Missouri, Saint Louis Advance To Semifinals

Missouri and Saint Louis were victorious in the Quarterfinals of the 2024 Collegiate Chess League (CCL) Fall Season on Saturday.

Missouri scored 9-3 vs. Yale, supported by 3-0 scores from GM Mikhail Antipov and IM Isik Can. GM Dambasuren Batsuren scored 3.5/4, aiding Saint Louis in overcoming Athens. 

The Semifinals take place on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/12:30 a.m. IST.

Division I Bracket - Quarterfinals

• Mizzou Out For Blood: Missouri 9-3 Yale
• SLU Eager for Semifinals: Saint Louis 9.5-6.5 Athens

Mizzou Out For Blood: Missouri 9-3 Yale

Though Missouri and Yale were closely matched on their first three boards, Mizzou had a considerable rating edge on board four, making them the favorite vs. their Ivy League competition. 

Missouri gained a one-point lead in the first round. Their board four, Can, scored an upset victory vs. Yale's first board, GM Nicolas Checa. 

Meanwhile, Antipov gave up his queen vs. NM Linden Lee to win in 17 moves.

Much of round two looked like it would be a 2-2 split. Antipov won for Missouri, and two boards drew. In the last game remaining, GM Arthur Guo was on the verge of winning for Yale. Then, in the time scramble, he made an unbelievable blunder. 

This turn of events gave Missouri a three-point lead. After such a close round, the next was a bloodbath. Mizzou scored 3.5 out of four. GM Luka Budisavljevic set off a mating attack vs. Lee.

This brought Missouri to nine points, allowing them to clinch the match a round early. They will meet UT Rio Grande Valley in the Semifinals while the season for Yale has ended. 

SLU Eager for Semifinals: Saint Louis 9.5-6.5 Athens

While Athens fielded a formidable team, the defending champions were undeniably the favorite. 

Saint Louis started with a 3-1 lead. IM Tianqi Wang won a miniature vs. FM Vasilios Kasioumis, gaining a considerable advantage on the board and then running his opponent out of time. 

In the next round, Athens held Saint Louis to a 2-2 split. FM Grigorios Drakoulakos created an overpowering king attack vs. GM Robby Kevlishvili, upsetting SLU's board one. 

Saint Louis scored another 3-1 victory in the third round. Kevlishvili sacrificed a rook to beat Kasioumis in our Game of the Day with analysis by GM Dejan Bojkov.

This gave SLU eight points―a mere half-point from winning the match. As the teams entered the last round, Athens found themselves in a must-win-all position. Facing elimination, the Greek team played their best round of the match, outscoring their opponents 2.5-1.5. 

Kasioumis defeated NM Shelev Oberoi in a three-pawn vs. knight ending. 

Yet, this wasn't quite enough to turn the tides for Athens. Saint Louis reached a score of 9.5, securing their place in the Semifinals. After the match, Kevlishvili shared his hopes for the Semifinals: 

I think we didn't take the regular season seriously enough. We've talked with the team, and the team is fully aware of how important it is to perform in the playoffs. So, I have full faith in the team that we will show it next week.

I have full faith in the team that we will show it next week.

—Robby Kevlishvili

In the Semifinals, we will see reigning champion SLU get a rematch vs. the first-place SRM team. Meanwhile, two more top CCL competitors, UT Rio Grande Valley and Missouri, will face off. Who will advance to the Final?

The Collegiate Chess League is the premier online chess competition for college students. The 2024 CCL Fall Season is a team event that started September 28 at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST and features a $25,000 prize fund. 

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Previous reports:

• SRM Leaps Back Into First, UCLA Defeats Illinois
• Saint Louis B Team Stages Last-Round Comeback, Arizona State Outscores Northwestern
• Saint Louis Overcomes Yale in Shocking Finish, SRM Still Perfect
• SRM Reaches Perfect 4/4, Saint Louis Bounces Back
• Newcomers Take Down 4-Time Champions, Team Spirit Carries Athens To Victory
• Missouri Unleashes 'Star Recruit' Tari In Win Over Athens
• Virginia Upsets Top-Seeded Missouri, Saint Louis Defeats Athens
• Registrations Are Open For The Collegiate Chess League Fall 2024 Season