[imagefield_assist|fid=17209|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=GM Varuzhan Akobian was prepared for GM Conrad Holt's Slav on board 1.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=610|height=438]
Week 9 brought that victory flavor to Saint Louis, though the aftertaste was bittersweet.
Needing to win out the season to keep playoff hopes alive, the Arch Bishops drummed up a win over Dallas 2.5 – 1.5 last Tuesday night, serving the Destiny only their second loss of the season.
GM Varuzhan Akobian cruised to a comfortable win in the Slav as white over Dallas GM Conrad Holt on Board 1, but Destiny evened the score after FM Jeffery Xiong took black and toppled FM Doug Eckert on Board 3.
“(Holt) always plays the Slav, so I was ready,” Akobian said. “I think the g4-h5 pawn break was the key moment of the game. And then he lost a piece, and lost the game.”
The Arch Bishops appeared to be headed for a loss down the stretch, with GM Ben Finegold looking drawish on Board 2 and Jason Fredericks suffering against a kingside storm of passed pawns.
“I thought ‘Maybe Qe2 is wrong,’ but I didn’t think I was worse.” Finegold said. “And then I was worse.”
Fredericks was a late addition to the lineup as members of Lindenwod University's chess team were traveling to Detroit for the Michigan International Chess Festival.
Although he had a huge advantage over Fredericks, Dallas’ Travis Guenther couldn’t seal the deal in the endgame, awarding hi opponent several key tempi that were used to desperately sprint his own passed pawn to promotion. The surprise victory gave Saint Louis the extra half-point it needed for the win.
“I figured I would have to sacrifice my bishop for a pawn and then somehow keep my rook and pawns active to keep him busy,” Fredericks said. “I was probably lost, or close to it.”
Fredericks said he didn’t like Guenther’s Rf7 and Nd5 maneuver.
"He probably should have pushed the pawn right away to get my bishop for it,” Fredericks said. “He tried to do too much maneuvering instead of just consolidating his position.”
But celebration was short and sweet as attention turned to the other Western Conference matchup: On top of a St. Louis victory, the Arch Bishops needed help from a Miami loss – some aid that did not come through. The Sharks fought to a draw with the Carolina Cobras Tuesday night, clinching the final conference playoff spot and mathematically eliminating the Arch Bishops from playoff contention.
The Arch Bishops square off against the last-place Carolina Cobras in a battle for pride.
