Ratata Spanish Squad Outclass ChessDojo, Progress To Semifinal Match Vs. Cramlings

GM Pepe Cuenca and IM David Martinez ("Ratata Spanish Squad") defeated IM Kostya Kavutskiy and IM David Pruess ("ChessDojo") 2-0 in the third quarterfinal match of the 2024 Team Chess Battle 2. They slew the King's Indian Defense with a slow squeeze in the first game and then won the second when their opponents, in a must-win situation, over-pressed. They will face Team Cramling in the Semifinals next week.

The next match will be the Semifinal with Cuenca and Martinez ("Ratata Spanish Squad") vs. GM Pia Cramling and WFM Anna Cramling ("Team Cramling"). That begins on Tuesday, October 15, at 3 p.m. ET / 21:00 CEST / 00:30 a.m. IST (Wednesday).

Team Chess Battle 2 Bracket

Ratata Spanish Squad 2-0 ChessDojo

There was no trash-talk at the pre-game banter as both teams expressed their admiration for one another. Kavutskiy said, "It's a big honor for us to play against Pepe and David. I'm a big fan of them both" and "we're just happy to be here." His teammate, Pruess, jumped in: "That's what people who are going to lose say!"

Cuenca showed similar respect for his opponents, saying that he also looks forward to playing over-the-board again someday. His partner, Martinez, said that he played some blitz games in preparation but wasn't expecting to face Pikachu this Thursday, hinting at Kavutskiy's background.

Divis: "I was not ready to play versus Pikachu! Kostya, I see you have Pikachu in the background!"#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/XTQD37XBL1

— chess24 (@chess24com) October 10, 2024

Ratata Spanish Squad won the match with a clean sweep, though in the second game they had the advantage of a draw being enough to win the match.

It's the first time that a team won the first game with the white pieces in this edition of the event. In both of the previous matches, Black won first and then won again the second game, knowing they could clinch even with a draw. All three quarterfinal matches so far have ended with 2-0 scores.

The Spanish duo won a remarkably controlled first game, squeezing a space advantage in the King's Indian Defense until their opponents finally cracked. Although ChessDojo defended well for most of the game, finding accurate prophylactic moves, the lack of space became a crisis in time trouble.

David: "From a certain perspective, we've just moved the knights in circles for like five moves." 😂#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/dvgTJtIlI0

— chess24 (@chess24com) October 10, 2024

Pruess said afterward, "Because they didn't let us do much, as the time started to tick down it started getting harder to play moves for our side."

Cuenca had unique ways of describing positional moves: for example, "recycling" the pieces with the maneuver Be2-Bf1-g2, or the comment that White has a safe and "warm" king on h1 on move 34. Black lashed out with the aggressive 39.d5? pawn sacrifice, but it was White who got to attack.

ChessDojo had to win with the white pieces in the next game, but they didn't get much in the French Steinitz Variation after the Spanish commentators played the sideline 7...Rb8. Cuenca mentioned that, later, 16.Qxa7 was probably the best winning attempt, and after ChessDojo played 16.Nc3 Black had everything under control. White later played the challenging 21.f5?, but after finding the best 21...Rfe8! the Spanish team was clearly better, needing only a draw.

From there on, it was hard to force any winning chances for the white side, and 40.axb4? allowed a fantastic winning move that Cuenca spotted in seconds:

Ratata Spanish Squad will play the Cramlings in the Semifinals on October 15. Asked which team he thinks will win the match, Pruess praised his opponents, "They were very solid, they gave us no possibilities or no chances, and they played just a little faster than us... I didn't see any weakness that they have to cover before their next match."

I didn't see any weakness that they have to cover before their next match.

—David Pruess 

Cuenca said of the upcoming match: "It's gonna be extremely exciting. I know Pia and Anna very well and I have lost several times to Pia, so I know how it feels... and Anna is also a very good player." He mentioned that the Cramlings played together at the recent Chess Olympiad and that Anna's father, who was their team captain, will likely help with the preparation as well. "It's gonna be a good day."

Team Chess Battle is an event where two-player teams can freely communicate while facing other teams in a series of rapid chess games. Eight teams of two players each compete in a single-elimination bracket. Matches consist of two games (the Final is a four-game match) with a 15+10 time control. The event goes from October 7 to October 18 and features a $10,000 prize fund.

Previous coverage:

• Quarterfinals: Team 'Oh Yes My Queen' Wins With Queen Trap Vs. 'Dandinavian,' Advance To Semifinals
• Quarterfinals: Mother-Daughter Duo Overcome Team ChessKid, Advance To Semifinals
• Team Chess Battle Is Back With Levy Rozman, Anna Cramling, James Canty, And Other Celebrities