactly what they needed to ensure a win last week, a draw, to make the score 2.5-1.5 against Chicago.
On board 4, we see the debut of Sean Finn against David Adelberg. Sean Finn is a late addition to the Knockouts and looks to try to be a factor in what has been a successful season for the Knockouts.
The match can be seen on Monday October 5 at 9:00 pm on ICC. Watch and see if the Knockouts can make history in this late night interleague matchup. The Knockouts have been good but have to play strong against a Arizona team that needs this win to make the playoffs.
The New Jersey Knockouts took care of business the first five matches
this season, now they go for a USCL-record six straight wins against the Arizona Scorpions, a team that needs to win to stay in the playoff battle in the Western division. In their second and final interleague match of this season, the Knockouts face the Scorpions for the first time in USCL history. As the match starts at 9:00 pm in Jersey, the time control will shortened again, to game in 60 minutes with a 30 second increment. The Knockouts lineup features Joel Benjamin, Dean Ippolito, Mackenzie Molner, and Sean Finn. The Arizona Scorpions look to get back to .500 with a lineup of Alejandro Ramirez, Rogelio Barcenilla, Daniel Rensch, and David Adelberg. The ratings are close on each board, and this will be a good test for the Knockouts if they want to have a playoff feel in the regular season, as the Scorpions will have to be in playoff mode if they want to make the playoffs.GM Joel Benjamin faces off with Black against the young GM Alejandro Ramirez. Benjamin won last week to help win the match for the Knockouts over the Chicago Blaze. In all five matches the Knockouts have played, he has been there and has not lost one. Joel Benjamin is a real candidate for league MVP.
IM Dean Ippolito returns to action on board two against IM Regelio Barcenilla. Dean Ippolito’s performance of 2.5-0.5 in the first 3 games this season has been another great story for the Knockouts, now he returns looking to help the Knockouts earn win number six!
SM Mackenzie Molner faces off against Daniel Rensch on board three. Mackenzie Molner played his second game of the season last week and gave the Knockouts exactly what they needed to ensure a win last week, a draw, to make the score 2.5-1.5 against Chicago.
On board 4, we see the debut of Sean Finn against David Adelberg. Sean Finn is a late addition to the Knockouts and looks to try to be a factor in what has been a successful season for the Knockouts.
The match can be seen on Monday October 5 at 9:00 pm on ICC. Watch and see if the Knockouts can make history in this late night interleague matchup. The Knockouts have been good but have to play strong against a Arizona team that needs this win to make the playoffs.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
PREVIEW: Knockouts to Charm Cobras Monday
by Joseph Criscuolo
If the New Jersey Knockouts want to go to 3-0, they will have to make life miserable for the 0-2 Carolina Cobras. The Knockouts appear to really want to go 3 for 3, with the Knockouts out-rating the Cobras significantly on the top 3 boards. The exciting lineup for the Knockouts has 2 GMs, the always dangerous Joel Benjamin and the legendary Boris Gulko at board two. If that isn’t enough, we get to see the NJ State Champion Dean Ippolito on the third board! Finally, young and upcoming star for the Knockouts Arthur Shen will be playing on board 4.
Certainly the Knockouts want this match - the playoffs may not be enough for them - they definitely want more. Certainly, they won’t be completely satisfied until they win the United States Chess League Championship. Looking at the playoff picture, last year the Knockouts would have needed 5 points to make the playoff, they had 4.5 and failed. This year, having 3 wins in the first 3 games would give them 7 games to get only 2 more, which is something they easily can achieve.
On board 1 we have GM Joel Benjamin as black facing off against IM Jonathan Schroer. Joel Benjamin has been great for the Knockouts, winning on board 1 last week against GM Sergey Kudrin. Benjamin is worried about being considered the favorites for every game, but this is a game where if everyone gets the job done, the Knockouts will be 3-0.
On board 2 we have the legendary GM Boris Gulko as white facing off against FM Oleg Zaikov. This is Boris Gulko’s first game of the season. Last year he had three wins in three games. With such a rating difference between Zaikov and Gulko, look for Gulko to do what the Knockouts need him to do.
On board 3, we have IM Dean Ippolito as black facing off against FM Ron Simpson. Ippolito has been solid this year, with 1 win and 1 draw. A player like Dean Ippolito at board 3 is never a good thing for an opponent, and ratings suggest Ippolito may be too much for Simpson.
On board 4, we have Arthur Shen, as white, facing off against NM Craig Jones. This is the second match for the young Shen, who looks for his first win in the USCL. This is the only board where the Cobras have a rating advantage, but the young Shen is ready for the challenge.
The game is on Monday September 14 at 7:00 pm on ICC as always. Be there to see if the Knockouts can do what they should do, win their third match of the year.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation.
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Monday, September 7, 2009
Week 2 Preview: Knockouts to Steal Inventors' Intellectual Property
by Joseph Criscuolo and Robert N. Bernard
In week two, the New Jersey Knockouts look to floor the Philadelphia Inventors in what should be an exciting matchup, this Tuesday, September 8th, at 7:00 pm. The Knockouts began their season on the right foot, defeating the New York Knights 2.5 to 1.5. The Philadelphia Inventors, on the other hand, started with a defeat by the Tennessee Tempo by an indentical score, and hope not to go to 0-2 this week. Now, the battle of New Jersey vs. Philadelphia is in gear, with the all-New Jersey studded lineup going against the team apparently representing Philadelphia. New Jersey will keep their first two boards intact with Joel Benjamin and Dean Ippolito on boards one and two. With boards three and four, New Jersey will have FM Aviv Friedman and young Anna Matlin.On board one, Joel Benjamin faces off against GM Sergey Kudrin. Those two have played two draws previously in the USCL (in 2007 and 2008). Benjamin will look to change that for the better when he puts up a good fight against Kudrin. Benjamin will be playing as white.
For board two, IM Dean Ippolito will look to repeat his winning ways against Philadelphia manager and weekly commuter IM Alex Lenderman. Lenderman was last year's USCL MVP. Ippolito won game of the week last week, winning with two knights on the board against a pawn against a previous USCL MVP, GM Pascal Charbonneau, with a limited amount of time left on his clock. Ippolito will be playing as black.
On board three, alternate FM Aviv Friedman takes on FM Tom "Benedict" Bartell. Bartell was a New Jersey Knockouts team member back in 2007 with Friedman, before defecting to Philadelphia. Friedman will be playing his first game since 2007, where he went 1.0/3.0. Expect him to change this when he plays Bartell as white.On board four, we have the first game of young and talented Anna Matlin (right, photo by Ted Wu), the second player to play their first USCL game this year. Matlin will be playing Rahul Swaminathan as black. With so many young players such as Anna Matlin and Arthur Shen, you can expect the New Jersey Knockouts to keep on getting better.
Game time is at 7:00 pm Tuesday, the games can be seen on the Internet Chess Club as always, and games can always be attended at the Chapel Hill Academy in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, as the Knockouts fully support having true chess fans at our games. As our games wind down and Philadelphia fans mourn, stay tuned on the ICC for more great USCL matchups as fan favorite Hikaru Nakamura’s Seattle Sluggers face off against our week one victims, the New York Knights.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation, and the USCL is generously sponsored by PokerStars.net.
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Monday, August 31, 2009
Preview: Week 1 - New York Knights
by Joseph Criscuolo and Robert N. Bernard
Its the first week of the United States Chess League season, and the Knockouts are ready to floor the competition! Its the fifth year of the league, and the third year the Knockouts have been in the league.
The Knockouts begin the 2009 USCL season with high hopes, as both 2007 and 2008 ended in disappointment at the hands of the Knights. Both years, the Knockouts just missed the playoffs, losing in the last week to the Knights, who took the playoff spot from New Jersey each year. This year, the USCL scheduling gods have taken it upon themselves to let New Jersey exact revenge in the first week of the season, as the Knockouts take on the Knights this Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 7:00pm on the Internet Chess Club.
A good start to a season will always be a big thing with almost every game deciding whether or not a team will make the playoffs. The New York Knights are located across the Hudson River at the Marshall Chess Club, making this a part of the rivalry between New York and New Jersey, something that always meant something in the eyes of fans in the NY-NJ area. The New Jersey Knockouts will be eying to bring home a division title to the Garden State.
The matchup should provide excitement as the New Jersey Knockouts will provide the talented lineup of Joel Benjamin, Dean Ippolito, Victor Shen, and Arthur Shen. The big story for New Jersey is the first USCL game for the young and upcoming star Arthur Shen who has a bright and promising future. Young talent seems to be a key theme here as both Arthur and Victor Shen represented the United States in the Pan-American Youth Championships in Argentina, with Arthur taking home a silver medal and Victor taking home the gold for the United States!
Let's look at a board-by-board match up.
New Jersey's captain GM Joel Benjamin takes on Kacheishvili on Board 1. Benjamin has the Black pieces. It is Kacheishvili's first season in the league. Benjamin has been the KO's workhorse, playing in 18 of their 20 previous matches.
Board 2 has the Knockouts' IM Dean Ippolito has the White pieces against former USCL MVP GM Pascal Charbonneau. Ippolito, who runs a chess school here in New Jersey, plans to school Pascal Charbonneau on the board.
Board 3 sees Pan-Am gold medalist and US Cadet runner-up Victor Shen taking on Matthew Herman. This is the first match either over the board or in the USCL for these two. Herman is a league veteran as this is his fourth season.
Finally, Board 4 has Arthur Shen against renowned blitz player Yaacov Norowitz (rated 3215 on ICC, with over 20,000 games!) who somehow ended up here on fourth board.
The Knockouts are sponsored by the New Jersey State Chess Federation, and the USCL is generously sponsored by PokerStars.net.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
NJKOs 2008 Schedule Preview
The 2008 United States Chess League commences play in less than a week! The New Jersey Knockouts are set to begin their second season, ready to lay some bone-crushing hurt to the souls of their feeble competition. (Hey, this blog isn't supposed to be objective.)
The USCL has two new teams this year, the Chicago Blaze and the Arizona Scorpions. Fortunately, for the Blase and the 'Pions , they do not have to face the mighty Knockouts this year, except perhaps in the playoffs.
But the big news for the Knockouts is the addition of veteran Grandmaster Boris Gulko to the roster. GM Gulko adds cassiac gravitas and a potent left hook to the line-up.
Let's take a look at the schedule. (Ratings are from the unofficial 2007 USCL rating list.)
Week 1: Baltimore Kingfishers
The opening week sees the Knockouts taking on the Kingfishers of Baltimore, and last year the Knockouts drew Baltimore in two matches. The 'Fish are 2005 league champions, but their glorious past is well behind them, as they finished in the cellar of the Eastern division last year. Their top board, GM Sergey Erenburg (USCL 2558), has had some excellent tournament success this past year (including winning the NJ Futurity II), but we'll see if his success can translate to his team.
Week 2: Queens Pioneers
The Pioneers, last year's fifth place team in the East, battle the Knockouts in the second week. Last year, the Knockouts drew one match and lost another to the Queensmen. GM Alex Stripunsky (USCL 2525) returns as top board.
Week 3: Seattle Sluggers
The Knockouts and the Sluggers parlay their pugilistic proclivities in week three. Its the first meeting between the teams. The Sluggers have acquired GM Hikaru Nakamura (USCL 2580), formerly of the New York Knights, as their top board. Nakamura now lives in Vancouver, and will have to drive a ways to get to their matches. Will the drive tire him out? In week three, we may get to see.
Week 4: Boston Blitz
The Knockouts light up the board with the Blitz in the fourth week of the season -- they drew last year's match. GM Larry Christiansen (USCL 2581) and GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USCL 2481) head up the team, but don't forget about USCL All-Star Jorge Sammour Hasbun (USCL 2579), who ruled board 2 last year.
Week 5: Philadelphia Inventors
In the fifth week, the Knockouts will attempt to avenge last year's loss to the Inventors. The Inventors are led by USCL rating leader GM Sergey Kudrin (USCL 2591), who undefeated consistency last year lead Philly to the playoffs. Notable also is the inclusion of the Inventors' latest addition, FM Tom Bartell (USCL UNR), who fought for the Knockouts last season. Tom moved to Philadelphia, and is better known to New Jerseyites as Benedict Arnold!
Week 6: Baltimore Kingfishers
Midway through the season, the Knockouts pluck the Kingfishers in a rematch of week one.
Week 7: Queens Pioneers
Week seven is a rematch of week two. As northern New Jersey resident Yogi Berra apparently once said, "Its deja vu all over again."
Week 8: Carolina Cobras
The geographically challenged (or perhaps they are simply peripatetically inclined) Cobras are back in the Eastern division, after a one year foray into the West. The Knockouts de-venomed and fang-extracted the Cobras last year. FM Oleg Zaikov (USCL 2423) was a USCL All-Star in 2006.
Week 9: Miami Sharks
The penultimate week of the regular season sees the Knockouts tackling the Miami Sharks for the first time. Lead by two-time USCL MVP GM Julio Becerra (USCL 2566), the Sharks almost drowned in the first half of last season, only to perform swimmingly in the last half and make the playoffs.
Week 10: New York Knights
The last week of the season sees the Knockouts joust with the nearby New York Knights, in a contest that is hailed as "The Battle of the Silent Ks". Two GMs take over the top two slots in the roster, GM John Fedorowicz and 2007 US Champion (and former USCL Game-of-the-Week judge and Chris Berman of ESPN imitator) GM Alex Shabalov. The Knockouts also have to watch out for fourth board All-Star Iryna Zenyuk (USCL 2402), who tends to pull of big wins.
In the next post (early next week), I'll post a Knockouts' player preview.
The USCL has two new teams this year, the Chicago Blaze and the Arizona Scorpions. Fortunately, for the Blase and the 'Pions , they do not have to face the mighty Knockouts this year, except perhaps in the playoffs.
But the big news for the Knockouts is the addition of veteran Grandmaster Boris Gulko to the roster. GM Gulko adds cassiac gravitas and a potent left hook to the line-up.
Let's take a look at the schedule. (Ratings are from the unofficial 2007 USCL rating list.)
Week 1: Baltimore Kingfishers
The opening week sees the Knockouts taking on the Kingfishers of Baltimore, and last year the Knockouts drew Baltimore in two matches. The 'Fish are 2005 league champions, but their glorious past is well behind them, as they finished in the cellar of the Eastern division last year. Their top board, GM Sergey Erenburg (USCL 2558), has had some excellent tournament success this past year (including winning the NJ Futurity II), but we'll see if his success can translate to his team.
Week 2: Queens Pioneers
The Pioneers, last year's fifth place team in the East, battle the Knockouts in the second week. Last year, the Knockouts drew one match and lost another to the Queensmen. GM Alex Stripunsky (USCL 2525) returns as top board.
Week 3: Seattle Sluggers
The Knockouts and the Sluggers parlay their pugilistic proclivities in week three. Its the first meeting between the teams. The Sluggers have acquired GM Hikaru Nakamura (USCL 2580), formerly of the New York Knights, as their top board. Nakamura now lives in Vancouver, and will have to drive a ways to get to their matches. Will the drive tire him out? In week three, we may get to see.
Week 4: Boston Blitz
The Knockouts light up the board with the Blitz in the fourth week of the season -- they drew last year's match. GM Larry Christiansen (USCL 2581) and GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USCL 2481) head up the team, but don't forget about USCL All-Star Jorge Sammour Hasbun (USCL 2579), who ruled board 2 last year.
Week 5: Philadelphia Inventors
In the fifth week, the Knockouts will attempt to avenge last year's loss to the Inventors. The Inventors are led by USCL rating leader GM Sergey Kudrin (USCL 2591), who undefeated consistency last year lead Philly to the playoffs. Notable also is the inclusion of the Inventors' latest addition, FM Tom Bartell (USCL UNR), who fought for the Knockouts last season. Tom moved to Philadelphia, and is better known to New Jerseyites as Benedict Arnold!
Week 6: Baltimore Kingfishers
Midway through the season, the Knockouts pluck the Kingfishers in a rematch of week one.
Week 7: Queens Pioneers
Week seven is a rematch of week two. As northern New Jersey resident Yogi Berra apparently once said, "Its deja vu all over again."
Week 8: Carolina Cobras
The geographically challenged (or perhaps they are simply peripatetically inclined) Cobras are back in the Eastern division, after a one year foray into the West. The Knockouts de-venomed and fang-extracted the Cobras last year. FM Oleg Zaikov (USCL 2423) was a USCL All-Star in 2006.
Week 9: Miami Sharks
The penultimate week of the regular season sees the Knockouts tackling the Miami Sharks for the first time. Lead by two-time USCL MVP GM Julio Becerra (USCL 2566), the Sharks almost drowned in the first half of last season, only to perform swimmingly in the last half and make the playoffs.
Week 10: New York Knights
The last week of the season sees the Knockouts joust with the nearby New York Knights, in a contest that is hailed as "The Battle of the Silent Ks". Two GMs take over the top two slots in the roster, GM John Fedorowicz and 2007 US Champion (and former USCL Game-of-the-Week judge and Chris Berman of ESPN imitator) GM Alex Shabalov. The Knockouts also have to watch out for fourth board All-Star Iryna Zenyuk (USCL 2402), who tends to pull of big wins.
In the next post (early next week), I'll post a Knockouts' player preview.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Announcement of upcoming articles
Last week, the Knockouts remained one the three undefeated teams in the USCL, and this week they are ready to floor the other expansion team, the Queens Pioneers, in a grudge rematch of their first week tussle.
Here's a preview of what's coming up on the blog this week.
Real time blogging on Wednesday
This week, there will be real-time blogging of the New Jersey Knockouts' rematch against the Queens Pioneers. Board 1 will feature a rematch of Week 1's matchup, GM Joel Benjamin versus GM Alex Stripunsky, which Benjamin won in 48 moves.. This time, however, Stripunsky gets White.
IM Ippolito annotates his win from last week
IM Dean Ippolito will annotate his win last week against FM Teghsuren Enkhbat. Called a swindle by some, in reality, it was an astute and perceptive display of tactical skill by IM Ippolito from a worse position. Dean is the New Jersey State Chess Federation's Teacher of the Year, and his insight will be helpful for anyone seeking to improve their game.
Knockout Victor Shen is profiled
Finally, we will soon have another profile of one of the Knockouts, 14 year old national master Victor Shen. Victor gave a lively, humorous, and self-deprecating interview, which belies his tender age. It is something you won't want to miss!
All coming soon, on the New Jersey Knockouts blog, right here!
Here's a preview of what's coming up on the blog this week.
Real time blogging on Wednesday
This week, there will be real-time blogging of the New Jersey Knockouts' rematch against the Queens Pioneers. Board 1 will feature a rematch of Week 1's matchup, GM Joel Benjamin versus GM Alex Stripunsky, which Benjamin won in 48 moves.. This time, however, Stripunsky gets White.
IM Ippolito annotates his win from last week
IM Dean Ippolito will annotate his win last week against FM Teghsuren Enkhbat. Called a swindle by some, in reality, it was an astute and perceptive display of tactical skill by IM Ippolito from a worse position. Dean is the New Jersey State Chess Federation's Teacher of the Year, and his insight will be helpful for anyone seeking to improve their game.
Knockout Victor Shen is profiled
Finally, we will soon have another profile of one of the Knockouts, 14 year old national master Victor Shen. Victor gave a lively, humorous, and self-deprecating interview, which belies his tender age. It is something you won't want to miss!
All coming soon, on the New Jersey Knockouts blog, right here!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Player Profile: GM Joel Benjamin
Grandmaster Joel Benjamin, 43, is the captain and manager of the New Jersey Knockouts. While growing up in Brooklyn, he learned the game of chess from his brother, when he was eight years old. Only seven years later, he played his personal favorite game against Yasser Seirawan, at the US Junior Championship in 1979, which you can replay here.
He's looking forward to the excellent competition that the USCL provides, and the camaraderie of being on a team. Indeed team play certainly has been special to him, as one of his favorite chess moments was in 1993 at the World Team Championship, where he won two gold medals.
In his spare time, GM Joel will catch a Mets game (and especially revels in the Mets thrashing the Yankees in interleague play), work on a crossword puzzle, play some Scrabble, or read the latest "Reacher" novel by Lee Child.
And, who does GM Joel consider his favorite chess player? It is someone he confesses wracks his nerves to watch play. Kasparov? Anand? Kramnik? No, it is none other than his wife, Deborah Quinn Benjamin!
(Picture courtesy of the United States Chess League)
US Chess League Starts Monday!
The New Jersey Knockouts and the Queens Pioneers will duke it out this Monday night at 7pm, in the opening match of the third season of the US Chess League. Lineups for the matches will be announced soon.
The NJKOs will be playing their matches at the Chapel Hill Academy in Lincoln Park, NJ.
Watch for player profiles coming soon to this site, starting with team captain and manager GM Joel Benjamin in the next day or so.
The NJKOs will be playing their matches at the Chapel Hill Academy in Lincoln Park, NJ.
Watch for player profiles coming soon to this site, starting with team captain and manager GM Joel Benjamin in the next day or so.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
New Jersey Futurity International
The New Jersey Futurity International will take place July 7-11, 2007, at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel, in Parsippany, New Jersey. It is a nine-round round robin, and is being directed by International Arbiter, Glenn Petersen. It is being organized by Michael Khodarkovsky, president of the Kasparov Chess Foundation, Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the USCF, and Chair of the Master Affairs Committee of the New Jersey State Chess Federation.
This tournament is sponsored by New Jersey State Chess Federation and the New Jersey based International Chess School.
The participants are:
01 Mikhail Zlotnikov .... 2367 IM USA
02 Magesh Panchanathan .. 2486 GM India
03 Evan Ju .............. 2173 NM USA
04 Mackenzie Molner ..... 2293 NM USA
05 Leonid Yudasin ....... 2550 GM Israel
06 Gennadi Zaichik ...... 2473 GM USA
07 Tom Bartell .......... 2398 FM USA
08 Dean Ippolito ........ 2395 IM USA
09 Sergey Erenburg ...... 2565 GM Israel
10 Amon Simutowe ........ 2421 IM Zambia
All ratings are FIDE.
The average rating is 2412.1, making it (unofficially) a Category 7 tournament.
Opening Ceremony and First Round starts on Saturday, July 7, at 3:00pm. Time control is G/90 + 30 seconds per move.
First Round Pairings:
Participants Evan Ju, Mackensie Molner, Dean Ippolito, Tom Bartell, and organizer Michael Khodarkovsky are all members of the New Jersey Knockouts. We wish them the best in the tournament!
Preview of Round 1
The four GMs all clash in the first round! So do the four members of the Knockouts! It should make for an exciting day.
By my reckoning, Yudasin and Zaichik last played in the 33rd National Chess Congress in 2002, where they drew in the last round to take a share of first place. They also played four times in the 1980s in the former USSR where Yudasin won two, Zaichik won one, with one draw.
It doesn't appear as if Panchanathan and Erenburg have ever played. However, at the Chicago Open this year, Erenburg beat two of the USA's rising stars, IM Josh Friedel and IM David Pruess in 26 and 25 moves respectively. Both Friedel and Pruess play for the USCL's San Francisco Mechanics.
Knockouts Evan Ju and Dean Ippolito played to a draw in the last round of the 2006 New Jersey Open, a tournament that Ju won. Evan also just won the US Cadet Championship last month.
Tom Bartell just beat GM Yury Shulman at the World Open. And Molner had a great start at the US Junior Closed last month, and finished with an even score. I wouldn't be surprised if they have played in the past, but I didn't find anything on it.
Watch this page for tournament updates!
This tournament is sponsored by New Jersey State Chess Federation and the New Jersey based International Chess School.
The participants are:
01 Mikhail Zlotnikov .... 2367 IM USA
02 Magesh Panchanathan .. 2486 GM India
03 Evan Ju .............. 2173 NM USA
04 Mackenzie Molner ..... 2293 NM USA
05 Leonid Yudasin ....... 2550 GM Israel
06 Gennadi Zaichik ...... 2473 GM USA
07 Tom Bartell .......... 2398 FM USA
08 Dean Ippolito ........ 2395 IM USA
09 Sergey Erenburg ...... 2565 GM Israel
10 Amon Simutowe ........ 2421 IM Zambia
All ratings are FIDE.
The average rating is 2412.1, making it (unofficially) a Category 7 tournament.
Opening Ceremony and First Round starts on Saturday, July 7, at 3:00pm. Time control is G/90 + 30 seconds per move.
First Round Pairings:
- Zlotnikov - Simutowe
- Panchanathan - Erenburg
- Ju - Ippolito
- Molner - Bartell
- Yudasin - Zaichik
Participants Evan Ju, Mackensie Molner, Dean Ippolito, Tom Bartell, and organizer Michael Khodarkovsky are all members of the New Jersey Knockouts. We wish them the best in the tournament!
Preview of Round 1
The four GMs all clash in the first round! So do the four members of the Knockouts! It should make for an exciting day.
By my reckoning, Yudasin and Zaichik last played in the 33rd National Chess Congress in 2002, where they drew in the last round to take a share of first place. They also played four times in the 1980s in the former USSR where Yudasin won two, Zaichik won one, with one draw.
It doesn't appear as if Panchanathan and Erenburg have ever played. However, at the Chicago Open this year, Erenburg beat two of the USA's rising stars, IM Josh Friedel and IM David Pruess in 26 and 25 moves respectively. Both Friedel and Pruess play for the USCL's San Francisco Mechanics.
Knockouts Evan Ju and Dean Ippolito played to a draw in the last round of the 2006 New Jersey Open, a tournament that Ju won. Evan also just won the US Cadet Championship last month.
Tom Bartell just beat GM Yury Shulman at the World Open. And Molner had a great start at the US Junior Closed last month, and finished with an even score. I wouldn't be surprised if they have played in the past, but I didn't find anything on it.
Watch this page for tournament updates!
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