3 Earn Norms at 2017 CCCSA GM/IM Norm Invitational

Author: FM Peter Giannatos

This year's Charlotte Chess Center GM/IM Norm Invitational produced 3 norms and one title!

International Master norms went to: FM Gauri Shankar, NM John Ludwig and NM Tianqi Wang.

NM (FM) Benjamin Moon missed out by a half of a point but nonetheless raised his rating to 2300+ FIDE earning the FIDE Master title.

Group A

Going into the last round the following players were eligible for norms: IM Michael Brown (who needed to win with black versus top seed GM Tanguy Ringoir), and FM Gauri Shankar (who needed a draw with GM Fishbein).

Round 9 was quite heartbreaking for Brown who had recovered from earlier mishaps against FM Kumar and FM Shankar. Winning with black against the runaway train in GM Tanguy Ringoir was not an easy feat by any means, but Brown gave it one hell of a try:

Despite this incredible effort by IM Brown, he fell short by 1/2 of a point. FM Shankar earned his 5th(!!) IM norm with a "Grandmaster Draw" against GM Alexander Fishbein. FM Shankar will gain his IM title once he achieved a FIDE rating of 2400+.

No.	Player's Name	USCF	Rating	Score	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Rd 6	Rd 7	Rd 8	Rd 9
1	GM TANGUY RINGOIR	15491021	2518	7.5/9	W9	W3	D7	W6	D8	W4	W5	W10	D2
2	IM MICHAEL W BROWN	13289023	2478	6/9	D7	W6	W8	W4	L5	L10	W3	W9	D1
3	IM JOHN DAVID BARTHOLOMEW	12718516	2453	4.5/9	L4	L1	W5	D7	W10	W6	L2	D8	D9
4	IM AMAN HAMBLETON	13468545	2441	4.5/9	W3	W5	W10	L2	D9	L1	L7	D6	D8
5	FM GAURI SHANKAR (IM NORM)	12909025	2320	4.5/9	D8	L4	L3	W10	W2	D9	L1	W7	D6
6	GM ALEXANDER FISHBEIN	12077910	2481	4/9	W10	L2	D9	L1	D7	L3	W8	D4	D5
7	IM DANIEL GUREVICH	12914206	2465	4/9	D2	L9	D1	D3	D6	W8	W4	L5	L10
8	GM ALONSO ZAPATA	11426051	2426	4/9	D5	W10	L2	W9	D1	L7	L6	D3	D4
9	FM ALEXANDER KALIKSHTEYN	12579305	2453	3.5/9	L1	W7	D6	L8	D4	D5	D10	L2	D3
10	FM NIKHIL KUMAR	14982402	2444	2.5/9	L6	L8	L4	L5	L3	W2	D9	L1	W7

Group B

Group B was great for the norm hunters. Group B produced 2 norms: 

NM's John Ludwig (who has a 2397 FIDE Rating!) and NM Tianqi Wang.

Ludwig needed only 1/2 on the last day to secure his norm which he did easily with 2 draws against IM Vigorito and WIM Harazinska. The real challenge was his 7th round game against IM Martin Del Campo which was a real scrap:

FM Giannatos and NM Tianqi Wang (holding his norm certificate)

NM Tianqi "Steve" Wang  played well above his rating and rightfully earned an IM norm. I am extremely proud of Steve as he was one of the local invitee's who really stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park!

Steve played quite a few good games but the following miniature against IM Javakhadze was extremely crucial for his chances of getting a norm:

No.	Player's Name	USCF	Rating	Score	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Rd 6	Rd 7	Rd 8	Rd 9
1	JOHN GABRIEL LUDWIG (IM NORM)	13721287	2397	6.5/9	D4	W10	D8	W3	D9	W2	W7	D5	D6
2	TIANQI WANG (IM NORM)	14099361	2215	6.5/9	W3	W9	D6	W7	D5	L1	W4	W10	D8
3	FM DAVID BRODSKY	14380771	2330	6/9	L2	D7	D5	L1	W4	W10	W8	W6	W9
4	IM ZURAB JAVAKHADZE	15574183	2470	5.5/9	D1	W6	W10	W8	L3	W9	L2	D7	D5
5	IM DAVID VIGORITO	12426279	2370	5/9	W10	L8	D3	W9	D2	D7	D6	D1	D4
6	WIM EWA HARAZINSKA	16095511	2257	4.5/9	W9	L4	D2	W10	L7	W8	D5	L3	D1
7	IM ROBERTO MARTIN DEL CAMPO	12658446	2392	4/9	L8	D3	D9	L2	W6	D5	L1	D4	W10
8	FM MICHAEL KLEINMAN	12861469	2289	4/9	W7	W5	D1	L4	D10	L6	L3	D9	D2
9	RICHARD FRANCISCO	12631588	2253	2.5/9	L6	L2	D7	L5	D1	L4	W10	D8	L3
10	KAPISH POTULA	14114923	2075	0.5/9	L5	L1	L4	L6	D8	L3	L9	L2	L7

Group C

It appeared as though Group C was destined to create norms!  Moon and Zhang were in norm contention going into the last day.

NM Benjamin Moon only needed 1 of 2 on the last day for a norm although he had already achieved a live FIDE rating of 2304.8 hence already earning his FIDE Master title!

 For FM Yuanchen Zhang the norm was much harder as he needed 2/2 on Sunday.

Moon spoiled his chance at a norm with a very difficult game in the last round against IM Angelo Young where he needed a draw to secure his norm:

FM Zhang lost a difficult game against IM Stremavicius in round 8 which ended his norm chances. The game was approximately equal throughout until Zhang allowed the following breakthrough:

No.	Player's Name	USCF	Rating	Score	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Rd 5	Rd 6	Rd 7	Rd 8	Rd 9
1	IM FELIX JOSE YNOJOSA APONTE	15574198	2378	7/9	W5	W4	W10	D6	W7	D2	D9	W8	D3
2	BENJAMIN BARRY MOON	12910643	2254	6/9	W4	W9	D8	D3	W5	D1	W10	D6	L7
3	IM TITAS STREMAVICIUS	15874756	2453	5.5/9	W10	D6	L7	D2	W9	D8	D4	W5	D1
4	FM EDWARD SONG	13994740	2285	5/9	L2	L1	W9	D10	W8	W6	D3	D7	D5
5	FM YUANCHEN ZHANG	14927111	2268	5/9	L1	W10	W6	W7	L2	D9	W8	L3	D4
6	ANDREW ZHANG HONG	14941904	2378	4.5/9	W8	D3	L5	D1	W10	L4	D7	D2	D9
7	IM ANGELO YOUNG	12559845	2294	4/9	D9	L8	W3	L5	L1	D10	D6	D4	W2
8	AARON S BALLEISEN	13093767	2196	3.5/9	L6	W7	D2	W9	L4	D3	L5	L1	D10
9	FM SETH HOMA	12838750	2326	2.5/9	D7	L2	L4	L8	L3	D5	D1	D10	D6
10	SANJAY GHATTI	14114902	2276	2/9	L3	L5	L1	D4	L6	D7	L2	D9	D8

Special Thanks

A special thank you goes to my right hand man Grant Oen who really put an extreme amount of time an effort into making this tournament possible! Grant also earned his final FIDE Arbiter norm.

Another shout out goes to International Arbiter Thad Rogers of American Chess Promotions who is always easy going and very pleasant to work with.

Lastly I would like to thank William "Bill" Nash for volunteering as an additional arbiter for the event. Bill earned a FIDE arbiter norm for this event as well.

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We are looking forward to our next norm event!

Bringing a level of professionalism to chess in Charlotte,

FM Peter Giannatos

P.S. - Here are a few after-hours blitz games you may enjoy between famous YouTubers IM John Bartholomew (Fins) and IM Aman Hambleton (ChessBrahs)