With four of seven rounds in the books, Vancouver and New York City have broken away from the
pack in the Pandanet A League, both sitting undefeated at 4-0. The rest of the field is scrambling for position, with San Diego, Chicago, and Seattle battling in the middle, while Toronto (1-3) looks to climb back into contention.
Tune in this Saturday, April 19 for the EJ’s livestream coverage, with Alan Huang 7d — three-time North American Masters champion — providing live commentary. Watch live on YouTube or Twitch, starting at 4p ET.
In B League, Madison remains the team to beat at 4-0, but New Jersey is threatening an upset with their current match tied 1-1. New York City and Vancouver 3 sit close behind in 2nd and 3rd. Los Angeles Eclipse looks to stay alive in a critical showdown with Vancouver 3.
C League saw the biggest surprise of round 5 thus far with Columbus stunning the previously undefeated Toronto Berserkers. With multiple teams in striking distance, the race for the top two spots could get very crowded.
Madison also leads D League at 4-0, while Atlanta and New York City are locked in a crucial battle for a likely second place at the conclusion of round 5.
In E League, Albuquerque and Martinsville are tied for first, but Raleigh and Fremont Mission are hot on their heels. Key matches this round could flip the standings.
Feature Match: Chicago vs. Denver (April 19)
All eyes will be on Chicago (2-2) vs. Denver (1-3) in a pivotal A League matchup this Saturday that could shake up the playoff race — or the fight to dodge relegation.
Chicago’s top board Albert Yen 7d — the top-rated US amateur — faces Denver’s Bowen Zhang 7d.
Board 2 features a razor-close matchup between Maxwell Chen 6d and Denver’s Yan Jin 6d.
Board 3 pits Chicago’s red-hot Sungsoo Kim 5d — already with big wins this season — against Denver’s Nicole Chen 4d.
A win for Chicago keeps them in finalist contention. A win for Denver could pull them out of the relegation zone. Game on.