GM Robby Kevlishvili high scored with 4/4 and GM Aryan Chopra made 3.5/4 as Saint Louis College moved to an ideal 3/3 with victory in week three of the Collegiate Chess League Spring 2025 (CCL). They beat their fierce rivals from Chennai, SRM Institute of Science and Know-how 11-5, although solely after a really shaky begin.
The CCL continues with week 4 on Saturday, February 15, at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST (Sunday, February 16).
Collegiate Chess League – Spring 2025 Week 3 Standings
SLU March On After Profitable Conflict Of Leaders: Saint Louis 11-5 SRM IST
SRM’s crew appears to be like modest on paper, with one GM, 18-year-old Pranesh M, and three IMs, in comparison with SLU’s all-GM line-up, however that ought to idiot nobody. Within the 2024 Fall season the Indian crew, with the identical line-up, beat SLU 9-7 on the way in which to topping the desk, and it was solely within the Play-Off Semifinals that SLU bought revenge by profitable 9-7 themselves.
This time the conflict appeared far more one-sided, with Saint Louis having wrapped up victory earlier than the ultimate spherical of video games and happening to win by a six-point margin.
It wasn’t so simple, nevertheless. The primary spherical of matches was essentially the most intense, with SRM’s top-two scoring convincing wins, whereas from the positions on the board a 4-0 sweep was an actual risk. Ultimately, nevertheless, SLU’s leaders discovered a strategy to flip issues round.
IM Srihari L appropriately sacrificed a bishop in opposition to Aryan, however although his assault grew to become overwhelming, he did not convert and went on to lose.
On this event Srihari sadly lived as much as his uncommon Chess.com username “losingexperience.” We did not be taught the place that got here from, however Kevlishvili’s “GroovyKettle” was clarified!
After that escape for SLU within the first mini-match, they gained the second 3.5-0.5, with Aryan trapping IM A Ra Harikrishnan‘s queen in the midst of the board.
The match was over when SLU scored 3-1 within the penultimate spherical, although SRM’s top-scorer, Harikrishnan, did get to beat two GMs. GM Emin Ohanyan, all the way down to his final seconds, spoilt a profitable place after which stumbled into checkmate.
So Saint Louis leads Division 1, however within the second a part of the dwell present we bought to see a little bit additional down the CCL pyramid!
How The Different Half Lives: Georgia Tech E 8.5-7.5 Duke College B
Division 1 of the CCL is simply the tip of the iceberg, with 24 divisions in complete. For a change, we bought to see among the lower-ranked groups in motion, with Georgia Tech E beating Duke College B in a topsy-turvy Division 15 encounter the place the groups oscillated wins earlier than Georgia clinched victory with a 3-1 win within the remaining mini-match.
The gamers’ scores ranged from 1323 to 1679 in the beginning of the match, which after all meant we bought some entertaining swings. GM Benjamin Bok hadn’t managed to complete the sentence “this sport might nonetheless go both means,” when mate-in-one was blundered in an equal place in Tony Cao vs. Aditya Bose-Bandyopadhyay.
GM Bok was additionally shocked by Gavin Jiang’s cussed refusal to take a free rook, twice…The commentators puzzled if it was a show of mercy, however Jiang went on to win the sport. He additionally top-scored with 3/4 as Georgia Tech triumphed!
The Collegiate Chess League is the premier on-line chess competitors for faculty college students. The 2024 CCL Fall Season is a crew occasion beginning September 28 at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST and that includes a $25,000 prize fund.
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