FM Ron Young's predictions - Week 10
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by FM Ron Young                       
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One could not have written a more exciting last-week
scenario than to have a match with draw odds at stake
(though Ingmar Bergman came close in “The Seventh
Seal”). Miami has draw odds this week so if they
manage the tie it’ll be good experience for next week,
but I’m getting ahead of myself. Miami is the
solid-though-not-huge betting favorite, due largely to
Becerra playing White on board 1. I think, though,
that McCambridge will dazzle the GM with solidity, and
predict a tied match (which would be fine with Miami,
after all). To satisfy the old betting jones, place
five lobo on San Francisco.

On the surface nothing is at stake here but just
below, where it really stings, is Irina Krush’s
burning desire to restore the family honor by beating
Norman Rogers. The odds are not too huge so I’d put
five gores on Irina and expect New York to prevail in
the match, most likely by 2.5-1.5.

Baltimore is a substantial favorite by the official
line but none at all by mine. Apparently their edge
comes from boards one and three where they play White
but I expect solidity from Friedel (but do look for
knight forks, Josh) and MacIntrye. Winer also looks
good with White at near-tossup odds. Put five lymans
on both Boston and Winer, and another three if you
have it on MacIntyre. 2-2 is the predicted match
score.

One should understand that just as it is against the
code for a restaurant reviewer to say “good food but
you can eat just as well at home a lot cheaper”, so my
forecasts are based on the reader’s being a compulsive
gambler at peace with tithing to the house. That said,
I like Milman getting odds almost any time, and
Panchanathan when he’s just trying to be solid, which
I suppose is the case here. Put a cooke on the latter
and a newton on the former. Carolina is favored by a
bit more than I’d favor them but 2-2 is what it looks
like from here.