Well it looks like it’s my turn to write our team’s blog since I’m playing board 4. This week is a big occasion for the Pioneers, probably one of the most pivotal moments of our season: the 2009 season debut of GM elect Lev Milman (I was tempted to say that my 2009 debut would be the most pivotal moment of the season, but then I came to my senses). We’ve been eagerly awaiting his debut and it couldn’t have come at a better time as we’re one win away from getting back to .500. He’s a very experienced player in the USCL, and we’re happy to welcome him the Queens/Manhattan “Applesauce” Pioneers.
I’m a fan of all of the USCL blogs (whenever there’s downtime at work I often catch myself reading them), but I have no idea what to write so I’ll just talk about hanging out with some of my teammates this past weekend. Shaun Smith, our board 4 / Assistant Manager / hookup for our amazing playing site organized a birthday party for his girlfriend Christina at a Middle-Eastern themed bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It was a really fun night, and several Pioneers (as well as one New York Knight) joined in on the festivities. Camaraderie is an underrated quality to have in team chess, and I’m happy to say that we’re all friends on and off the board.
As for my thoughts on our upcoming match with Seattle, they’re a tough team. While we should consider ourselves fortunate to not have to face their double GM lineup, they’re no pushover and I predict a difficult match, with a slight advantage for us purely because Dunkin Donuts is better than Starbucks.
Till next time, Ben
advantage Seattle period.
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