Korobov Falls For a Tricky Checkmate! | PRO Chess League Playoffs

March 9, 2020 NHaselton Chess Lectures

Chess.comMon, March 9, 2020 4:44pmURL:
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With only one round remaining to determine which four teams make it to the PRO Chess League live final in Oslo, Norway at ChessParty 2020, the top teams are leaving nothing to chance.

The Germany Bears won the Central Division and earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs, but if they thought it’d give them an easy path to the semifinals they will need to think again. This week they face off against the strongest version of the China Pandas that we’ve seen all season.

China has three 2700+ players in their lineup and an average rating of 2739. GM Ding Liren is playing his second match of the year just one week before competing in the Candidates Tournament.

Ding is joined by GM Yu Yangyi and GM Wei Yi. GM Li Chao, who manages the team and is also nearly rated 2700 (2690), holds down board four and is actually higher rated than Germany’s top board.

For the Bears to have any chance in this match they will need GM Anton Korobov to continue dominating as he has been all season long. Korobov has a performance rating of 2869 throughout the PCL season and will need to play just as well this week if the Bears are to move on.

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