Current Unofficial Standing After 4 Rounds
1-3 2.5 IM Pascal Charbonneau (CAN 2495) , IM Stan Smetankin (BLR 2485) , IM Angelo Young (PHI 2380)
4-8 2.0 IM Ben Finegold (USA 2563), GM Nikola Mitkov (MKD 2552) , GM Vladimir Georgiev (MKD 2539), IM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA 2521), WGM Rusa Goletiani (USA 2378)
9 1.5 IM Irina Krush (USA 2447)
10 1.0 GM Pawel Blehm (POL 2520)
GM Norm 6/9
IM Norm 4/9
http://www.fidechessinchicago.blogspot.com
http://www.fidechessinchicago.com/index.html
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I think Charbonneau has the best chance for a GM norm and title.
Excellent event. Congrats to Mr. Sevan!
Makes you wonder how “on the level” some of these norm events are. All the IM’s are leading the way while the GM’s are in the back of the pack. Pre-arranged? Are the IM’s just preparing harder so they can make GM? Either way it seems a little fishy.
No actually the GM’s have not had a good event so far.
I have not seen any of the ‘gimme’ games that I’ve seen in the past.
–Sevan
I should say, I didn’t mean to accuse in my comment. Just pointing out the first thing I thought when I read the post. I hope its all on the level.
Will the games be available in PGN after the conclusion of the event?
The games are currently available at http://www.fidechessinchicago.com/games.html
I am quite positive that all the games are on the level.
I feel very positive there is no fooling around. NO WAY.
Susan,
I LOVE this site, thanks so much for your effort and accessability.
Re: Chicago: 25% of the games are very short draws. Ben Finegold had a seven move draw(!!), and a couple of 12 move draws. I was flirting with the idea of contributing money to this cause — based upon your earlier blog — but the performance/effort of the professionals in the tournament has hardly caused my wallet to unfold.
(19) Stanislav Smetankin (BLR) (2485) – Eugene Perelshteyn (USA) (2521) [A36]
Winter Chicago FIDE Invitational (4), 10.01.2006
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 h5 7.h3 e5 8.d3 Bh6 9.f4 1/2-1/2
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This is the type of thing that invites questions about the validity of the event. At least it does for Patzers like me who hardly understand the game compared to men with ratings like Mr. Smetankin and Mr. Perelshteyn.
That is why Finegold is not a GM. He is known to have nerve problem. He takes draws instead of going for wins when things are on the line. He has this problem since being a junior player.
I had a 7 move draw and a couple of 12 move draws? What tournament were you watching? When I was white, I played til the last pawn, and when I was black, I won 2 wins, and had 3 draws, but all were 15-20 moves against Georgiev, Charbonneau, and Blehm… 2 GMs and the tournament winner.
I am known to have a nerve problem? I gained 60 rating points last year (2005) and in the last US Championship, I played more moves than ANYONE (!!) and my AVERAGE game length was 55 moves!
In this event, I was COMPLETELY lost against Goletiani and Krush, and losing (but not completely!) to Perelshteyn, and was better/much better versus Smetankin. This tournament had 2 rounds a day against top competition, so there are bound to be a few draws. This was an unbelievable fighting tournament for its strength.