GM-Elect Ray Robson!

Submitted by SonofPearl on Mon, 10/12/2009 at 10:16am.

The young American chess player, Ray Robson (pictured), has just achieved his third and final GM-norm result, and therefore qualifies as a Grandmaster at just 14 years, 11 months and 16 days!

It's a close run thing, but it looks like Robson might therefore become the youngest American GM in history, just beating Fabiano Caruana's record by a few days [UPDATE - this has been disputed, it's too close to call!].  Bobby Fischer was a comparatively mature 15 years and 6 months when he became a GM.

Robson just missed out last month during Susan Polgar's SPICE competition, but he dominated the field in Panamerican Junior Championship to win with a score of 7.5/8, his only draw coming in the last round to secure the title.

Robson's game against GM Andre Diamant is below.


Just in case all this talk of chess prodigies in the news leads us old folks to believe we are over the hill, let's remember that last month another US player finally achieved the GM title at the tender age of 40.  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Ben Finegold is a Grandmaster.

Ben Finegold (picture from the Ben Finegold blog)

Congratulations to both Ben and Ray!

 

Comments:

by alsoni - 59 days ago
Kuching Malaysia
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 48

Man...I really gotta catch up with that Ray Kid.....I'm <1400 and 13yrs old this year

by squareblazer - 2 months ago
American Samoa United States
Member Since: Oct 2009
Member Points: 1

I thought I read somewhere on this site that Robson may be our next Fischer, but I believe Robson is our Magnus Carlsen!  Why?  With computers and databases, a kid his age can know more about chess than Fischer did in his entire life!  (This is Kasparov's opinion and I agree.)  Cheers!

by balifid - 2 months ago
Florida United States
Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 646

I am proud to say I have a 2-0 record against this kid.  Both games were about five years ago when he was rated 500.

 

Since then I've gained about 200 points; he has gained about 2000.

by Anothernewjack - 2 months ago
Minnesota United States
Member Since: Aug 2008
Member Points: 146

I knew Robson would be a GM before he was 15.Surprised

by nibir - 2 months ago
Dhaka Bangladesh
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 5982

Wow...GM at the age of 40 SurprisedSurprised

that is an excellent game.

by spank_the_bishop - 2 months ago
London United Kingdom
Member Since: Sep 2009
Member Points: 33

Yeah Andre Diamant messed that up big-time.  It looked to be in the bag.

But what the game score doesn't tell you is the time on the clocks... so maybe Diamant only got into such a great position because he had used up too much time, so Ray had plenty of time to take advantage of his disasterous play towards the end.

But take nothing away from young Ray - great achievement, great talent for the future!

by Scarblac - 2 months ago
Arnhem Netherlands
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 1841

@SerbianChessStar: I guess Black just plays ...b5.

by SerbianChessStar - 2 months ago
Belgrade Serbia
Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 2623

37. b4 > looks like it wins a knight for a pawn? anyone?

why isnt this a good move, someone explain please?

by FM charlesgalofre - 2 months ago
Miami United States
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 391

when will pepsi or cocacola sponsor Ray?

I will take this moment to say i have a equal score vs little Ray :D

hehehe.

hes so awesome.

 

Congrats Ben.

by drphon98 - 2 months ago
Philippines
Member Since: Jul 2009
Member Points: 18

Congratulations Rob & Ben! I'll follow u

by chirp55 - 2 months ago
Kendall Park United States
Member Since: Jul 2009
Member Points: 150

diamant just messed that one up

by IamVoltaire - 2 months ago
mobile United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 7

Ben Finegold still might never make GM, because so far, after over two weeks, the SPICE tournament is STILL not rated. Supposedly, USCF TDs are to submit tournament results within at least a week, but not this one. In fact, because I like to keep up with Ray Robson's progress, I always check for his latest tournament results, and nearly every one of his last five tournaments have gone well over a week or two before being submitted.

So, good luck, Ben. I hope you get credit some day for the SPICE tournament. Maybe the TD will submit it within a year or two, when he finds the time.

by conman1000 - 2 months ago
North Carolina United States
Member Since: Feb 2009
Member Points: 1788

This deserves to be up-top, and good job Robson.

by Phobetor - 2 months ago
Eindhoven Netherlands
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 1215

Ray actually got quite lucky in that game against Diamant. I'm sure he deserves the GM-title, but that game was not the most convincing win. Around move 30 white is already up a pawn, at move 45 white managed to simplify and consolidate this pawn and on move 55 white even won a knight. Maybe black would just be able to hold the draw after that with best play, but the fact that he won is 100% because white went all-in and allowed those pawns to roll. White could have taken the draw at any point until move 68.

by drumdaddy - 2 months ago
International
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 157

Most of us can only dream of such heights. 

by obregon26 - 2 months ago
Northern Virginia United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 436

Ben Finegold, you are my idol!   You are a fun guy.

For the women's division, Alisa Melekhina is my chess goddess.

 

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