Reykjavik Open March 10-18

[Christopher Kreuzer]

And Dan has drawn! Great result. After the draw for round 9 is posted, I guess someone will be able to calculate if a norm is possible. There are two low-rated opponents - I know one can be lifted to the rating floor, but what about the second one? Can the first one be discounted if you treat it as a nine-round norm from rounds 2-10?

[Jonathan Rogers]

I haven't checked but I think the answer is yes (since he won).

Impressive, how he and Gawain have come back in this tough event.

[LawrenceCooper]

I haven't checked but I think the answer is yes (since he won).

Impressive, how he and Gawain have come back in this tough event.

The website is showing him as drawing but 5/9 looks to be sufficient (21743*/9 = 2416) http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html? ... ew=article
* Round 1 opponent rounded up to 2050.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I think Jonathan meant the round 1 result can be discounted because Dan won in that round. But that probably only counts if a GM norm is still possible (presumably would need to win both the last two rounds). Anyway, if Loz is right does that mean Dan already has an IM norm just for turning up for round 9? That would be his second IM norm, and surely not his last (well, hopefully not!!).

[Roger de Coverly]

Can the first one be discounted if you treat it as a nine-round norm from rounds 2-10?

I thought the rule was that you always count from the first round. There's the special rules that you can gain the Norm before the tournament is completed and that you can gain a norm over more rounds than the tournament, but I rather think that the first round is always included, which presumably also rules out a half point bye. I would expect that if you were unlucky enough to win by default in a tournament where no repairing was contemplated, that equally would scupper Norm chances.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Can the first one be discounted if you treat it as a nine-round norm from rounds 2-10?

I thought the rule was that you always count from the first round. There's the special rules that you can gain the Norm before the tournament is completed and that you can gain a norm over more rounds than the tournament, but I rather think that the first round is always included, which presumably also rules out a half point bye. I would expect that if you were unlucky enough to win by default in a tournament where no repairing was contemplated, that equally would scupper Norm chances.

Yes and no. You always have to count from the start of the tournament, but a bye/win by default is just ignored; you count through the games you actually played. Additionally, you are free to discard as many of your wins as you want, if this will help.

[Leonard Barden]

From the official site:

http://www.reykjavikopen.com/norms-and-norm-chances/

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thanks, Leonard. Nice to know that Reykjavik are one of the tournaments that publish norm chances on their website. Some impressive performances there.

Love this bit:

"Local legend Áskell Örn Kárason also has chances of an IM norm but he will need to finish strong since he took a bye in the 3rd round."

Great to see a 'local legend' doing well, though he is up against it with a pairing against a GM.

Very impressed with this performance from WGM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh from Iran:

http://chess-results.com/tnr143563.aspx ... 821&snr=65

Undefeated. Three wins and five draws. Played 5 GMs in a row and drew four and won one.

[Roger de Coverly]

"Local legend Áskell Örn Kárason also has chances of an IM norm but he will need to finish strong since he took a bye in the 3rd round."

I had thought that taking a bye ruled out a Norm, in a 9 round event at least. However the 1st July 2014 Regulations at the FIDE site talk of an 8 round Norm being possible in those circumstances. Was this something new for 2014?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

This is a ten round event, Roger. First I've heard of 8 round norms as well.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Eight-round and seven-round norms exist, but you can't get them from normal events. There are some special events where you can get them.

[Roger de Coverly]

Eight-round and seven-round norms exist, but you can't get them from normal events.

Quoting from
http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html? ... w=category
http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html? ... ew=article

1.41c
For a 9 round tournament, if a player has just 8 games because of a forfeit or Bye, but he has met the correct mix of opponents in those games, then if he has a title result in 8 games, it counts as an 8 game norm.

I suspect this is new, as "everyone knew" that if you took a first round bye in a nine round event such as the London Classic Open or Hastings in one of its nine round years, that you ruled out Norm chances.

[NickFaulks]

1.41c
For a 9 round tournament, if a player has just 8 games because of a forfeit or Bye, but he has met the correct mix of opponents in those games, then if he has a title result in 8 games, it counts as an 8 game norm.

I suspect this is new, as "everyone knew" that if you took a first round bye in a nine round event such as the London Classic Open or Hastings in one of its nine round years, that you ruled out Norm chances.

Of course this means an involuntary forfeit or bye, not one deliberately chosen by the norm seeker. If that can be misconstrued, perhaps the wording needs to be improved.

[Roger de Coverly]

If that can be misconstrued, perhaps the wording needs to be improved.

See the website for the current tournament in Iceland where one of the local players was still noted as being a Norm candidate, despite taking a Round 3 half point bye.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Jon Victor (Only a 2400 IM and 48th seed) on the way to 5.5/6 - and 3.5/4 against average 2650 GMS

rating performance approaching 2900!

forget GM norm...the way he is playing I think he might win the tournament!

Sadly, after messing up that winning position that would have taken him to 5.5/6 and drawing instead, he lost the next three games. Not sure if he can still get a 9-round GM norm by winning in round 10 against a 2123-rated player (and discounting his round 1 result). Would be nice if he could. Sadly, I don't think he can. Bit of a tragedy that.

http://chess-results.com/tnr143563.aspx ... 821&snr=43