After having nearly an identical roster structure in 2009 as they used in 2008, keeping nearly all the same top players while only really changing their two up and comers who manned the bottom boards, Chicago decided to nearly reverse that strategy in 2010.  The Blaze come into this season having completely retuned their roster, adding two new GMs and several other new players, with their two up and coming youngeters of 2009, NM Eric Rosen and NM Trevor Magness, this time suprisingly being amongst the few veterans from last year's team.

     But one other very notable veteran is the Blaze's undisputed star of the last two seasons, 2009 Top Board Three All Star, IM Angelo Young, who is still undefeated in eleven USCL games.  With him returning, along with their two young talents both having showed some impressive results in the off season, Chicago should be a very dangerous team on the bottom boards.

     Having retooled their lineup at the top, adding both GM Dmitry Gurevich and GM Mesgen Amanov, there is also every reason to believe that where Chicago really struggled in their first two seasons, the top board, will greatly improve itself this year.  Together with several other new faces who should provide very good backup on the bottom boards, the Blaze look prepared to fire on all cylinders.  If their new blood can combine with their veterans to produce the results that they are capable of, 2010 may well be the year the Blaze move from the category of a solid team to a postseason bound one.