Today: PRO Chess League Quarterfinals Continue
Programming note: The New York Marshalls square off against the Armenia Eagles today beginning at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (17:00 Central European Time) on Chess.com/TV.
With only one round remaining to determine which four teams make it to the PRO Chess League live final in Oslo, Norway at ChessParty 2020, the top teams are leaving nothing to chance. Teams are bringing some of the strongest lineups in league history this week and you can catch all the action beginning Monday, March 9 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (16:00 Central European Time) live on Chess.com/TV.
Three of the teams have average ratings above 2700, and 13 of the 32 players competing have ratings above 2700, the typical benchmark for earning the unofficial designation of "supergrandmaster". Let's breakdown all of the matches:
Monday March 9, 7 AM Pacific Time:
Germany Bears vs China Pandas
The Germany Bears won the Central Division and earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs, but if they thought it'd give them an easy path to the semifinals they will need to think again. This week they face off against the strongest version of the China Pandas that we've seen all season.
China has three 2700+ players in their lineup and an average rating of 2739.
GM Ding Liren is playing his second match of the year just one week before competing in the Candidates Tournament.
Ding is joined by GM Yu Yangyi and GM Wei Yi. GM Li Chao, who manages the team and is also nearly rated 2700 (2690), holds down board four and is actually higher rated than Germany's top board.
For the Bears to have any chance in this match they will need GM Anton Korobov to continue dominating as he has been all season long. Korobov has a performance rating of 2869 throughout the PCL season and will need to play just as well this week if the Bears are to move on.
Tuesday March 10, 8 AM Pacific Time:
Saint Louis Arch Bishops vs India Yogis
As usual, the Arch Bishops bring four of the top players in the world to the table, but the Yogis are doing their best to match them.
The Yogis lineup features two 2700+ GMs in Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Pentala Harikrishna on the top boards, along with fan favorites GM Adhiban Baskaran and GM SL Narayanan. Adhiban is known for his unique attacking style, while Narayanan plays frequently on chess.com and is a regular top scorer in Titled Tuesday events.
For the Yogis to pull the upset they will have to do what no other team has been able to do: Beat the Arch Bishops.
Saint Louis is fielding four 2700s. While 2018 World Championship Challenger GM Fabiano Caruana is on top board, GM Wesley So has been the team's biggest star, scoring 21.5/28 so far this season with a performance rating above 2800.
Thursday March 12, 9 AM Pacific Time:
Armenia Eagles vs New York Marshalls
The Eagles have had a tremendous 2020 season thus far, having won every match thus far. However this week they have their hands full for two reasons:
1. New York is incredibly strong and has blitz phenom GM Hikaru Nakamura on the top board.
2. Armenia is playing without two of their top performers, GM Haik Martirosyan and GM Shant Sargsyan
The Marshalls have to be happy to be here, as Nakamura was forced to win three-consecutive blitz games to win the tiebreak against France, as they now look to be in prime position to advance to the semifinals.
However, the Armenia Eagles have always performed well with their backs against the wall, as shown in the 2018 PRO Chess League Finals, when they walked away with the league championship after an incredible blitz display by GM Zaven Andriasian.
Friday March 13, 9 AM Pacific Time:
Canada Chessbrahs vs Chicago Wind
The Chessbrahs are loaded once again this week. In the first round of the playoffs, they fielded a team with three 2700's and beat Sweden 11.5-4.5. They are hoping for the same level of dominance against the Chicago Wind in the Quarterfinals.
The Chessbrahs have two Candidates playing on their team in GM Alexander Grischuk and GM Anish Giri, and one of the brightest talents in the world playing on board three in 16-year-old phenom, GM Alireza Firouzja.
In order to stop them, Puzzle Rush Champion Ray Robson will need the performance of his lifetime, while GM Illia Nyzhnyk will need to rediscover the magic that saw him score 3.5/4 against the powerhouse Saint Louis Arch Bishops.
The Chicago Wind gave the Arch Bishops the fight of their life, losing a nail-biter 7.5-8.5. Chicago has shown that on their day they can pose a threat to the best teams in the league. Can they make this match against the powerhouse Chessbrahs interesting as well, or will the Chessbrahs score another blowout victory en route to the semifinals?
There's everything to play for in the PRO Chess League Quarterfinals. Who will emerge victorious? Tune in Monday to find out.
You can catch all the action beginning Monday, March 9 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (16:00 Central European Time) live on Chess.com/TV to see who will advance to the live finals in Oslo, Norway as part of the PRO Chess League presented by ChessParty 2020.
For more on ChessParty 2020, check out the promotional video below and click here to buy tickets now:
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