PokerStars Isle of Man International 4-12 October 2014

[Christopher Kreuzer]

With apologies to the other ENG players, I'm focusing on four of the pairings for the final round, boards 1, 4, 5, and 11:

Code: Select all

1 	GM Short, Nigel D 		6.5 	ENG 	2646 	GM Howell, David W L 		6.5 	ENG 	2657 	
4 	IM Hawkins, Jonathan 		5.5 	ENG 	2533 	GM Sargissian, Gabriel 		5.5 	ARM 	2690 	
5 	GM Adams, Michael 		5.0 	ENG 	2758 	GM Arkell, Keith C 		5.0 	ENG 	2450 	
	
11 	FM Merry, Alan B 		5.0 	ENG 	2269 	GM Boruchovsky, Avital 		5.0 	ISR 	2501 	

The top board winner-takes-all is difficult to call. I suspect both players would love to win and won't be settling for a draw, so it could be an exciting game. On board 4, is it definite that a draw will secure Hawkins the GM title and a loss wouldn't? He does have White but there will undoubtedly be some nerves there. I wonder if his opponent (Sargissian) knows any of this? On board 5, Adams-Arkell is a huge rating gulf, but Keith drew with Nigel earlier. Might this just be a quick last round draw? And down on board 11, is it definite that Alan Merry can get both an IM norm (with any result or a draw?) and GM norm (with a win)? Hope all the ENG players do well!

[IM Jack Rudd]

On board 4, is it definite that a draw will secure Hawkins the GM title and a loss wouldn't?

After counting his round 1 opponent as 2200, his field becomes 2521.88, so the GM norm score is 5½/9. So all he needs to do is turn up.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Brilliant! (Hopefully the organisers have also worked this out and told him, or he knows already). I assume his opponent needs to turn up as well...

[IM Jack Rudd]

http://www.iominternationalchess.com/ne ... sults.html

[Roger de Coverly]

It's possible to double count, is it not?

So if Merry wins tomorrow to achieve the GM Norm, can he use that to become an IM once his rating reaches 2400 and still keep it for a later attempt at the GM title?

Presumably the tournament is using a relaxed approach to default times. So there's scope for waking up missing players. ( The last round has an earlier start I believe).

[IM Jack Rudd]

It's possible to double count, is it not?

So if Merry wins tomorrow to achieve the GM Norm, can he use that to become an IM once his rating reaches 2400 and still keep it for a later attempt at the GM title?

Yes, it's possible to double count. Haslinger did it.

[Keith Arkell]

For me this really has been the perfect prep for the World 50+ champs next week. I've never played so many top players in one go before!

2 GM Fridman, Daniel GER 2635 ½
3 GM Hillarp Persson, Tiger SWE 2555 1
4 GM Short, Nigel D ENG 2646 ½
5 GM Jones, Gawain C B ENG 2664 0
6 GM Gupta, Abhijeet IND 2640 0
7 Nimrod ISR 2289 1
8 GM Granda Zuniga, Julio E 2674 1
9 GM Adams, Michael ENG 2758

[Paul Bielby]

Keen ornithologists (Hawk watchers) in the North-East have found the Pokerstars IOM website absorbing viewing for the past week.

For the first time one of our own has achieved a GM title. Those of us who remember Jonathan as a schoolboy from Consett Chess Club (long since defunct) coming to Northumbria JCA events are 'reet chuffed'! Not that we can claim any credit for his perormances. As a junior he will admit his results were nothing special. But in recent years his own determination and hard work have been a revelation. And what a year this has been - first a British Championship and now a Grandmaste title!

Congratulations Jonathan! What's the next target - World Champion??

[Martin Crichton]

The top board winner-takes-all is difficult to call. I suspect both players would love to win and won't be settling for a draw, so it could be an exciting game.

Chris - here are some figures

Prize Money : Masters
1st £6,000, 2nd £3,000, 3rd £2,000, 4th £1,500, 5th £1,000, 6th £700

a draw will give Short and Howell minimum £3,125 (if 4 on joint 1st) to maximum £4,500 each (if 2 on joint 1st)

a win nets the winner £6000 but a loss nets the loser about £1,250

Sadly I predict a quick draw.

[MartinCarpenter]

Great to see Hawkins finally sort this out

Consett were actually struggling on in the Durham league until last season when they finally gave up the ghost. Hawkins kept playing for them too, which is really dedicated!

[Keith Arkell]

Keen ornithologists (Hawk watchers) in the North-East have found the Pokerstars IOM website absorbing viewing for the past week.

For the first time one of our own has achieved a GM title. Those of us who remember Jonathan as a schoolboy from Consett Chess Club (long since defunct) coming to Northumbria JCA events are 'reet chuffed'! Not that we can claim any credit for his perormances. As a junior he will admit his results were nothing special. But in recent years his own determination and hard work have been a revelation. And what a year this has been - first a British Championship and now a Grandmaste title!

Congratulations Jonathan! What's the next target - World Champion??

Hi Paul, Jon is one of if not my best friend in chess and it was a great moment when, walking near my board, he gave me a nod and small grin that told me he had beaten GM Marin ( 2583) to almost certainly clinched his title - ie barring getting paired with someone below 2542 and losing in the last round.

Jon is so strong now though, that I never had a doubt before this event or during it that he would clinch his title here. He never broke sweat while he, for example, easily drew with Adams and Short without anyone even batting an eyelid.

[Martin Crichton]

Hawkins can just play his best chess today as he is under no presssure and a win will net him £1250!

a draw or loss will result in little or no prize money according to my calculations

[Jonathan Bryant]

... first a British Championship and now a Grandmaste title!

Congratulations Jonathan! What's the next target ....

A new edition of his book with an updated title?

[JustinHorton]

he is under no presssure and a win will net him £1250

??

[Roger de Coverly]

The top board winner-takes-all is difficult to call. I suspect both players would love to win and won't be settling for a draw, so it could be an exciting game.

On board 2, the players (Tiviakov and Fressinet) have shown no inclination to fight for first place. It's not yet solely a battle between Nigel and David, as (edit) Poplivski (/edit) on board 3 could still join them with a win should they draw. Nigel currently has almost a Jack Rudd like time advantage at the moment, but David Howell is one of the easiest players to allow opponents to reach that state of affairs. A complex struggle looks in prospect.

In the Hawkins game, Sargissian has improved on Marin's play in the Queens Gambit Declined by going back to a line Nigel Short used to play. It has the advantage that Black does some fighting back rather than, as in Marin game, waiting to be blown away. So that looks likely to be a full struggle as well.