Being in an area with both many titled players and plenty of strong up and comers has undoubtedly been a big key to the Mechanics being one of the most successful teams in league history, having made the playoffs in every season.

     One effective strategy San Francisco has generally employed is finding a very underrated player to play on the bottom board, with All Stars US Junior Champion IM Sam Shankland and recent US Cadet Champion NM Yian Liou both having served in that capacity in earlier years.  It would have been natural to think that they might try to find another such weapon for 2010 with Liou's current rating now being much higher than in 2009.  However, after his tremendous first season, San Francisco has chosen a slightly different strategy, having him on the roster, again in a position where he will likely play the majority of the games on Board Four for them.  

     While this choice is entirely logical from looking at his first season's results, his now much higher rating will require the Mechanics to make some rating sacrifices on the other boards to continue to employ him on the bottom board.  But with them having another long time up and comer, FM Daniel Naroditsky, along with a new such recruit, FM Steven Zierk, to use in the middle boards, likely any extra rating points that they might be accustomed to having to utilize in those locations will be well compensated by those players' rapid improvement. 

     While the power of youth has served the Mechanics well over their earlier seasons, the question that may well be plagueing the team, even this far ahead, is whether they can locate a solution to their apparent draw odds curse, having been knocked out of the postseason in four of their five seasons despite possessing that advantage each time.  If so, given that no other team has ever showcased another way to stop the San Francisco team, 2010 may well be the season where they achieve what they probably feel is their long overdue second Championship.