Saint Louis Prevails vs. SRM, Will Face Missouri in Final
Saint Louis and Missouri defeated critical rivals in the Semifinals of the 2024 Collegiate Chess League (CCL) Fall Season on Saturday.
In a close match, SLU overcame SRM with a well-rounded performance by their entire team. Missouri's board-four, IM Isik Can, was their top scorer vs. UT Rio Grande.
The Final will take place on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/12:30 a.m. IST.
Division I Bracket - Semifinals
Saint Louis Gets Even: SRM 7-9 SLU
It was finally time: the much-awaited rematch between the leading SRM team and the reigning champions. One key difference from their duel during the regular season is GM Pranesh M, SRM's top board, was missing from the lineup, giving SLU a slight edge.
Saint Louis grabbed a two-point lead to kick off the match. GM Nikolozi Kacharava defeated IM Harikrishnana A Ra, fending off his opponent's attack and then conjuring a vicious king hunt of his own.
In round two, the teams split 2-2 with White winning on every board. IM L R Srihari conjured a deadly onslaught vs. Kacharava by creating a passage for his queen to swing to the kingside. This is our Game of the Day, with analysis by GM Rafael Leitao below.
SRM and SLU fought to another 2-2 draw in round three. IM Raahul V S played a stunning knight sacrifice in the ending vs. Kacharava.
After these two neck-and-neck rounds, Saint Louis still held their two-point lead heading into the final round. Could SRM make a comeback? Or would SLU take it home?
Kacharava employed the fishing pole trap to defeat Srihari in 22 moves. This brought Saint Louis's score to eight points―a half point away from victory. It was NM Shelev Oberoi who scored the last point for SLU, defeating Raahul with connected passers in the endgame.
The final score of 9-7 in Saint Louis's favor is the reverse of the regular season matchup when SRM won by the same margin.
Mizzou Shows No Mercy: Texas 3.5-8.5 Missouri
Missouri and UT Rio Grande looked to be a closely-matched duel. The teams had similiar lineups of three grandmasters and one IM each. Their top boards also had close season percentages heading into the match: GM Mikhail Antipov had 80.4% while GM Viktor Gazik had 77.5%.
Missouri started with a 3-1 lead. Missouri's board-four, Can, upset Gazik. Meanwhile, Antipov defeated IM Ekin Ozenir by outcalculating his opponent in a promotion race time scramble.
Mizzou grew their lead to three points in round two. GM Aryan Tari found a winning tactical combination vs. Ozenir.
With wins by Antipov, Can, and GM Luka Budisavljevic, Missouri scored another 3-1 victory. Antipov discovered a picturesque tactic to win material vs. GM Gleb Dudin. Can you find it?
White to move.
This brought Mizzou to just enough points―8.5―to clinch the match a round early. Afterwards, Antipov shared his hope for the Final: "Usually, I am only satisfied if I score at least three points against any team."
Usually, I am only satisfied if I score at least three points against any team.
—Mikhail Antipov
In the Final, we will see reigning champion Saint Louis face Missouri. With such powerful performances in the Semifinals by both teams, a compelling match is in store. Meanwhile, UT Rio Grande and SRM will duke it out for 3rd place.
You can watch the 2024 Collegiate Chess League presented by Susquehanna on Chess.com/TV. You can also enjoy the show on our Twitch channel and catch all our live broadcasts on YouTube.com/ChesscomLive. Games from the event can be viewed on our events page.
The live broadcast was hosted by GM Benjamin Bok and Jules Gambit.
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.
Freshman and sophomores, Susquehanna's "Discovery Days" could be your chance to explore what a career in quantitative trading and finance looks like! Apply now for virtual and Philly spots (travel included): https://careers.sig.com/us-discovery-days.
Previous reports:
- Missouri, Saint Louis Advance To Semifinals
- 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
Vanessa West is a National Master, a chess teacher, and a writer for Chess.com. In 2017, they won the Chess Journalist of the Year award.
You can follow them on X: Vanessa__West
