Hastings 28 Dec 2017 - 7 Jan 2018

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm sure these two will love the chance to give it a go.

If you want to follow or study it, the tablebase at the Shredder site will tell you what the result will be with correct play. Increments are a mixed blessing for arbiters. At one level it's keeping one of them late in the venue, at the other they won't have to give a 10.2 "unable to win" decision.

http://www.shredderchess.com/online-che ... abase.html

[LawrenceCooper]

Heartbreak on board five for Rasa on move 104 who could have drawn with Rh7+ followed by exchanging rooks but blundered with Kd8.

[NickFaulks]

Increments are a mixed blessing for arbiters.

A five second increment gives the best of both worlds.

[Michael Farthing]

I weakened and checked a tablebase. I can claim I was right, because 78.Ra5+ drew. 78.Rf4 was in fact an error, allowing 78...Qh8 check, which won in 85 moves! So not entirely simple.

So actually a draw then according to current laws!

[Roger de Coverly]

So actually a draw then according to current laws!

There could well be a capture or more likely a pawn move, restarting the 50 move count

[Michael Farthing]

Oh ah. Silly me!

[Keith Arkell]

it looks to me that Hebden might have blown it with 66 ... Kf5 and 67 ... g4. Why on earth do you want to sacrifice a pawn and give your opponent a passed pawn? Surely 66 ... Kd5 followed by 67 ... Kc4 would have sealed the deal with the two queen-side passers?

Then I draw trivially with 67 Bf8 followed by Bxb4 and Rxa3.

After having endured so much torture, I now regret not simply taking the riskless edge with 20 Rxc8 Rxc8 21 Rc1, with the 2 Bishops. That was what my hand wanted to play but my lousy thinking faculties decided otherwise.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"After having endured so much torture, I now regret not simply taking the riskless edge with 20 Rxc8 Rxc8 21 Rc1, with the 2 Bishops. That was what my hand wanted to play but my lousy thinking faculties decided otherwise."

I was a bit puzzled you had R+P at the end, not R+B!

[Keith Arkell]

Haha, well the previous time I was last to finish in the whole building was v Vakhidov in round 3, and that time my last men standing were a N + pawn. Clearly I'm branching out

[Alex McFarlane]

Potential Norms
(Subject to confirmation)

GM Norms
Yiping Lou needs to score 1½ points and a 2197 rated opponent in round 9
Arghyadip Das needs to score 2 points and to play top seed in round 9

IM Norms
Borna Derakhshani needs to score 1½ points with 2299 in round 9 or 2 points with 1813 in last round
Adam C Taylor needs to score 1 point with a 2097 in round 9, 1½ with a 1692 or 2 pts with a 1325 in the last round
Claudio Boino needs to score 1½ points with 2226 in round 9 or 2 pts with 1857

[Richard Bates]

Potential Norms
(Subject to confirmation)

GM Norms
Yiping Lou needs to score 1½ points and a 2197 rated opponent in round 9
Arghyadip Das needs to score 2 points and to play top seed in round 9

IM Norms
Borna Derakhshani needs to score 1½ points with 2299 in round 9 or 2 points with 1813 in last round
Adam C Taylor needs to score 1 point with a 2097 in round 9, 1½ with a 1692 or 2 pts with a 1325 in the last round
Claudio Boino needs to score 1½ points with 2226 in round 9 or 2 pts with 1857

I don't think you've correctly factored in the effects of lowest rated opponents being elevated to 2050/2200 as appropriate.

[LawrenceCooper]

Potential Norms
(Subject to confirmation)

GM Norms
Yiping Lou needs to score 1½ points and a 2197 rated opponent in round 9
Arghyadip Das needs to score 2 points and to play top seed in round 9

IM Norms
Borna Derakhshani needs to score 1½ points with 2299 in round 9 or 2 points with 1813 in last round
Adam C Taylor needs to score 1 point with a 2097 in round 9, 1½ with a 1692 or 2 pts with a 1325 in the last round
Claudio Boino needs to score 1½ points with 2226 in round 9 or 2 pts with 1857

Adam has drawn today so I wondered if he plays a 2430+ if he will need to score anything or if that will suffice for a norm.

[Alex McFarlane]

Yes 2430 or above will do.

[Keith Arkell]

Yes 2430 or above will do.

So if he doesn't draw with Boggy he doesn't get a norm? Seems a bit harsh after such a fantastic performance!

[Alex McFarlane]

Potential Norms
(Subject to confirmation)

GM Norm
Yiping Lou needs to draw

IM Norms
Adam C Taylor needs to draw
Claudio Boino needs to win

WIM Norm
Sun Xinyue needs to draw