Five-Way Tie at the New York International
Submitted by
avishka on Sun, 06/28/2009 at 2:35am.
IM Lev Milman earned his third GM norm at the New York International
Five players tied for first in the New York International(June 19-23, 2009) ; Lev Milman made his third and final GM norm. GM Giorgi Kacheishvili beat IM Sam Shankland as black in the last round to catch him at 6.5/9 and (partially) derail Sam’s norm hopes. The early tournament leader, Filipino IM Oliver Barbosa, won his last game against Igor Sorkin to reach the magical 6.5 score and share $10,000, but ironically, failed to make a GM norm because he had not played enough non-U.S. Players. Zybneil Hracek and Alex Stripunsky drew each other to join the leaders. IM Lev Milman made his third and final GM norm by beating Leonid Yudasin in the last round (his sixth GM of the tournament). He now needs only to get his rating from 2480 to 2500 to be awarded the title. Immediately after his game, Lev was off to the airport to begin a two week backpacking vacation across Europe.
In the last round, IM Sam Shankland needed only to draw GM Kacheishvili with white to make his first GM norm. Happy with his position out of the opening, Sam felt that Kacheishvili’s experience with isolated queen pawn structures allowed the grandmaster to gradually outplay him into an equal endgame. Sam then played a tactic that didn’t quite work and his opponent found a “beautiful, sick win.”
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