The state of Missouri has stamped its supremacy on collegiate chess after Saint Louis University won the 2024 Collegiate Chess League (CCL) final against Webster University and the University of Missouri (Mizzou) secured victory in their third-placed playoff on Sunday.
Playing against Webster University in the title match, SLU’s team, featuring GMs Nikolas Theodorou, Benjamin Bok, Robby Kevlishvili, and Dambasuren Batsuren scored 12-4, winning the championship with a round in hand and claiming the $5,000 prize presented by SIG in the process.
Collegiate Chess League Playoffs – Standings
The CCL Spring season, Presented by SIG, is won by none other than SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY! Congratulations to all our players this season 🥇#CCLFinals pic.twitter.com/JtX7sFf84h
— CollegiateChessLeague (@CollegiateChess) March 24, 2024
Spurred on by the tantalizing prospect of sending off CCL retiree Bok with a third straight title, team SLU commenced the final with a comprehensive 3-1 victory. Wins for Theodorou and Bok were bolstered by Batsuren’s win over Webster’s board one and playoffs ring-in, GM Benjamin Gledura.
For Webster, which has long been hailed as one of the top colleges for chess in the U.S., the start was disappointing, however on paper, their four-GM lineup had the chops to mount a comeback.
Nerves on both sides dictated proceedings in the second round in which SLU once again came out on top with a 3-1 win. Following a purple patch of form in the regular rounds and playoffs, Bok surged to his second straight win, defeating GM Yasser Quesada Perez from the white side of an English Defense: Neo Catalan.
Meanwhile, Theodorou executed the cleanest win of the day against GM Harsha Barathakoti from the white side of a double fianchetto setup. Our Game of the Day, which GM Rafael Leitao has analyzed can be viewed below.
While the two 3-1 wins were an impressive start for SLU, they were unlucky not to seal an extra half-point after Dambasuren inexplicably blundered a rook in a completely winning position and had to settle for a draw.
Although SLU’s boards one and two were unstoppable all season, their boards three and four; Kevlishvili and Dambasuren shone in the third and decisive round of the match. Piling misery on Webster’s Perez, Kevlishvili won for the first time in the finals at the crucial time as Dambasuren wrapped up the match with a win over Bharathakoti which featured the only brilliant move of the championship match.
With their third straight title already confirmed, SLU cruised through the last round and scored another 3-1 victory, handing Webster their worst defeat in recent CCL memory. Bok would later laud the efforts of Batsuren who scored 3.5/4, stating: “He really stepped up his game, and that made all the difference.”
After six seasons Bok’s departure will leave a gaping hole in SLU’s illustrious team however looking at the university’s official chess page, the likes of WGM’s Thalia Cervantes and Gabriela Antova will keep their lineup competitive.
Despite falling just short of setting up an all-Missouri final, Mizzou bagged the bronze medal and $1,000 prize for their efforts. Playing against the 2023 finalists UTRGV, Mizzou repelled a GM Gleb Dudin-led onslaught to take the match by a three-point margin.
The real highlight of the match was the astounding 3.5/4 score notched by Dudin who did everything he could to give his team a chance. Even GM Mikhail Antipov couldn’t handle the chaotic ferocity of UTRGV’s MVP.
At the end of the day though, consistency paid off for Mizzou, and with each player scoring a minimum of 2/4, Mizzou would guarantee a minimum of eight points.
After his heroic quarterfinal performance, GM Raja Harshit featured heavily on board four as he dispatched IMs Shawn Rodigue-Lemieux, Ekin Ozenir, and Tianqi Wang, the latter of which featured a picturesque mating net.
For the last two seasons, Missouri’s universities have imprinted their authority on the CCL however when the Summer season commences later in 2024, expect to see Webster and UTRGV come back with a vengeance.
The Collegiate Chess League is the premier online chess competition for college students. The 2024 CCL Spring Season is a team event starting January 20 at 2 p.m. ET/20:00 CET/0:30 a.m. IST and featuring a $25,000 prize fund.
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