SLU Wins Collegiate Chess League Fall Title
11/21/2023
The Saint Louis University Chess team are once again champions.
The Billiken squad finished the 2023 Collegiate Chess League (CCL) fall season with a dominant win. In the finals on Sunday, Nov. 19, SLU topped the University of Texas at Dallas 11.5-4.5.
Photo by Sarah Conroy.
The win means the Billikens claimed both the spring and fall CCL titles. Head coach Varuzhan Akobian was pleased with the big win that clinched back-to-back CCL titles.
“This is a big success for us,” he said.
The SLU squad was made up of Benjamin Bok, Batsuren Dambasuren, Robby Kevlishvili and Nikolaos Theodorou. Bok picked up 3.5 out of 4 points in the final, and Chess.com named him the tournament’s MVP.
The CCL fall season began at the end of September. Every week chess players from universities across the country participated in the online chess tournament.
SLU made the finals after knocking off Columbia University 12.5-3.5 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 11. In the semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 18, the Billikens beat the University of Missouri 10.0-6.0 to punch their ticket to the finals. The Mizzou squad eventually rebounded to take third place.
With a day of rest, the Billikens were back in action on Nov. 19 for the championship final. The final was broken up into four rounds, with SLU dominating each one. The Billikens opened with a 3.5-0.5 edge thanks to quick wins from Bok and Theodorou. SLU never looked back and had victory clinched by the time round four began.
Latest Newslink
- A Camp Friendship that Stirred Up Lifelong BondsIn the summer of 2005, Mary Kate Keenoy (Chaifetz Grad '22) and Genevieve Willman met at SLU's Gardens to Tables culinary camp. What started as a shared interest in cooking grew into a lasting friendship that has endured for two decades.
- Bruce Bacon, M.D.: 1949-2025Bruce Bacon, M.D., professor emeritus of internal medicine, died Sunday, July 6, 2025. He was 75. Bacon was known globally for his expertise in all aspects of clinical hepatology, specifically hemochromatosis, viral hepatitis, chronic liver disease / general hepatology, and liver transplant. Bacon was also a member of the research team that discovered the gene for hemochromatosis, HFE, in 1996.
- SLU Launches William L. Clay, Sr. Institute of Civic Engagement and Economic JusticeThe Clay Institute will provide immersive learning experiences and hands-on training that address the social and economic challenges facing the St. Louis region and the nation. Institute programming will be available to all students with an interest in civic engagement and democratic participation.
- SLU Research Explores Depression's Ripple Effect on DiabetesA study conducted by researchers at Saint Louis University found that patients with depression were more likely to have uncontrolled diabetes over time and that depression contributes to a heightened economic burden to diabetes management.
- SLU/YouGov Poll: Statewide Cell Phone Ban for Missouri Schools Popular with VotersGovernor Mike Kehoe has signed Senate Bill 68 into law, enacting a statewide ban on the use of personal electronic devices, including cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches, throughout the school day in Missouri public and public charter schools.
- SLU Vaccine Center Will Enroll Healthy Volunteers in Yellow Fever Vaccine Clinical TrialSaint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development will enroll up to 70 adult volunteers in a clinical trial to study the safety elicited by a new investigational vaccine for yellow fever, a potentially deadly disease that is spread by mosquitoes. The research is funded by Sanofi Pasteur.