Webster Reaches 5-0, Rio Grande Beats Reigning Champions

Webster reached 5-0 while Rio Grande defeated the defending champions in week five of the 2024 Collegiate Chess League (CCL). 

Though Webster achieved a commanding overall score, they did so with a balanced performance from each of their players. Top scorer GM Gleb Dudin achieved 3/4 to lead UTRGV to spoil Saint Louis's perfect score. IM Ekin Ozenir was also a force to be reckoned with―upsetting SLU's top board and clinching the match with thrilling last round victory. 

The CCL will continue on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST.

Collegiate Chess League - Week 5 Standings

It was a particularly exciting week in the CCL, featuring the four top teams matched up against each other: Webster vs. Dallas and Saint Louis vs. Rio Grande. 

• Dallas 5.5-10.5 Webster
• Saint Louis 7.5-8.5 Rio Grande

Dallas 5.5-10.5 Webster

This match was nearly a GM full house with seven grandmasters and one IM, who is only a norm away from upgrading his title. Webster showed how seriously they see Dallas as opponents by choosing to activate their top grandmasters on every board. 

The match began with a shock. Dallas's board four, GM Balaji Daggupati, defeated Webster's board one, GM Aram Hakobyan. Hakobyan attempted to use a desperado tactic to indirectly safeguard his own rook, but he overlooked a fatal intermezzo. 

Meanwhile, IM Andrei Macovei was relentless in his attacking free-for-all vs. GM Harsha Bharathakoti. 

Dallas took the early lead vs. the top-seed team. In round two, Hakobyan found himself down three pawns vs. Harsha, but in the critical time-scramble moments, he came back with a vengeance. 

At the halfway point, the match was all tied up. Round three saw Webster kick into a new gear, scoring three victories and one draw. Hakobyan shattered Macovei's kingside and chased his monarch all the way across the board before prevailing in the ending. GM Yasser Quesada's ambitious spirit paid off in his double-edged duel vs. GM Ivan Schitco. 

As Commentator WFM Anna Cramling described: "I don't know what they did during that break, but whatever they did, I want to do at every chess tournament because they just came back with a kind of fire that is amazing to see." The previously tied match was now 7.5-4.5 in Webster's favor with the top seed needing just one more victory to seal the match.

In the last round, Hakobyan safeguarded his king with the creative d8-c7 maneuver before hunting after Schitco's in the center. As CCL Commissioner Joe Lee described: "Aram is teaching us to play chess, again and again."

Though the match was now lost for Dallas, Daggupati continued to fight on for his team―as individual points still count toward tiebreaks in the overall rankings―turning the tables in an intense time scramble vs. GM Gergely Kantor. Daggupati achieved the highest individual score of either team with 3.5/4. 

Though Webster closed out the match like the favorites they are, Dallas surprised by striking first, showing their readiness to fight as the season rages on. 

Saint Louis 7.5-8.5 Rio Grande

With a powerhouse of four GMs on this week's roster, Saint Louis would normally be the favorite. Yet, at the start of the match, their board four, GM Dambasuren Batsuren, was MIA, then in the middle of game for another competition. As the match began, the remaining teammates faced a three vs. four battle against Rio Grande. Could the outnumbered grandmasters put up a Spartan-like fight?

Echoing the first match of the day, this one also began with the underdog's board four, Rio Grande's Ozenir, defeating the favorite's board one, Saint Louis's GM Nikolas Theodorou.

In fact, this was Theodorou's first loss of the season as he was the lead scorer with 10.5/11 beforehand. 

Down a player and with a first-round loss, how would the reigning champions respond? In round two, Saint Louis rallied, scoring 2.5 from three boards, winning the round, and tying the score. GM Benjamin Bok scored a key victory in his miniature vs. Ozenir.

Even better news for SLU, Batsuren finished his conflicting game and was now ready to join in the match. Eager to make up for his absence in the first two rounds, he started with an invigorating victory vs. IM Jakub Fus. Can you find the tactic that began to tip the scales in Batsuren's favor?

White to move.

With draws on the other three boards, the Mongolian grandmaster's win was the deciding factor, giving Saint Louis their first lead of the match. 

In the final round, Dudin hoped to be the second person on his team to score vs. Theodorou. He declined the Greek grandmaster's Morra Gambit pawn sacrifice to steer the game to more positional waters. Then he used a tactic to gain two extra pawns and command of the position. His upset victory is our Game of the Day. Enjoy analysis by GM Rafael Leitao below.

After draws occurred on two boards, the fate of the match rested on Batsuren as he fought to defend down a bishop in a time scramble vs. Ozenik. Could he hold the game to send the match into overtime? Or would Ozenik seal an upset victory for his team?

In the end, with the pressure on, Ozenik came through. With this win, Rio Grande served Saint Louis their first CCL loss since 2023. As Lee declared: "This is the comeback of the season so far."

This is the comeback of the season so far.

―Joe Lee

In the post-match interview, Ozenik answered a fan question: What's it like to have ice in your veins and be the hero?

"To be honest, I didn’t know if my game was decisive at the end. I was just playing to win and hoping… I had no idea what the score was.”

I had no idea what the score was.

―Erin Ozenir

Next week is the penultimate week of the regular season. It will bring the much-awaited matchup of Webster vs. Saint Louis. 

The Collegiate Chess League is the premier online chess competition for college students. The 2024 CCL Spring Season is a team event starting January 20 at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST and featuring a $25,000 prize fund.

Previous reports:

• Webster Extends Winning Streak, Dallas Grows Comeback
• Perfect Scores By Harsha, Bok Lead Webster, Saint Louis To The Top
• Saint Louis University Records 15-1 Win Over Prague; Webster Rules In Overtime
• Webster Scores Debut Victory vs. Athens As 2024 Collegiate Chess League Begins
• Registrations Open For The Collegiate Chess League Spring 2024 Season