2009 SPICE Cup - Norm Watch Update

Awwww, IM Ray Robson didn't make his final norm. He drew his final game with Rensch, but he needed a full point to score that final GM norm. The good news is that FM Danny Rensch scored the 1/2 point he needed for his final IM title norm! The USA has a new IM and a new GM (Ben Finegold) out of the "B" Group of the 2009 SPICE Cup. Congratulations to the new title-holders! Here are the final standings for the SPICE Cup "B" Group: 1-3 Finegold, Ben IM 2515 USA 6.0 1-3 Bhat, Vinay GM 2459 USA 6.0 1-3 Perelshteyn, Eugene GM 2542 USA 6.0 4 Robson, Ray IM 2527 USA 5.5 5 Papp, Gabor IM 2562 HUN 5.0 6-8 Rensch, Danny FM 2388 USA 4 6-8 Antal, Gergely IM 2486 HUN 4 6-8 Kuljasevic, Davorin IM 2547 CRO 4 9 Diamant, Andre GM 2526 BRA 2.5 10 Ippolito, Dean IM 2459 USA 2.0 Information from Susan Polgar's blog.

2009 SPICE Cup - Norm Watch Update

This what U.S. players needed to do before Round 8 began in order to score norms (from Susan Polgar's blog):

• IM Ben Finegold - He needs 1/2 point in 2 games to clinch his GM title. He will have White against FM Rensch in round 8 and Black against GM Perelshteyn in round 9.
• IM Ray Robson - He needs to win both of his games to clinch his GM title. He will have White against GM Diamant in round 8 and Black against FM Rensch in round 9.
• FM Danny Rensch - He needs 1 point in 2 games to clinch his IM title. He will have Black against IM Finegold in round 8 and White against IM Robson in round 9.

Here is where they stand after Round 8: IM Ben Finegold drew his game with FM Rensch. He has now earned his final GM norm and the GM title. Congratulations to IM Finegold, who really needs to change his eating habits and health regime - overweight and those dark circles around his eyes do not bode well. IM Ray Robson kept the dream for that final norm for a GM title alive by winning his game against GM Diamant. Robson needs to win Round 9 to earn that norm. A draw won't do it. FM Danny Rensch's hopes for his final IM norm are likewise still alive. With his draw against Finegold, he now needs to draw in Round 9 to clinch that norm and an IM title. Guess what - Robson and Rensch play each other in Round 9. WOW! High drama tomorrow!

2009 SPICE Cup - Norm Watch Update

Wow! Well, I knew it would be a bust when I tried to snatch looks at the Antal-Robson game in progress today at the office. DID NOT WORK! Meh! I figured it would be an epic battle, as both players were in do or die situations as far as their norm hopes. After an exhausting game, the players agreed to a draw. That pushed Antal out of contention to score a GM norm, as he needed 3.0/3; the half point in Round 7 grounds any chance. Hope for Robson remains alive by a slim margin, however; he now needs to win his final two games to earn that third GM norm. Can he do it? How much pressure can a person take? How much pressure can a 14 year old person take? The result of Finegold's game was the first to be reported. He needed to score 1.0/3 for his final GM norm, and he moved toward that goal with a draw today against GM Andre Diamant. He now only needs 0.5 in his final 2 games to clinch his title. After Round 6, FM Rensch needed to score 1.5/3 for his third IM norm and title. He drew his game today with GM Bhat and so he needs to score 1.0 in his final 2 games. Stay tuned!

2009 SPICE Cup

I usually don't report on tournaments where just chess dudes are playing, but because this is a Polgar/SPICE event, I'm making an exception! Polgar and SPICE (in conjunction with Texas Tech University) have worked practically 24/7 and have done a tremendous job of putting together world-class chess events and bringing lots of excitement to U.S. chess through the SPICE Cup and other SPICE-sponsored tournaments - in just two years. It's amazing to me how quickly I, one of the audience, have gotten used to seeing Polgar put on these quality events, and it seems like it's been a long time, but it's only been a little over two years since Polgar first made the announcement of the formation of SPICE at Texas Tech in the Spring, 2007 commencement address which she gave to that graduating class. This Tournament's B Group action is exciting, I have to say! It looks like IM Ben Feingold has a good chance to score his final GM norm - he has only to get 1 out 3 points! And 14-year old IM Ray Robson is still technically alive to scoring his final GM norm too, although he faces a much greater task than Feingold. Robson needs to score 2.5 out of 3. Can he do it? Oh my! Other norms are still possible too - here is the complete breakdown courtesy of Susan Polgar's chess blog: B group 1. IM Finegold 5.0 (needs 1/3 for GM norm and title) 2-3. GM Bhat, GM Perelshteyn 4.0 4. Robson 3.5 (needs 2.5/3 for GM norm and title) 5. IM Antal 3.0 (needs 3/3 for GM norm and title) 6-8. IM Papp, IM Kuljasevic, FM Rensch (needs 1.5/3 for IM norm and title) 2.5 9. GM Diamant 2.0 10. IM Ippolito 1.0 Of course, there is lots of fabulous chess taking place among the players in the A Group, too (what is wrong with Akobian? I do not think he is outclassed by the competition - does he have the flu or something?) - but you know, I always love an underdog and with American players vying for norms, call me sentimental - I'm rooting for them all the way! There has been something of an "explosion" of American-born chessplayers earning GM and IM titles the past couple of years - it is a very exciting time in American chess. Of course, I would like to see more chess femmes participating in the mix. Could Abby Marshall (first female to win the Denker) be our first home-grown GM? Stay tuned...