11/08/2005

  San Francisco vs Miami Preview
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by IM Greg Shahade                   
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   We have a rematch of the exciting Week 10 battle as the San Francisco Mechanics and Miami Sharks will battle it out for the Western Division Championship. San Francisco defeated the Sharks in impressive fashion last week to gain draw odds for this showdown. The Mechanics have won both matchups against Miami this season and thus it seems they would be a prohibitive favorite in this match. However with GM Becerra on board 1 for the Sharks, along with strong FM Marcel Martinez and IM Blas Lugo, this will be a dogfight.

BOARD 1

  IM Vinay Bhat  

                          vs
  GM Julio Becerra


  The Mechanics were struggling along with a record of 2-4 when Vinay Bhat joined the team late in the season. He provided some spark to the Mechanics and also helped to cure their 1st board woes, as since then San Fran has scored 3.5/4 (1.5/2 from Vinay) on the top board, as opposed to 1/6 in their first 6 matches. As predicted earlier, if the Mechanics could sort out their top board problems, they would be a force in the USCL, and they proved this prediction to be correct.

  Becerra has been supersolid for the Sharks until last week, when he finally lost a game to IM Vincent McCambridge. Becerra would love to avenge last week's loss and help to get 1 of the 2.5 points the Sharks will need to make it to the finals.

Stats:
Bhat vs Becerra
 Bhat   
Becerra
Rating
 2462
 2622
2005 USCL Record
 1.5/2
 5/8
2005 USCL Performance Rating
 2713
 2563


BOARD 2

  FM Marcel Martinez

                          vs
  FM Dmitry Zilberstein


    These guys have formed quite the rivalry this season, as they have played two hard fought games, both of which ended drawn. The first game:

USCL Week 4: FM Martinez - IM Zilberstein   1/2-1/2

 was the final game of the match, in which Martinez needed to win to force a tie. Martinez pressed as hard as he could and was eventually unable to come through. Zilberstein probably could have won in the final position but decided to accept a draw and clinch the victory for the Mechanics. Last week these guys had another complicated draw below:

USCL Week 10: IM Zilberstein - FM Martinez 1/2-1/2

  With the white pieces, the Sharks are counting on Marcel Martinez to finally crack through the defenses of Dmitry Zilberstein. Miami is going to have to win a game or two, as they are eliminated on a draw.


Martinez vs Zilberstein
 M.Martinez   
Zilberstein
Rating
 2469
 2435
2005 USCL Record
 4/8
 3/8
2005 USCL Performance Rating
 2476
 2373


BOARD 3

  FM David Pruess
                       
                          vs
  IM Blas Lugo

 
These two players had an action packed game last week, as their game went a measly 98 moves!

Week 10: IM Lugo vs FM Pruess  1/2-1/2

 Both of these guys play for the win at all costs, and are never ready to agree to a draw. Pruess has had a tremendous season on board 3 for the Mechanics and finished in 5th place in the league MVP voting. Meanwhile Lugo hasn't lost a game all season long and both players come into the game with league performance ratings above 2500. With their uncrompomising styles of play, you can expect to see a lot of fireworks in this matchup.
Pruess vs Lugo
 Pruess   
Lugo   
Rating
 2432
 2426
2005 USCL Record
 6.5/9
 4/6
2005 USCL Performance Rating
 2531
 2527




BOARD 4

  Jose Cabrera

                          vs
  NM Andy Lee


 The Mechanics will be counting on Andy Lee to send them into the finals. Lee is rated almost 2300 on the new USCF rating list, whereas his opponent is only about 2100. Cabrera was punished by San Fran's Mark Pinto last week, and Lee hopes to continue his fine play with a crucial victory. If Lee can pull it out, the Mechanics will need only 1/3 from their top 3 boards to move onto the finals. However if Cabrera can pull off a surprise win or draw, the balance of this match will shift drastically and the Mechanics will need inspired play from their top boards to advance to the finals.
 
Cabrera vs Lee
 Cabrera   
Lee          
Rating
 2089
 2231
2005 USCL Record
 1.5/4
 3/4
2005 USCL Performance Rating
 1991
 2341


 


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