New Jersey Knockouts vs. Tennessee Tempo

Shen - Larson, USCL 2007
White to play and draw.

I have posted the games from the match between The New Jersey Knockouts and Tennessee Tempo (US Chess League, September 5, 2007) with light notes. As the great Yogi Bera once said, "it was deja vu all over again." As they did last week, the Knockouts caught a lucky break to draw a critical game and thus draw the match against a lower-rated team.



The Knockouts were losing badly on the two bottom boards, but then the Tempo's Board 3, seeing that the win on Board 4 (where Larson was up two connected passed pawns in a Rook ending) was in the bag, took a draw by repetition against his higher-rated opponent, perhaps afraid of blowing his advantage in time pressure by trying too hard to win. But the Knockout's Victor Shen pulled a draw out of the jaws of defeat (or out of somewhere else perhaps), and the match was drawn 2-2.



The Knockouts have drawn both of their matches so far, more from luck than anything. Let's hope they can play better next time. And, if they don't, let's hope their luck continues!