2017 PRO Chess League season

The 2017 PRO Chess League Season was the inaugural season of the PRO Chess League. It started on January 11, 2017, and ended March 26.^[1][2] 48 teams participated, twelve of which had previously participated in the USCL. After the end of the first season, the St. Louis Arch Bishops defeated the Norway Gnomes, thus securing their first title.^[3] The PCL has a total prize fund of $50,000 compared to a prize fund of $10,000 in the USCL.^[4]

Standings

Eastern Division W L TB GP Delhi Dynamite 5 2 20.5 65.5 Budapest Gambit 4.5 2.5 24.5 62 Gorky Stormbringers 4.5 2.5 19 61 Norway Gnomes 3.5 3.5 28 60 Mumbai Movers 3.5 3.5 27 54 Riga Magicians 3.5 3.5 25.5 56.5 Ljubljana Direwolves 3.5 3.5 24.5 51.5 Belgrade Sparrows 3.5 3.5 18.5 62.5 Odisha Express 2 5 20 45 Amaravati Yodhas 1.5 5.5 16 48.5 Shymkent Nomads 1 6 23 44.5 Johannesburg Koeksisters 1 6 20.5 40

Central Division W L TB GP Marseille Migraines 5 2 27 67 Stockholm Snowballs 5 2 24 62.5 Amsterdam Mosquitoes 4 3 26 58.5 Cannes Blockbusters 4 3 25.5 56 London Lions 4 3 25 55.5 London Towers 4 3 23 68 Hamburg Swashbucklers 3.5 3.5 25 53.5 Apeldoorn Apes 3 4 21 56.5 Reykjavik Puffins 2.5 4.5 23.5 62 Dublin Desperados 2 5 19.5 56.5 Abuja Rockstars 2 5 17.5 39 Lagos Leatherbacks 0 7 21.5 26.5

Atlantic Division W L TB GP Montreal ChessBrahs 6 1 27 65.5 Buenos Aires Krakens 5 2 27 58.5 Toronto Dragons 5 2 26.5 71 Montclair Sopranos 5 2 22.5 66 Philadelphia Inventors 4.5 2.5 26.5 62 Miami Champions 4 3 22 62 New Jersey Knockouts 3.5 3.5 27 55 New York Knights 3 4 28 55.5 Patagonia Penguins 3 4 23 50 Atlanta Kings 2.5 4.5 25.5 56.5 Carolina Cobras 2 5 21 42.5 Columbus Cardinals 0 7 23.5 26.5

Pacific Division W L TB GP St. Louis Arch Bishops 6 1 29.5 70.5 Webster Windmills 6 1 27.5 68.5 Dallas Destiny 5.5 1.5 29 67 San Diego Surfers 5.5 1.5 26 68 Rio Grande Ospreys 5 2 31 58.5 San Jose Hackers 4 3 33.5 59 Las Vegas Desert Rats 3.5 3.5 29 59.5 Minnesota Blizzard 3 4 28.5 51 Seattle Sluggers 3 4 25 57 San Francisco Mechanics 3 4 23 52.5 Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers 3 4 21.5 47 Portland Rain 1.5 5.5 27 36.5

^[5]

Playoffs

After the end of the regular season, the top six teams from each division qualify for the playoffs with each team being seeded 1–6 based on regular season wins.

Eastern division

	Division Quarterfinals					Division Semifinals					Division Championship
						1	Delhi Dynamite	6.5
	4	Norway Gnomes	9			4	Norway Gnomes	9.5
	5	Mumbai Movers	7								4	Norway Gnomes	9.5
											3	Gorky Stormbringers	6.5
						2	Budapest Gambit	6.5
	3	Gorky Stormbringers	8			3	Gorky Stormbringers	9.5
	6	Riga Magicians	8

Central division

	Division Quarterfinals					Division Semifinals					Division Championship
						1	Marseille Migraines	10.5
	4	Cannes Blockbusters	7			5	London Lions	5.5
	5	London Lions	9								1	Marseille Migraines	6.5
											2	Stockholm Snowballs	9.5
						2	Stockholm Snowballs	8.5
	3	Amsterdam Mosquitoes	7.5			6	London Towers	7.5
	6	London Towers	8.5

Atlantic division

	Division Quarterfinals					Division Semifinals					Division Championship
						1	Montreal Chessbrahs	9
	4	Montclair Sopranos	9			4	Montclair Sopranos	7
	5	Philadelphia Inventors	7								1	Montreal Chessbrahs	10
											2	Buenos Aires Krakens	6
						2	Buenos Aires Krakens	10
	3	Toronto Dragons	7.5			6	Miami Champions	6
	6	Miami Champions	8.5

Pacific division

	Division Quarterfinals					Division Semifinals					Division Championship
						1	St. Louis Arch Bishops	8.5
	4	San Diego Surfers	9.5			4	San Diego Surfers	7.5
	5	Rio Grande Ospreys	6.5								1	St. Louis Arch Bishops	8
											2	Webster Windmills	8
						2	Webster Windmills	9.5
	3	Dallas Destiny	7.5			6	San Jose Hackers	6.5
	6	San Jose Hackers	8.5

Semifinals and championship

During the semifinal round, regardless of the participating teams, the winner of the Eastern Division played the winner of the Central Division, and the winner of the Atlantic Division played the winner of the Pacific Division.

	Semifinals					PCL Championship
	E4	Norway Gnomes	10
	C2	Stockholm Snowballs	6
						E4	Norway Gnomes	7
						P1	St. Louis Arch Bishops	9
	A1	Montreal Chessbrahs	8 (8, 1)
	P1	St. Louis Arch Bishops	8 (8, 3)

Awards

Award Player Team MVP Wesley So St. Louis Arch Bishops MVP Magnus Carlsen Norway Gnomes MVP Georg Meier Stockholm Snowballs Best Female Deimante Daulyte Cannes Blockbusters U2600 Yannick Gozzoli Marseille Migraines U2500 Nikolay Noritsyn Toronto Dragons U2400 Nico Zwirs Apeldoorn Apes U2300 Richard Francisco Atlanta Kings U2200 Nicholas Rosenthal St. Louis Arch Bishops

References

1. US Chess (January 9, 2017). "The PRO Chess League Begins on Wednesday". United States Chess Federation. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
2. PROChessLeague (December 19, 2016). "2017 PRO Chess League Schedule". United States Chess Federation. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
3. "St. Louis Arch Bishops Win Inaugural PRO League Title".
4. Rensch, Daniel (January 10, 2017). "PRO Chess League Prize Fund Increased To $50k+". United States Chess Federation. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
5. (PROChessLeague), PRO Chess League. "2017 PRO Chess League: Standings". Chess.com. Retrieved 2018-06-25.