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Week 1: August 31

[imagefield_assist|fid=11982|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=GM Ben Finegold will be critical to the success of the new-look Arch Bishops.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=700|height=467] 


By Mike Kummer, Assistant Manager of the Arch Bishops

The Saint Louis Arch Bishops head into its second season in the U.S. Chess League with a revamped roster and a mission to make the play-offs. The team missed the play-offs in its inaugural season with a record of 5-5.

So this off-season, Team Manager Tony Rich and Assistant Manager Mike Kummer restructured the squad by adding six new faces to the 10-player roster. IM Goran Vojinovic from Serbia and Expert Nick Karlow bring talent and enthusiasm to the team. Aspiring GMs Kevin Cao and Jialin Ding will team up with GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Ben Finegold.

The team brought on two masters, both with a solid rating of 2346, to help balance the roster. Typically, the Arch Bishops will start FM Jake Banawa and NM Timur Aliyev together with a GM and a player rated under 2300. FM Doug Eckert and newly crowned Expert Margaret Hua return for the second season. Both were undefeated last year.

The U.S. Chess League is a 16-team league that is played over the Internet Chess Club (ICC). The Arch Bishops compete in the eight-team Western Division and need to finish in the top half to qualify for the play-offs. Come root on the Arch Bishops every week throughout the season. The first match is Wednesday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. vs. the San Francisco Mechanics. See you there!

To learn more about the Saint Louis Arch Bishops, click here: http://www.uschessleague.com/StLouis.html

To find out more about the U.S. Chess League, click here http://www.uschessleague.com/index.html.

Week
Date
Color
Opponent
1
8/31
Weds.
W
San Francisco Mechanics 7:30
2
9/6
Tues.
W
Los Angeles Vibe  8:00
3
9/14
Weds.
B
Dallas Destiny 7:00
4
9/21 Weds.
W
Arizona Scorpions 8:00
5
9/28
Weds.
B
Chicago Blaze  7:00
6
10/5
Weds.
W
Philadelphia Inventors 7:15
7
10/11
Tues.
B
Seattle Sluggers  8:00
8
10/19
Weds.
B
Miami Sharks  7:00
9
10/26
Weds.
W
Seattle Sluggers  8:00
10
10/31
Mon.
B
San Francisco Mechanics 7:30