Closed 10 player tournament (9 games):

- Open tournaments are too unpredictable. Sometimes not having enough titled players to play against and sometimes not having enough foreign federations. Even so a player may not be matched against the right mix of opponents.

- Probably applies to North America much more than Europe where titled player quota and foreign federation quota is not a problem.

- An open tournament such as Cappelle-La-Grande regularly generates norms.

 

http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html?id=58&view=article

Normal foreign federation requirements:

1.43- At least two federations other than that of the title applicant must be included ...

1.44a A maximum of 3/5 of the opponents may come from the applicant’s federation and a maximum of 2/3 of the opponents from one federation.

1.45a At least 50% of the opponents shall be title-holders ... excluding CM and WCM...

 

Ideal mix:

3 foreign GMs (most expensive)

7 local IMs (each IM would play only 6 of their 9 games against another local to satisfy the maximum 2/3 ratio.)

 

Practical mix:

St. Louis Invitational:  http://www.chessdom.com/grandmaster-norm-tourney-begins-in-saint-louis/

1 GM Margvelashvili Giorgi GEO 2547

2 GM Moradiabadi Elshan IRI 2542

3 GM Finegold Benjamin USA 2505

4 IM Sevillano Enrico USA 2502

5 IM Arnold Marc T USA 2502

6 IM Gerzhoy Leonid CAN 2489

7 IM Molner Mackenzie USA 2465

8 IM Brooks Michael A USA 2456

9 IM Yang Darwin USA 2448

10 IM Young Angelo PHI 2321

 

3 GMs: 2 foreign GMs and the house GM.

7 IMs: 2 foreign IMs and 5 local IMs.

A total of four foreign players to be on the safe side. There would be trouble if only three and one cancels late. Might be impossible to replace in time.

 

Gamesmanship:

Based on 1.45a you might think that the foreign IMs could be replaced by any foreign low-raters but that would make it harder to get the minimum TPR (2600) and possibly even the minimum average opponent rating (2380).

"Last year’s GM norm tournament required a score of 6.5/9 and produced no norms, but this year’s event is stronger, with an average FIDE rating of 2478, and will require a score of 6/9 to achieve a GM norm."

Assuming the mandatory win against IM Young Angelo PHI 2321 the local IMs need 5 of 8. Not a slight against IM Young. I am sure he knows he is a target. I see at this point he is 1/1 and the other foreign, much higher rated IM is behind the 8-ball, now needing 6 of 8 for a norm.

 

Double Gamesmanship:

Obviously lower ratings are accounted for by the norm hunter needing a higher score. But is there a benefit to a low rated foreign GM. Say rated less than 2500?

 

Norm Calculator:

Provided by chess.com member boljen  http://skaktal.dk/en/norm.php

Turned out to be "The Perfect Storm". One GM is performing badly, another worse than that. There is a guaranteed GM norm entering the ninth round, with a possibility of three players earning GM norms.

http://saintlouischessclub.org/2012-saint-louis-invitational

Ninth round pairings:

IM Arnold, Marc T with 5.5 points vs. IM Molner, Mackenzie 5.0

One of the above will have a norm after their game.

GM Finegold, Benjamin 2.5 points vs. IM Sevillano, Enrico 5.0

IM Brooks, Michael A 2.5 points vs. IM Yang, Darwin 5.0

Not a hat trick but two rabbits came out of the hat.

A GM norm for both IM Arnold with a draw and IM Yang with a win.

Is it true that all of fifteen-year-old Darwin Yang's norms come from these Polgar organized closed tournaments? If so, it seems easy, but keep in mind it doesn't actually make it any easier playing against all these GM/IM powerhouses

This GM norm is from the 2012 Saint Louis Invitational.

Susan Polgar has the SPICE Spring Invitational and SPICE Cup.

Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence.  http://www.susanpolgar.com/susan-polgar-institute.html

SPICE was based in Lubbock Texas. Moving to Webster University in St. Louis this year.

You can see Yang's three IM norms here  http://ratings.fide.com/title_applications.phtml?details=1&id=2029111&title=IM&pb=30