The Foreclosure Doctors:L to R, Gilberto Luna, Javier Gonzales, Jeffrey Haskel and Bruci Lopez. Photo Feb 2008 courtesy Harvey Lerman
The U.S. Amateur Team Playoffs, conducted Saturday April 12 on the Internet Chess Club and directed by Carol Jarecki, concluded with a resounding victory for the team from the South division. "The Foreclosure Doctors" got fast starts in both of their matches, winning the first two games against Eastern team 1.d4 in the semifinals and against Western champs "We Have Cox" in the finals. Top board Bruci Lopez, who was the highest rated player in the event, and third chair Javier Gonzalez went a combined 4-0, and Jeffrey Haskel and Gilberto Luno navigated toward a trio of draws to clinch each match.
FM Bruci Lopez led the team with sparkling Sicilian play in the finals:
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Meanwhile, Gonzalez clinched the match with a nice endgame, including a cute tactic on moves 39/40.
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Look for an in-depth report in the July issue of Chess Life, where FM Mike Klein will analyze key games, profile the winning team, and ask why they were ingloriously crowded into a small hotel room for the playoffs.